The cover letter that you prepare to help you to secure an internship with an organisation is a very important document. Whereas your CV will be able to establish the basic facts of your professional and academic experience to date, the letter is much more valuable in terms of getting your personality across. Here are some basic rules for the preparation of a cover letter and some further advice on the sort of information you should include when applying for an internship.
In general, a covering letter should be no longer than one A4 page. The quality of paper and envelope you use is of course very important and should ideally match the CV. Also, letters should always be typed, unless specifically requested otherwise, but should always be signed by hand.
When sending out speculative applications, just as the objective of your CV should, your cover letter should clearly state that you are only looking for internships. Even though you are not applying for an advertised internship, you should try to demonstrate your knowledge of the company you are writing to. Also, try if possible to address the letter to a person in particular rather than simply writing Dear Sir/Madam. Phone the company in advance to find out whom to address the letter to. If you do not, there is the risk that your letter will simply not be received by the correct person and may even be ignored completely. The general content of the speculative letter should be the same as with the advert response type.
- The letter should be used to demonstrate your knowledge of the company to which you are applying and your specific reasons for wanting to undertake an internship with them. Many other people may be contacting the same company to apply for an internship so you need to make sure that your letter gets across your enthusiasm and the unique skills and experiences you have that may add value to the organisation.
Highlight your ambition and your drive to succeed as well as your ability to learn as your internship will probably include intensive training.
- In general, whatever type of cover letter you are producing it is important that it is relevant to the job and the company, concise and articulate.
- It is also essential to check that there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors as this is possibly the company's first impression of you. This is a formal letter of introduction so should be treated as such and prepared as professionally as you can.
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