Cover letters are an art form in decline. So before you start writing one, it's worth taking some time to decide if you really need to. For help deciding, check out Are cover letters a must for internships? What employers say.
Once you've chosen to write a cover letter, you'll want to know what employers actually look for in a cover letter. Here are the best tips we've gathered from employers we've spoken to with some advice from the book Confessions of a Recruiting Director sprinkled in.
Remember: Employers don't have that much time and they may be reviewing your application alongside hundreds of others. So they'll appreciate it if you can keep your cover letter to the point.
This is especially important when you consider the fact that some employers just want to see that you have a cover letter!
The thing about cover letters is that people don't actually care about what you write. They just want to see if you care enough to write one.
It's like how employers want to see if your resume is grammatical – they don't actually care about grammar; they just want to see you care enough to be grammatically correct.
So if you write a cover letter, keep it short, concise, and make sure it's professional.
– Former recruiter @ Google
How short should it be?
You should write a cover letter that's ten sentences long (give or take). Your paragraphs should be short, and your sentences should be short. Again, it's not a college paper, which you must stretch out.
– Confessions of a Recruiting Director
A common complaint about cover letters is that they're too aspirational. They focus on your ambitions for the future rather than your unique qualities and motivations.
There's nothing wrong with aspirations per se – but when you've been hiring long enough, you learn that "talk is cheap"! Anyone can claim they want to achieve anything.
What's more valuable is demonstrating how your past experiences, skills, and unique attributes make you the right fit for the role.
Cover letters tend to be aspirational and about what you want to do. I want to know what makes you different and what makes you tick.
– Former recruiter @ Google
Employers often use cover letters as a gateway to your resume, so make sure your letter highlights points that are fully backed up by your resume.
I tended to just glance at them or skim them and go to the resume and see if anything they said in the cover letter was actually supported in the resume.
– Former marketing executive[LINK] @ Time Warner Cable
Your cover letter should express the highlights of your resume so when I read it, it makes more sense to me.
This [the cover letter] is just an overview to show the employer that your qualifications in the resume/CV that follows are worth looking at.
That said, your cover letter shouldn't just be your resume in essay format! It should add to your resume. This leads to our next point.
Your cover letter is your chance to bring your resume to life. Use it to showcase who you are beyond your qualifications. Make it personal, explaining your motivations, how your experiences have shaped you, and why you're the perfect fit for this role.
Every cover letter needs to have a story ... Ask yourself why you're interested in the field, in the job, in the company. Ask yourself why you'd do well there. Ask yourself what makes you a unique or special candidate. These questions all provide the inspiration for the story of your cover letter.
– Confessions of a Recruiting Director
I want to know who you are, why you want to be an intern or employee, or why your past experience is transferrable.
You can explain why you got into engineering or how your personality fits the job, hardships you faced – you can provide a narrative and market yourself like a trailer for a movie before you ever get to an interview.
– Senior electrical engineer @ Stantec
My advice would be to make sure it's clear that the letter has been tailored to the role or the company. You can send out letters that are 80% the same, but spend the time to personally tweak the 20% to be about why they're interested in that role or company specifically, or how their experience aligns well with what the role is about (eg. talk about a project they did for a class that touches on something listed in the job description).
– Senior market researcher[LINK] who has run internship programs
Now let's see these pieces of advice in action in some sample cover letters.
Dear Emilie,
Last summer, I helped increase my school's career services' Instagram following by 50% in two months. During the school year, I work as an on-campus writing tutor, where I've helped dozens of students edit their resumes and cover letters.
These experiences have helped me discover my passion for social media and for helping my fellow students find their feet professionally.
Now, imagine my excitement discovering this social media marketing internship at Prosple – whose entire mission is to empower students in their career journeys! Prosple is exactly where I want to apply my proven social media skills and deep understanding of student needs.
I'm bursting with ideas to amplify your reach and would love to chat about taking Prosple's digital presence to the next level.
Eager to contribute to your impactful work,
Max
Notice how this cover letter doesn't just highlight the student's most relevant experiences (which employers can understand from their resume). It also emphasizes the student's passion for the employer's mission.
Now, what if you don't have any relevant experience?
Let's say a biology major wanted to apply for an internship in the field of market research, which involves researching consumer preferences through surveys. Here's what a strong cover letter might look like.
Dear Ms. Chen,
While my resume might scream "science nerd" (and proudly so!), my heart is now set on unraveling the mysteries of consumer choices. This pivot came after realizing I was more intrigued by my lab partners' snack preferences than our bacterial cultures.
To scratch this new itch:
- I've dived into "The Curious Consumer" podcast, binge-listening to 50+ episodes on market trends.
- I've conducted a scrappy survey on campus coffee habits (turns out, students will trade sleep for cold brew – who knew?).
In particular, Insightful Inc. caught my eye because of your data wizardry.
- Your use of advanced statistical methods reminds me of the rigorous analysis I've applied in my biology labs.
- Your recent study using machine learning to predict consumer behavior patterns especially intrigues me, as it mirrors the predictive modeling we use in population genetics.
I'm excited to trade my lab coat for survey data, bringing fresh eyes and boundless curiosity to your team!
Looking forward to chatting,
Alex
This student makes up for a lack of relevant experience by:
The cover letter is also well structured, with bullet points and numbered lists breaking up the text and making it easy to read.
As a student, having a low GPA can hurt your chances of getting an internship. If you have to disclose your low GPA, make sure to explain any valid reasons for it so employers don't think you were just partying away!
Dear Hiring Manager,
Let's address the elephant in the room: my GPA. I understand from your campus recruiters that these are often viewed as a barometer for work ethic and competency in the field of engineering.
Between the three part-time jobs that are paying for my college tuition, I've unfortunately had to pass on some study time, which has affected my performance on tests.
Despite these challenges, my passion for engineering has never wavered. Ever since I disassembled and reassembled my first RC car at age 10, I've been fascinated by how things work.
And even with my various courses and odd jobs, I've tried my best to apply engineering principles wherever possible. For instance:
- I've used my knowledge of process optimization to streamline kitchen operations at the diner I work at, reducing wait times by 15%.
- I've completed online courses in CAD software and taken on freelance gigs where I designed custom parts for local makers and small businesses.
- In my Systems Engineering class, I led a team project to design an efficient water filtration system, applying principles of fluid dynamics and project management to ensure success.
While my GPA might not shine, my hands-on experience demonstrates my dedication and capability.
Eager to bring my passion and curiosity to TechSolutions as an intern,
Avery
The great thing about this cover letter is that the student addresses employers' concerns directly – they explain the reason behind their low grades (a lack of time due to working three part-time jobs).
On top of that, this cover letter also highlights relevant experience (using engineering principles and tools in their various odd jobs and courses). These experiences are likely also on the student's resume, but the cover letter helps put them in context.
Another thing you'll want to do is show that you have the personal qualities that the internship asks for. At the junior level, employers don't expect you to be a rockstar when it comes to knowledge of the field. But if you have the soft skills they're looking for, that's a huge plus.
Dear Hiring Manager,
Picture this: It's 6 PM at Joe's Diner.
The dinner rush is in full swing, the grill is sizzling, and the air is thick with the aroma of burgers and fries. As shift lead, I'm orchestrating a ballet of servers, cooks, and customers, all while troubleshooting a malfunctioning POS system.
This may seem far removed from an engineering internship, but I'm pleased to say that five years of working in this high-pressure environment have equipped me with the exact qualities you've listed on the job description.
- Handling pressure: If I can manage 50 hangry diners demanding their burgers during a Friday night rush, I'm confident I can juggle multiple engineering projects and deadlines with aplomb.
- Teamwork: As shift lead, I've honed my ability to leverage individual strengths, communicate effectively across roles, and adapt to changing team dynamics - skills crucial in any engineering team.
- Communication skills: From explaining menu changes to confused customers to mediating between kitchen staff and servers, I've mastered the art of clear, concise communication in high-stress situations.
- Time management: Between three part-time jobs and a full course load, I've become a master of squeezing productivity out of every minute.
I'm eager to bring this unique blend of practical skills, problem-solving ability, and unwavering work ethic to TechSolutions, where I can apply my passion for engineering to real-world challenges.
Avery
If you're a fan of a specific company, highlight that. Ideally, you'll also have spoken to someone who works at the company.
Dear Greenify Team,
Your EcoTrack app literally changed my life - I've cut my carbon footprint by 30% since I started using it last year. As an Environmental Science and Psychology double major at UC Berkeley, I'm fascinated by how Greenify combines these fields to create practical, user-friendly tools for climate change mitigation.
I've been following your journey closely, from your seed round to your recent feature in TechCrunch. Your approach to leveraging behavioral psychology in environmental tech is exactly what drew me to my unique combination of majors.
Last month, I had an inspiring chat with Raj Patel, one of your junior developers, at a campus hackathon. Raj's passion for Greenify's mission and the collaborative culture he described made me even more eager to join your team.
I'd love to bring my interdisciplinary background to your internship program. My data analysis skills from Environmental Science and insights into user behavior from Psychology could be valuable assets to your team.
I have some exciting ideas for gamifying carbon reduction challenges that I believe could take EcoTrack to the next level, blending environmental impact with psychological motivators.
I know you're growing fast and likely flooded with applications, but I'm confident I can help drive Greenify's success.
Looking forward to connecting,
Dakota
Now that you've written a cover letter, you can just send it off, right?
WRONG.
A terribly common mistake students make with cover letters is addressing them to the wrong employer. Or having typos.
This can easily get you disqualified from a job.
If you didn't take the time to proofread it, why should I take the time to read it?
Read it over yourself and have another pair of eyes read it too.
If it seems you hastily put together a cover letter, it makes me wonder wow hastily you're going to work. This will get you overlooked or dismissed.
If a cover letter is poorly written, it's another reason for them to not like you.
So get someone to read over your cover letter! Or at the very least, use spell-check.
You can find plenty of internships on Prosple. We have a vast selection of internships curated for students like you. Just filter 'til you find the right fit!