15 internship & entry level cover letter templates
Make a professional cover letter to land the perfect internship or entry-level job with these free easy to use templates.
When applying for a job, a well-written cover letter can be just as important as a strong resume. A cover letter is a document that accompanies your resume and provides additional context for your qualifications, experience, and interest in the position you are applying for. In this article, we will explore what a cover letter is and why it is an essential part of the job application process.
What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a one-page document that serves as an introduction to your resume. It is typically addressed to the hiring manager or HR representative and provides additional information about your qualifications, experience, and interest in the position. A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out from other applicants and showcase why you are the best candidate for the job.
Why is a Cover Letter Important?
A cover letter is important for several reasons. Firstly, it provides an opportunity to introduce yourself to the hiring manager and explain why you are interested in the position. This can help to establish a personal connection and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job. Secondly, a cover letter allows you to highlight your relevant skills and experience, which may not be immediately apparent from your resume alone. Finally, a well-written cover letter can help to demonstrate your writing skills and attention to detail, both of which are valuable qualities in any job.
What Should be Included in a Cover Letter?
A cover letter should be tailored to the specific job you are applying for and should include the following elements:
- Introduction: Begin by introducing yourself and explaining why you are interested in the position.
- Body: The body of your cover letter should provide additional information about your qualifications and experience, as well as specific examples of how your skills align with the requirements of the job. Use this section to highlight your relevant accomplishments and demonstrate your understanding of the position.
- Closing: End your cover letter by thanking the hiring manager for their time and consideration, and expressing your enthusiasm for the opportunity to interview for the position. Be sure to include your contact information so that the hiring manager can easily reach you if they have any further questions.
In conclusion, a cover letter is an important part of the job application process. It provides an opportunity to introduce yourself to the hiring manager, highlight your relevant skills and experience, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job. By taking the time to craft a well-written cover letter, you can increase your chances of standing out from other applicants and securing the job of your dreams.
Cover letter templates for internships
Software development internship.
[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State ZIP Code] [Your Phone Number] [Your Email Address] [Today's Date]
[Hiring Manager's Name] [Company Name] [Company Address] [City, State ZIP Code]
Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],
I am writing to apply for the Software Development Internship at [Company Name]. As a computer science student with a passion for programming, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or programming experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s software development initiatives.
[Your Signature] [Your Name]
Data Science Internship Template
I am writing to apply for the Data Science Internship at [Company Name]. As a computer science student with a strong interest in data analysis, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or data-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s data science initiatives.
Cybersecurity Internship Template
I am writing to apply for the Cybersecurity Internship at [Company Name]. As a computer science student with a strong interest in cybersecurity, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or cybersecurity-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s cybersecurity initiatives.
Marketing Internship Template
I am writing to apply for the Marketing Internship at [Company Name]. As a [Your degree program or field of study] student with a passion for marketing, I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to your team.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or extracurricular activities. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to learn and grow with [Company Name].
Finance Internship Template
I am writing to apply for the Finance Internship at [Company Name]. As a [Your degree program or field of study] student with a strong interest in finance, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or finance-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s financial initiatives.
Journalism Internship Template
[Hiring Manager's Name] [Publication Name] [Publication Address] [City, State ZIP Code]
I am writing to apply for the Journalism Internship at [Publication Name]. As a [Your degree program or field of study] student with a passion for journalism, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or journalism-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Publication Name]'s editorial team.
[Your Signature] [Your Name]Template for a Design Internship
Technology Internship Template
I am writing to apply for the Technology Internship at [Company Name]. As a [Your degree program or field of study] student with a strong interest in technology, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or technology-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s technology initiatives.
Public Relations Internship Template
I am writing to apply for the Public Relations Internship at [Company Name]. As a [Your degree program or field of study] student with a passion for communication, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or communication-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s public relations initiatives.
Education Internship Template
[Hiring Manager's Name] [School Name] [School Address] [City, State ZIP Code]
I am writing to apply for the Education Internship at [School Name]. As a [Your degree program or field of study] student with a passion for teaching, I am excited about the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in this field.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or teaching-related experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the internship and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [School Name]'s educational initiatives.
Cover letter templates for entry level jobs
Basic entry-level template.
I am writing to apply for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. As a recent [Your degree or educational program], I am excited to begin my career in [Industry] and believe that this position would be an excellent opportunity to do so.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and explain your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight your relevant coursework, internships, or extracurricular activities. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the position and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name].
Entry-Level Marketing Template
I am writing to apply for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. As a recent graduate with a degree in Marketing, I am excited to begin my career in this field and believe that this position would be an excellent opportunity to do so.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and explain your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or internships. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the position and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s marketing initiatives.
Entry-Level Human Resources Template
I am writing to apply for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. As a recent graduate with a degree in Human Resources, I am excited about the opportunity to begin my career in this field and believe that this position would be an excellent opportunity to do so.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s HR initiatives.
Entry-Level Graphic Design Template
I am writing to apply for the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. As a recent graduate with a degree in Graphic Design, I am excited to begin my career in this field and believe that this position would be an excellent opportunity to do so.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and explain your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight any relevant coursework or design projects. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the position and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]'s design initiatives.
General Cover letter templates
Job application template.
I am writing to express my interest in the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. As a [Your current or most recent position] with [Number of years of experience], I am confident that I possess the skills and qualifications necessary to excel in this position.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and express your interest in the position. In the second paragraph, highlight your relevant experience and skills. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the position and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Career Change Template
I am writing to express my interest in the [Position Name] role at [Company Name]. Although my background is in [Your previous career or industry], I am eager to pursue a new career path in [New career or industry] and believe that this position would be an excellent opportunity to do so.
[In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and explain your career change. In the second paragraph, highlight your transferable skills and any relevant experience. In the final paragraph, express your enthusiasm for the position and provide your contact information.]
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further.
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Resumes and Cover Letters
Resumes and cover letters are essential marketing tools when applying for:
- On-campus and seasonal employment
- Volunteer work
- Job shadowing experiences
- Scholarships
- Internships
- Professional positions
- Graduate school
The Career Development Center provides resources and services to help you develop your marketing and professional communication package. Review and follow the steps below.
Whether you are preparing a resume and/or cover letter for a professional position, internship, class assignment or graduate school application, it is important to understand the basics of a professional resume and cover letter.
Writing Your Resume and Cover Letter Info Session Attend an info session to learn about resume types and styles, the best way to arrange your resume, and which topics should and should not appear. Learn about the key elements of a well-written cover letter and when and how to send these marketing materials. For dates and times see Schedule of Events.
Resume and Cover Letter Samples These samples will assist you in writing an effective resume and cover letter.
- Introduction to Resume Preparation ( action verbs for your resume )
- Introduction to Cover Letter Preparation
Federal Resume A federal resume written to apply for a position with the federal government differs in both content and format from a traditional resume. More information.
1. Reflect on your skills (...before you write) Understanding your unique strengths and qualifications will help you to prepare an effective, targeted resume and cover letter and prepare for a subsequent interview. Remember, you can continue to develop transferable skills through participation in other experience-building activities .
- Transferable skills are talents that you acquired through your coursework, campus activities, employment, volunteer work and leisure time activities. These talents can translate into marketable qualifications for an internship or job. View our transferable skills worksheet .
- Career tests are another way for you to understand your strengths, workplace values and interests. More information .
2. Research your field of interest to become more familiar with the skills and abilities employers/graduate schools are looking for (before you write)
- Visit the ONET website to research occupations of interest. Click on Find Occupations, then type in keywords or phrases related to your occupational goal in the top left search box. Select the job titles that interest you, then review the tasks, tools and technology, and knowledge descriptions.
- Review actual job postings/announcements in your occupational field. What are the keywords, nouns and phrases used in this industry? Check out this list of job search sites , choose one, then search for postings by job title or keywords.
Compare your skills to the requirements that employers are seeking. These are the skills that you want to highlight on your resume/cover letter and during an interview.
3. Prepare your draft Create your resume and cover letter in an MS Word document. Do not use a resume template. Font size and style, margin width, line spacing, use of bullets and white space all impact the readability of your resume and cover letter, and therefore the impression you make on prospective employers and graduate schools. Highlight your qualifications by using these elements to create reader-friendly and organized documents. Visit below links for specific formatting guidelines:
- Click here for resume
- Click here for cover letter
4. Finalize your resume and cover letter "You'll never have a second chance to make a good first impression." Proofread and edit your resume and cover letter. Read through your documents carefully making sure they are:
- Clear (raise no questions)
- Concise (to the point)
- Consistent (font, spacing, and format)
5. Save your resume in multiple formats and upload to Handshake for employers to view You will need formatted and unformatted versions of your resume for various modes of distribution. Be sure to save your documents using a professional file name such as your first and last name.
- Create a PDF file of your resume for sending as an attachment
Download our resume template and create your best resumes! Don't forget to have it reviewed by our staff!
Word Doc of CDC Resume Template
Google Doc Version of CDC Resume Template (make a copy of this template to have easy fill-in access)
The CDC staff will make suggestions to improve your content, grammar, organization, formatting and style consistency. Reviews are intended to help you tailor your resume and cover letter to your individual needs after you have reviewed and applied the basic content and format recommendations noted on this page. A review is not a tutorial on how to write a resume or cover letter. Please note: You may have each of your documents reviewed up to two times a year (July-June).
Want to have your cover letter or resume drafts reviewed for feedback? You may either 1) schedule a 1:1 in-person appointment using Handshake (go to Career Center, then Appointments, then 'In-person Resume or Cover Letter Review'), 2) stop by the Career Development Center Mon. - Fri. from 2-4pm in Stratton 113 (first-come, first-served), or, 3) submit your resume for a staff member to review it and provide written feedback through Handshake.
Resume Red Flags
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