The cover letter, also known as the application letter, is a powerful way to capture the attention of potential employers. It acts as the perfect “convincer” for getting an internship position. Whether you’re fresh out of uni, just finished high school or simply moving from one professional field to another - internships are a great way to get your foot in the door. They lead to mentorships, dream jobs, awesome projects, stable salaries, and incredible growth opportunities.
When it comes to internships, the competition can be high, but don’t let that stop you! At cvapp.nz, we have a whole range of tools and knowledge to boost your chances of professional success.
In this guide, we’ll go through the following topics to help you write the best cover letter possible:
- We’ll outline the goal and purpose of a cover letter
- We’ll explain the cover letter structure and provide free examples and templates
- We’ll show you how to maximise the effect of each cover letter paragraph: header, greeting, intro, body, and conclusion
- We’ll provide insights into the psychology of cover letter writing,
- And lastly, we’ll show you common mistakes to avoid when writing your internship cover letter
Before we get started, let’s rewind for a moment. Ask yourself: why do I even need a cover letter? If the application process explicitly requires you to submit one, the answer’s easy. If you aren’t asked for a cover letter, it's crucial to understand why a cover letter is a useful tool for ANY type of career opportunity, and how to create a cover letter that leaves a positive first impression.
What is an internship cover letter?
Primary purpose of a cover letter
A cover letter is a relatively free-form document, roughly 300 to 400 words and limited to one page, submitted along with your CV. The goal is to introduce yourself to the company and hiring manager by briefly outlining your achievements, character, skills, and personal qualities. In addition, the cover letter establishes a direct and immediate personal connection, explaining why you’re a great pick for the position. Of course, it’s easier to understand these ideas based on real cover letter samples and templates, which you can analyse below.
What if the internship job application doesn't require a cover letter?
Unless you are specifically directed not to submit a cover letter, then send one anyway! It will increase the likelihood of a personal connection with the employer/hiring manager.
The "percentage approach" to getting a great internship position is explained below. With just a half-hour invested with cvapp.nz’s expert tools, you can increase your chances of reaching your professional goal. Creating just one short document is a small price to pay for the opportunity of an awesome career in the future!
In our CV writing guide, as well as our occupation-specific guides, we explain how the CV is a highly structured document. The only part where you get to “sound like" yourself is in the CV summary (profile). Those three to five short sentences don't allow much room to convince the hiring manager you are diligent, creative, and a delight to work with — someone worthy of a chance.
Ultimately, you want to stand out from the crowd of generic pitches. A great internship cover letter can help you achieve that human connection and resonate with employers effectively.
Best format for an internship cover letter
The cover letter structure for any intern position will usually be the same or similar, regardless of profession or position. Cover letters should include these key components:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting
- The introduction
- The body paragraphs
- The conclusion and signature
For an in-depth look at writing each of these sections, as well as free example sentences - make sure to check out our overall guide to cover letters.
Dear Mr. Higgins-Law,
My name is Nikau Wilson, and I am writing to express my interest in the internship position at Micro Macro Media. I am extremely passionate about media and storytelling, and I am excited to contribute my skills and knowledge to the Micro Macro team. I graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Communication degree in 2022, where I developed a strong foundation in media studies, journalism, and communication theory. Throughout my academic journey, I honed my skills in analysing media content, understanding audience engagement, and producing high-quality written and visual materials.
I firmly believe that my academic background, alongside my practical experience, has prepared me well for the challenges and demands of working in the media industry. One of the key strengths I bring to the table is my language proficiency. In addition to being fluent in English, I am also well-versed in Te Reo Māori and Spanish. This multilingual capacity allows me to effectively connect with diverse audiences while bringing a unique perspective to media projects. I strongly believe in the power of inclusive storytelling and the positive impact it can have on society. Being able to communicate effectively in multiple languages enables me to reach a wider audience and create content that resonates with people from different cultural backgrounds. I am particularly drawn to Micro Macro Media because of its strong reputation as a leading media company in Christchurch.
Your commitment to innovative storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and community engagement aligns perfectly with my own values and aspirations. I believe that working as an intern at Micro Macro Media would provide me with invaluable practical experience and the opportunity to contribute to impactful media initiatives.
I am excited about the possibility of joining the Micro Macro Media team and contributing to its continued success. I have attached my CV for your review, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further in an interview.
Ngā mihi nui,
Nikau Wilson
The cover letter header
The header of an internship cover letter performs two functions. The primary one is to provide all the necessary contact/personal information that the employer requires. If you’re submitting your cover letter through an online application system, keep the header brief; don’t try to stuff too much in!
However, the cover letter is likely to circulate within the company, so it’s useful to have some of your info up there, to avoid becoming “nameless."
The secondary function of the header is to visually grab the reader's attention. We make it easy to wow employers with our attractive and impressive cover letter templates in our online cvapp.nz cover letter builder!
The goal of the cover letter header: supply the necessary contacts, identify the document as belonging to yourself and to grab visual attention.
Align document styles!
It’s always a good idea to align the writing style and formatting of your CV and cover letter, including in the header. First, it shows you’re organised and consistent. Secondly, this will allow hiring managers to associate the documents with you personally and recognise them easily. This is called emotional and visual coding. People will remember two documents that looked and “sounded” similar. Most importantly, they’ll remember you!
If you’d like your cover letter and CV to work as a powerful duo - check out our guide and ready-to-edit example for an internship CV. Aligning the styles, thoughts and formatting of the CV and cover letter is a tried and true tactic that has been shown to yield great results for many professionals!
The cover letter greeting
Your internship cover letter greeting should be respectful and open-minded. Keep in mind that internships are a junior position. The degree of formality will be defined by the character of the organisation to which you’re applying.
The goal of the cover letter greeting: address the recipient, and establish a connection in the right tone. If you have the recipient's name - use it. All human beings perk up when reading their own name.
Dear Mr. Higgins-Law,
The importance of names and addressed greetings
You might not always have the name of the person you’re addressing. Sometimes, even sleuthing for it may cross privacy lines. If the organisation to which you’re applying took pains to hide the identity of hiring decision-makers, uncovering the name of the manager through stalker-like research might raise red flags.
However, if the information about who’s going to read your cover letter lies on the surface, don’t underestimate the power of addressing people by name. Address them in a group if you have to. Name several people (“Dear Mr. Wirihana and Mrs. Smith”) or address one and include a respectful mention of a group (“Greetings, Ms. Lee and the ABC team,”).
In the absence of a name, try to use warmer or less "faceless" words. Try “team,” or if the company has a warm, sociable image, sometimes “family” is good (“Tēnā koe, Team cvapp.nz” or “Greetings to the Cafe Kākāpō family.”)
The cover letter introduction
This is one of the most crucial parts of the cover letter, as it contains your opening sentence. Avoid being bland and boring at all costs, but don’t go overboard with overly-descriptive language! As an intern, you want to open by projecting: respectfulness, energy, and work discipline/ethic.
The goal of the cover letter introduction: grab emotional attention, don’t ramble, and introduce yourself in one powerful, friendly but professional sentence.
A good tactic is to drop in one or two of your most impressive and relevant achievements / factual results/ qualities/ skills you have.
My name is Nikau Wilson, and I am writing to express my interest in the internship position at Micro Macro Media. I am extremely passionate about media and storytelling, and I am excited to contribute my skills and knowledge to the Micro Macro team. I graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Communication degree in 2022, where I developed a strong foundation in media studies, journalism, and communication theory. Throughout my academic journey, I honed my skills in analysing media content, understanding audience engagement, and producing high-quality written and visual materials.
The cover letter body paragraphs
This is the main section of your internship cover letter. Use it to strengthen and expand the opening theme of your introduction. Explain WHY you’re a good fit for the internship role, and what qualities and achievements prove that.
The STAR method is a great way to describe your achievements in terms of Situation, Task, Action, and positive Result. Strong action verbs help you convey a sense of accomplishment and energy. Describing hard and soft skills shows concrete tools you have as an intern (think: time management, software knowledge, emotional intellect, engineering skills).
These are all the bread and butter of cover letter writing. Learn more about them in our general CV writing guide and our guide for an Internship CV.
The goal of the cover letter body section: Provide the best examples of your productivity, and strengthen your case for being hired on the basis of abilities and skills. Expand on the bold introductory statement by showing evidence!
I firmly believe that my academic background, alongside my practical experience, has prepared me well for the challenges and demands of working in the media industry. One of the key strengths I bring to the table is my language proficiency. In addition to being fluent in English, I am also well-versed in Te Reo Māori and Spanish. This multilingual capacity allows me to effectively connect with diverse audiences while bringing a unique perspective to media projects. I strongly believe in the power of inclusive storytelling and the positive impact it can have on society. Being able to communicate effectively in multiple languages enables me to reach a wider audience and create content that resonates with people from different cultural backgrounds. I am particularly drawn to Micro Macro Media because of its strong reputation as a leading media company in Christchurch.
Your commitment to innovative storytelling, cutting-edge technology, and community engagement aligns perfectly with my own values and aspirations. I believe that working as an intern at Micro Macro Media would provide me with invaluable practical experience and the opportunity to contribute to impactful media initiatives.
The conclusion and signature
The conclusion might be the tricky part for some people, even if you aced the cover letter introduction and body sections. The key is to land on “determined” but not “too arrogant/forceful”.
You don’t want to come off as entitled, but you don’t want to look indecisive either. Show that you are eager to talk about ways of contributing to the company, but don’t presume.
The goal of this section: create an effective call to action by conveying that you’re enthusiastic about the interview and contributing to the company. Finish on a passionate but respectful note!
I am excited about the possibility of joining the Micro Macro Media team and contributing to its continued success. I have attached my CV for your review, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further in an interview.
Ngā mihi nui,
Nikau Wilson
Writing psychology: cover letter tools and strategies
As a future intern, there are a few ideas/emotions you want to convey:
- Eagerness and ability to learn: briefly describe how you acquired new skills and/or thrived in new environments.
- Knowing what you want (focus and determination): describe specific productive goals not vague statements.
- Passion and sincerity: show that you care about your work and have lots of professional energy.
- Professional focus: make your statements specific to your professional field if you can, and demonstrate you have at least a basic understanding of the industry.
How to be heard and understood
A great way to make sure a certain point, idea, achievement, or personal quality is taken to heart by the hiring manager (or anyone generally) is to open a sentence or paragraph with an emotional trigger as described above. Then move on to the factual data.
Check out this example:
“As a truly passionate person, I fall in love with my projects and put my heart and soul into ensuring they succeed (emotional). This is why my debate team at The University of Auckland reached the national semi-finals under my leadership! Additionally, I devised a system of shifts that increased profits AND the level of worker happiness by reducing stress (factual).
I thrive on satisfaction from a job well done, love contributing to the well-being of others and I know I will bring the same hard work and passion to this internship position if given the opportunity.” (closing on a strong emotional message, with a touch of humility to counterbalance the confidence).
The tone of voice and accuracy
The tone of voice is key for an internship cover letter to hit home. Now, you may not be into marketing and brands, but it pays to research how the company “talks” to its employees and the general public. Look at the organisation's website, social media page, and even the management's blogs/pages. Determine how formal, friendly or humorous the style of speech is, what are the corporate values and what personality types (for example, organised or creative) influence the company. Tailor the tone of your letter accordingly.
Internship cover letter format and common mistakes
Let’s take a look at some of the hidden cover letter pitfalls that beginners often encounter:
- Typos and overly complex grammar. Proofread. Spell-check. Get someone you trust to review your text. Don’t be ashamed or afraid of “peer review”. Sometimes fresh eyes can lead to fresh perspectives!
- Formatting errors and fonts. Common text editors are the bane of many beginners. They’re messy and prone to buggy formatting and headers. This is especially dangerous in cover letters, where you often need to place text at the top. Choosing a font can be a headache, but is critically important for readability. Tools like our cvapp.nz cover letter builder solve these issues for you!
- Visual style. It’s a blank page with a few paragraphs. Simple, right? No, hardly ever. The balance of sentences and white space is key. If you’re a designer, you can handle this yourself. If not, it's best to use professional tools.
- Generic “copypasta” and word bloat. Understand this: nobody is expecting an intern’s cover letter to resemble a scientific treatise or a CEO’s letter to shareholders. Avoid long formulaic sentences like “In pursuance of the opportunity for internship, I’m writing to respond to the listing from the ABC Company...”. You’re a relatable person, so keep it short, straightforward, and energetic.
Key takeaways for an internship cover letter
- The cover letter is the final “convincer” that lets you influence hiring decision-makers. It’s vitally important and extremely useful EVEN if the internship doesn’t require one.
- Adhere to the cover letter structure and remember the goals of each section.
- Use emotion and psychology to drive home factual points for your internship.
- Convey the right tone of voice and remember what employers are looking for in an intern.
- Avoid generic text and formatting traps from text editors. Use an appealing visual style (including design elements) to grab attention.
With cvapp.nz, you can create a perfect cover letter in just a few minutes. There's no uncertainty, no hassle. Go out there and win!
