Want to get an internship? Our guide will help you get one with one simple email.
Securing an internship has become increasingly difficult. Indeed, with so many students and graduates competing for the same spot, what was once an easy task has now turned into a battlefield.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! With a captivating cover letter and a personalized email, you can wow potential employers who weren’t even looking for an intern.
So, whether you need to secure a work placement for credits or you’re just really trying to get your foot in the door of your dream company, we’ve listed all the details to help you create a credible internship enquiry email.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
As with any professional email, you need to stick to some basic formatting rules to ensure your enquiry reads well.
Your email should comprise the following components:
PRO TIP
Make sure to write a catchy subject line for your email. As hiring managers receive hundreds of emails a day, it takes a lot for them to pay attention to yours. You could opt for something like “Hire an Eager Intern”.
So, how do you write an email requesting an internship? Here are some handy tips to guide you through the process.
Before you even start working on your application for an internship, you should first do your research to find out all you can about the business and the people that you will potentially be working with. And in today’s digital age, it’s easier than ever before!
You can begin your research by connecting with professionals on LinkedIn and following the company’s progress from articles that they’ve shared. During your company research, you’ll also need to find the correct person to address to show that you’ve gone above and beyond to find all you can about the company.
Although most of your requests will be similar in nature, it’s important to personalize each email instead of sending out a generic template that shows minimal effort. To do so, try to establish common ground. Maybe you’ve researched your contact and found that they share a common interest. Use this to your advantage by mentioning it within your internship enquiry.
The aim is to keep the hiring manager engaged and force them to read your cover letter until the end. If you manage to do this, you’ve likely bagged yourself a spot on the shortlist.
It’s important to highlight the skills that you already have and what you can bring to the table. Understandably, as an intern, you won’t have the depth of industry experience, but you should use university or school projects to showcase what you’ve achieved in the past.
You can also include transferable skills like social media expertise, interpersonal communication, problem-solving and time management. Just be sure to back up your claims with real examples of when you have demonstrated these skills.
Not only will you need to explain why you want to intern at the company but also what and how you’ll actually be able to contribute. You’ve talked about your education and skills, but thinking of scenarios where these skills can contribute to the company’s goals will impress the person you’re emailing — it will also show them you’ve dug deep and figured out what their goals are!
You’ll be adding a call to action in your email, but it’s also worth thinking of any (worthy) questions you might have. If you do have questions that you haven’t had answered in your research, you could always ask them in your email. By doing this, you’re showing further interest in the role, and there’s a higher chance they might respond to you and answer your question.
Each email you write will be different, as every company has different values and goals. Here are some examples for different scenarios to help you.
If you’re applying for internships by email, make sure your email address is professional and clear. You don’t want something like “xXjuicy_lucyXx” to pop up in the manager’s inbox. It’s best to use your name or initials and your surname in some shape or form. That way, they’ll know your name right from the start!
Before you hit the “Send” button, make sure you’ve attached your résumé and a link to your portfolio (if you have one). There’s nothing worse than trying to recall an email because you’ve been careless enough to send your request without the attachments you mention in the email.
And if you need help with writing the perfect résumé, we’ve got a separate article dedicated to creating your very first résumé!
While you’re trying to convince the hiring manager to give you an internship, it’s also vital to outline what you want to get from the experience. There’s nothing worse than turning up and realizing that it’s not what you expected.
If you plan on working on real projects instead of fetching tea and coffee all day, let them know! Explain how you want to get stuck in and do the same work that permanent employees would do. This shows that you have a great work ethic and are willing to work hard during your placement.
As with any professional correspondence, you should read over your email to ensure there are no grammatical errors or typos. Nothing ruins your chance of bagging the internship of your dreams faster than a badly written request.
If you need additional help proofreading your cover letter, you can use tools like Grammarly or Ginger. Alternatively, you could ask a friend or family member to read over your request before you send it.
Sometimes people need a little nudge to notice you. So, if you haven’t heard back from the hiring team since your initial response, don’t be afraid to contact them again! Persistence often pays off — just make sure you don’t overdo it!
Set yourself a calendar reminder to follow up after a week if you haven’t heard from them before then. And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and speak to them in person. Communication is often more friendly when done over the phone.
Key takeaways
In a nutshell, here’s everything you need to remember when writing an email asking for an internship:
So, there you have it! Now you’re fully equipped to secure not one but multiple internships that will add great value to your résumé.
FURTHER READING
Have you ever written an internship email request before? Were you successful? Let us know in the comments section below.
Originally published on 11 August 2014. Updated by Hayley Ramsey.
Joanna Zambas - Content Manager and Career Expert
Joanna joined the CareerAddict content team in 2017, and her role has evolved into a multifaceted one over time. In between managing our content strategy and orchestrating our digital marketing efforts, she takes the time to share her expertise in a variety of insightful and thought-provoking articles about résumé writing, HR, recruitment, social media, job search strategies and more. Joanna holds both a BA and an MA in journalism, and previously worked within a variety of fields including HR and recruitment, travel, fashion and entertainment. She’s also our in-house fashion guru and enjoys cooking up a storm in her spare time.
Joanna joined the CareerAddict content team in 2017, and her role has evolved into a multifaceted one over time. In between managing our content strategy and orchestrating our digital marketing efforts, she takes the time to share her expertise in a variety of insightful and thought-provoking articles about résumé writing, HR, recruitment, social media, job search strategies and more. Joanna holds both a BA and an MA in journalism, and previously worked within a variety of fields including HR and recruitment, travel, fashion and entertainment. She’s also our in-house fashion guru and enjoys cooking up a storm in her spare time.
