How to Write a Cover Letter for Jobs and Internships

Length and structure

Aim for one page, or roughly 250 to 400 words. Some employers give a word limit or ask you to paste the text into a form; always follow that first. A clear structure keeps the reader moving:

• Header: your name and contact details, the date, and the name and organization of the recipient if you know them. If you apply by email or through an online form, a header is often unnecessary, and the first line of the text is enough.
• Greeting: use the name of the hiring manager if it is in the posting or easy to find on the organization's website. If not, "Dear Hiring Team" or "Dear Recruitment Committee" is fine. Avoid "To whom it may concern" if you can.
• Opening paragraph: the role you are applying for and the main reason you are a good match, in two or three sentences.
• One or two middle paragraphs: your strongest evidence, linked to the main requirements of the posting.
• Closing paragraph: your motivation for this organization, your availability, and a polite call to action.
• Sign-off: "Kind regards" or "Sincerely", followed by your full name.

Write an opening that says something, and match the posting

Many letters begin with "I am writing to apply for the position of..." That sentence is correct, but it wastes the most-read line of the letter. You still need to name the role, but add something specific in the same breath. For example: "I am applying for the Junior Data Analyst internship. During my final-year project I cleaned and analyzed survey data from 1,200 households, and I would like to bring the same careful approach to your research team." Only use numbers you can really back up.

If someone at the organization suggested you apply, or you attended an event where it presented its work, you can mention that in the first paragraph. Do not name-drop a person unless they agreed to be mentioned.

Next, match the posting.

Read the job posting and underline the three or four things that appear most often or come first. These are usually the real priorities, such as managing a project, writing reports, working with a particular tool or communicating with partners in different countries. Your letter should answer those points directly, and use the same terms the posting uses. This also helps if the employer uses software to scan applications for keywords.

A simple method is to make a small table before you write. In one column, list the requirements from the posting. In the other, write one example from your studies, work or volunteering that proves each. Then use the two or three strongest rows in your letter. If a requirement is missing from your experience, do not hide it or apologize. Mention a related skill, or a course or project that shows you learn quickly. Do not pretend to have experience you do not have; interviewers will ask about it.

Research the organization for ten minutes. Read the about page and one recent project or news item. One accurate, specific sentence about why you want to work there is worth more than three sentences of praise.

Show results, not just duties: a weak and a stronger paragraph

Employers want to know what changed because of your work. A useful pattern is: what you did, how you did it, and what the result was. Results can be numbers, but they do not have to be. Feedback, a finished product, a process that became faster or a goal that your group reached all count. If you do not know the exact figure, use an honest description rather than an invented number.

Students and recent graduates often think they have nothing to show. In fact, thesis work, group projects, student societies, volunteering, part-time jobs, language skills and self-taught tools can all be evidence. A part-time job in a shop shows reliability, customer communication and working under pressure if you describe it with a concrete example.

Here is a short before-and-after example. The figures are invented for illustration only.

Weak: "I am a hard-working and motivated student with excellent communication skills. I am a fast learner and a team player. I believe I would be a great addition to your company, and I am passionate about marketing."

This paragraph has no evidence. Every applicant can write these words, so they tell the reader nothing. Stronger: "As social media coordinator for my university's debate society, I wrote and scheduled three posts a week for a year. I tested different posting times and formats, and our event sign-ups rose from about 30 to about 60 per event. I would like to apply the same habit of testing and measuring to your content team."

The second version names a role, an action and a result, and ends by linking the example to the job. The grammar is simple. That is enough. Use the exact numbers from your own experience, and leave them out if you do not have them.

A fill-in template

Use this as a starting point and replace every part in brackets with your own details. Delete anything that does not apply, and rewrite sentences so they sound like you.

Dear [Name / Hiring Team],

I am applying for the [job title] position at [organization]. [One sentence on your most relevant strength, with a specific example or result.]

The posting asks for [requirement 1]. In [project / job / course], I [what you did], which led to [result]. This taught me [skill or lesson relevant to the role].

You also mention [requirement 2]. At [place], I [what you did], and [result or feedback]. I am comfortable using [tool or method], and I am improving my [related skill] through [course, project or practice].

I am particularly interested in [organization] because [one specific reason connected to its work, such as a project, a mission or a method]. I would like to contribute to [specific area of the team's work] while learning from [specific aspect].

I am available from [date] and would welcome the chance to discuss my application. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards, [Full name]

Tone for different countries and organizations

Norms differ by country, industry and organization, and the posting is your best clue. A startup may like a friendly, direct tone, while a ministry, bank or international organization usually expects a more formal one. In some countries it is normal to include a photo, date of birth or other personal details in an application; in others it is discouraged or even avoided for fairness reasons. Check the instructions of the employer, and look at how the organization writes in its own materials.

Whatever the culture, some things stay constant. Be polite and respectful, be honest, avoid slang and avoid exaggerated praise. Confidence means stating facts about your work clearly; it does not mean saying you are the best candidate. If you are not sure how formal to be, choose slightly more formal, and keep sentences short.

Common mistakes

• Sending the same letter to every employer. Recruiters notice, especially when the organization name is wrong or missing.
• Repeating the CV line by line instead of choosing the most relevant two or three examples.
• Starting every sentence with "I". Vary the structure, for example "The project taught me..." or "Your posting mentions...".
• Long, complex sentences or unusual words copied from a template. Plain language reads better and is easier to check.
• Talking only about what you want to gain. Explain what you can contribute as well.
• Mentioning salary, complaints about a previous employer or personal difficulties that are not relevant to the role.
• Using an automatic tool to write the whole letter. Generic text is easy to spot, and you will need to defend every statement in an interview.

Proofreading checklist

Wait at least a few hours before your final read, then check these points:

• Is the organization name, the job title and the recipient's name correct, and is it the right company in every place?
• Does the first paragraph name the role and give a reason to keep reading?
• Does every claim have an example, and are all numbers accurate?
• Did you answer the main requirements of the posting?
• Is the letter one page or under the word limit, in a plain, readable font?
• Did you run a spell check and read the letter aloud to catch awkward sentences? If possible, ask a friend or a career service to read it.
• Is the file named clearly, for example "Firstname-Lastname-Cover-Letter.pdf", and sent in the format requested?

When no cover letter is requested

If the posting does not mention a cover letter, you still have options. When the application form has an optional text box, use it for three or four sentences covering why you want the role and your strongest match. When you apply by email, the email body can serve as a brief cover note of two short paragraphs, with the CV attached. If the posting says explicitly not to send one, follow that instruction and put your effort into the CV and the form answers instead.