How do I write a cover letter for an internship?

The five stages of an internship cover letter

• the opening line, which grabs attention from the first sentence
• the steps, which show that you know the company
• the motivation, linked to your career project
• the experiences, which say what you can bring
• the conclusion, which opens onto a conversation

From the first sentence, your opening line should say why you're applying for this specific internship, rather than opening with a phrase anyone could copy. Next comes the proof that you know the organisation: mentioning a step you actually took to find out about it proves the seriousness of your application, where a general sentence about its sector convinces no one. The third stage links this internship to your career project, so that your motivation looks considered rather than opportunistic; this is where your experiences find their place, since they say what you can bring to the assignment on offer. The letter closes with a conclusion that restates your motivation and opens onto what comes next, without repeating what came before.

If, on the other hand, you're trying to convince a course rather than a company, the logic differs on several points: in that case, see the cover letter for a course, on Parcoursup.

What to write about when you have little professional experience

Not having a previous internship isn't a gap to fill: your extra-academic experiences count too, whether that's a student job, involvement in a society or a stay abroad, because they show an initiative that companies look for just as much as a line on a CV.

To turn one of these experiences into a readable skill, a simple method structures the account:

• the situation you were in
• the task you were responsible for
• the action you took
• the result it produced

This structure avoids a simple chronological account and gives the person reading it what they're really looking for: proof rather than an anecdote.

Some mistakes, on the other hand, get a letter rejected almost every time: spelling mistakes that careful proofreading would have avoided, a tone that's too familiar or too rigid, and copying and pasting a template found online, which stands out since it says nothing about you or the company you're applying to. A letter can also be flawless in form and still not convince, if it doesn't answer what the vacancy is looking for.

Getting support to write and target your application

At a business school, an internship application isn't prepared alone in a corner: a dedicated service supports the process. At Excelia Business School, this is the role of the Talent Centre, which helps with your CV, LinkedIn profile, pitch and interview preparation, as well as the search for an internship or work-study placement itself, without, however, guaranteeing a placement, as the final decision remains the company's.

A convincing letter, however, requires a project that's already fairly clear, since it's this that lets you link the internship you're after to what you're trying to build, rather than presenting it as a box to tick. If yours is still unclear, identify in a few minutes the management careers that suit you before you start writing.

To find out more, support towards internships and work-study at Excelia Business School sets out the stages of this preparation; and if you're still unsure between the two formats, choosing between an internship and work-study can help you decide.