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Your Ultimate Secret Weapon: The Internship Cover Letter
Most people seeking internships tend to regard the cover letter as a necessary formality that gives basic information about you. In fact your cover letter can be your little secret weapon for getting accepted in that internship program that you are aiming for. Internships are generally quite competitive, and you will want something that will give you an edge over the other students who are trying to gain that position as well.
How Did It Become Important?
You may be asking yourself, "How can such a simple letter be vital to my application?" It's a very simple process. You and the other candidates for an internship are currently all at the same level. All of you lack experience, which is the reason you are trying to get an internship.
You and other college students have nothing substantial in the work experience part of your resumés, just the sort of minimum-wage, minimum-responsibility positions that students pick up to earn extra cash. Thus, the only way you can outshine your competition is by writing an outstanding cover letter that will impress the HR personnel enough to call you in for an interview, at which you will be able to relate to them as an individual rather than a summation of information.
How About Grades?
Transcripts of classes taken, the grades you received on them, and your GPA have their place. However, they really reflect your ability to navigate the academic world more than your ability to do a job in a business setting. Although high grades imply intelligence and drive for studying, they do not necessarily demonstrate the qualities that make for a good worker in an office.
Cover Letter Secrets Revealed
Being able to compose an impressive internship cover letter actually tells a lot of things about you. It can sometimes even reveal significant information about your character as a human being. Do you think primarily of what's in it for you, or do you concern yourself with how you can benefit others? Do you focus on doing just enough to get by, or do you go the extra mile?
Because your cover letter can reveal such important things about your character, you will want to give considerable thought to writing it. Do not treat it as something that can be dashed off in a hurry. Carefully consider what it is saying about you, both in the words you use and in the things you brush over or leave out altogether However, you do not want to polish it so much that it ends up reading as if it were written by a robot.
Your main objective in writing your cover letter is to give your potential manager an impression that you're someone who can think independently and express yourself clearly, in an organized and original manner. Conveying that you are a diligent and productive worker who will be an asset to the company is a real plus that will help get you the interview.
In The HR Manager's Shoes
To get a real appreciation of just how important your cover letter is, try putting yourself in an HR manager's shoes. You are faced with sorting through hundreds of resumés, each in a pretty standard format and having pretty much the same mix of educational background and part-time student employment. You need to find some way to garner an indication that pursuing any particular candidate for your internship position will be worth your time.
Because the resumés themselves are pretty much interchangeable, HR managers look to the cover letter to distinguish the applicants. If it becomes clear that an applicant has treated the cover letter in a perfunctory manner, even downloading a form letter from the Internet and inserting his or her name and contact information without any attempt to personalize it, it is easy to pass the person by. Thus your carefully crafted, thoughtful cover letter designed to show you in the best possible light will bring you to the front and secure you an interview.
The simple truth is that a great cover letter can instantly put you on the vital candidate shortlist, while a badly written one can consign your resumé or application to the circular file, at best to be acknowledged with a form rejection. So make sure to invest sufficient effort and time to compose a well-written cover letter rather than a generic one.
