How to email a company about an internship

To email a company about an internship you should understand the company first, choose a strong subject line, and use your research and qualifications to fill in the email.

Here are some details on these steps and others you can take to email a company about an internship:

• Understand the company first

  Before reaching out to an organization it is very important to do a fair amount of research on the company first. Here you should find out about:

  • The company mission statement

  • The company vision statement

  • The company values statement

  • The internship programs they offer

  • The internships programs you are suited for

  Most organizations have this information, or at least some of it, available on their website. You should also try to hone in on who you send the email to, for example, a specific hiring manager or human resources (HR) official. Ingesting all of this information is crucial as it will help to inform you on how to write specific sections of your email.

• Write a strong subject line

  Your subject line should be direct, concise, and professional. It should not be over five words, and the reader should clearly understand the email's intent from it.

• Craft your email

  An email communicating interest in an internship should not be more than one page long. You should also break up the text into paragraph form. Each paragraph should pertain to a specific topic, such as your educational background and why you are interested in the company.

• Use information from the research you performed

  Your email should include a section that shows how you line up with the company's core values. This is best done as an introductory paragraph. You can also choose to mix this information into the paragraph concerning your interest in the company if you choose. The key is to cite items from your research and link them to your own:

  • Qualifications

  • Skills

  • Interests

  • Education

  This helps the company to feel that you are a good fit.

• Detail your education and skills

  If you are looking to get an internship, you are probably still in college or have just graduated. You can fill your gap in professional experience by detailing your educational experience. This can include items like

  • Your major and minor

  • Your GPA

  • If you are/were a part of any clubs or associations at your university

  • Skills your education has given you