Finance internship cover letter

Finance Internship Cover Letter (With Examples)

The right finance internship can be the key to a long and lucrative career in the finance or business world. The trick is landing that internship, and a big part of getting the job is creating the right application, complete with a cover letter and resume.

You should be cultivating your resume throughout your career, even when you’re in college so it’s always ready and up to date. Cover letters are something else entirely and they can be daunting. It can be so troubling for some people that they decide to skip it entirely. This is a huge mistake that can cost you the internship.

Why Cover Letters Matter

When you’re applying for an internship, you typically don’t have a lot of job experience or qualifications to back you up. What you have is a cover letter that can make your introduction into the business world for you. That’s a lot of pressure on one letter.

Not only that, but while hiring managers and recruiters say they want to see a cover letter, they also admit they often don’t read them. Cover letters are skimmed, at best. The average time spent reading a cover letter is just six seconds.

Keep that in mind as you’re writing your letter. How do you prove to them that you’re the best person for the job in six seconds? What makes a cover letter stand out?

Zippia has the tips you need to create a finance internship cover letter that is solid and should put you one step closer to getting that internship you want. But there is still some work to be done and anything you can do to make your cover letter stand out will take you even further.

Cover Letter Tips for a Finance Internship

Keep these tips in mind when you’re writing your internship cover letter.

• Professional. You might not have the credentials yet, so you need to sound confident and professional. This may be your first time writing a business letter, so it’s a good idea to become familiar with a business letter layout. Luckily, we’ll go over the elements of a cover letter below and give you some examples.

• Qualifications. You most certainly already have some qualifications. Maybe a few classes you’ve taken in your field, perhaps some certifications. Anything you’ve done to enhance your qualifications and make you stand out from the other applicants will work in your favor.

• Customize. This tip is kind of a bummer, but it can help you in the long run. You can’t keep using the same cover letter over and over. It’s just not going to get their attention. A generic cover letter template won’t cut it. Spend some time customizing each one.

• Career goals. Many people who hire interns are legitimately interested in helping them achieve their goals, so go ahead, tell them what your goals are. If you’re not a fit, then denying you the internship might be a good thing. It opens the door for that perfect job where you’ll learn what you need to succeed, and you’ll make the right connections.

• Proofread. If you’re not entirely confident in your ability to proofread your cover letter (and your resume), then download an app that will do it for you or have someone else help you out. There’s almost nothing more off-putting than professional correspondence that’s not written correctly.

Parts of a Finance Internship Cover Letter

Most cover letters are essentially the same, whether they’re for an internship or a senior-level position, and your’s should follow suit. Creativity is great and will come into play later, but as far as the layout and essential parts of a cover letter go, recruiters and hiring managers want to know what they’re looking at. It’s a good idea to stick to this cover letter format.

• Your contact information. Your contact information needs to appear somewhere on the cover letter, either at the top left or center. Make it as easy as possible for the letter reader to contact you.

• Employer’s contact information. This might feel awkward if you’ve never written a professional letter before. Traditionally, you include the contact information for the person you’re writing to. With the widespread acceptance of email, and assuming you’re emailing your cover letter, this isn’t required.

• Salutation. The salutation is the way you address your letter. When writing a business letter, it’s best to use the person’s first and last name, or their title and last name, if you can find that information.

  If you can’t, then use “Dear Hiring Manager” or one of its alternatives. Don’t be overly friendly and call them by their first name only or start with “Hey,” “Hi,” or “Hello.”

• Opening. Let them know why you’re writing to them. That is the main purpose of the opening. It can be boring and not give them any new information – which means it probably won’t go over too well. Or you can make it exciting and get them intrigued about you.

• Cover letter body. The body of the letter often scares people, but it shouldn’t. Break it down into three short paragraphs that cover the following information:

  • First paragraph. Let them know what you’re doing to achieve your professional goals. Classes you have taken and the degree you’re working on.

  • Second paragraph. Let them know that you have done your research on their company and why you’re a good fit for their internship program. Remember, you’re telling them why they want you. You’re not telling them what you want.

  • Third paragraph. Sum up what you’ve said and offer more information if they need it.

• Closing. This is another place where you don’t want to be too friendly. This could be your future boss, after all. Try “Sincerely,” “Best Regards,” or “Appreciatively.”

• Signature. In an email, there should be one blank line between the signature and your typed name. Actual letters require four returns between the closing and your typed name. If you’re not physically going to sign your name, then there’s no need for the extra lines. Follow your name with your phone number and email address.

• CC. Often, students applying for internships will also send the cover letter to their career advisor at school. Especially if that person is helping you get the internship. In this case, it’s best to let both parties know that you’ve sent them both the same letter.

  This can be done by adding a carbon copy (CC) notation at the bottom. If you’re sending the letter to Jim Smith at Acme Accounting and your advisor, Mary Jones at Baylor University, then you’ll finish Jim Smith’s email with this notation; CC: Mary Jones, Advisor at Baylor University.

• Attachment. Typically, your cover letter is going to include a resume and maybe even some other documents. It’s a good idea to make a simple notation at the bottom to let them know that the letter should include other information.

Finance Internship Cover Letter Opening

Use the subject line in your email to list the position you’re applying for. This cuts right to the chase and lets the person who reads it know why you’re writing. In a world filled with spam, it’s nice to know what an email from an unknown person is regarding.

This also lets you dive right into your opening and set the tone for success.

It’s short and sweet and lets them know who you are, where you are in your education, and teases them a little about your qualifications. The key is that you need to follow up that tease with some actual data, which will happen in the next part.

Finance Internship Cover Letter Body

Remember, it’s only three paragraphs. You can do this. You’re selling your experience, yourself, and you’re saying thank you. That’s it. Let’s give it a shot.

Finance Internship Cover Letter Sample Closing Lines

Don’t worry about adding a lot at the end. Simply close your cover letter and send it on its way. Try something like this.

Example of a Finance Internship Cover Letter

Now that you’ve gone over all of the parts, you simply need to put it all together.