Are you on the lookout for your first internship? Do you have a new email open but can’t seem to type out anything? Well don’t worry, everybody has been scared of the blank screen staring back at them.
Crafting your first ‘I need an internship’ email is a daunting process. After all you don’t want to sound desperate even though you just about need an internship right now. So here are step by step tips to help you type a professional sounding email.
- Sender and subject:
Your subject line should indicate the contents of the email in a maximum of 4-5 words. Something as simple as ‘Regarding an Internship Oppourtunity’ should do the deed.
A common mistake that many of us do is to type out a common email and send it to a bunch of companies. While this is not wrong, it is always good practice to craft an individualistic email. In case you are sending out bulk mails, make sure to add all the recipients in the Bcc tab and leave the body of the email very generalised.
- Greetings:
Dear, Respected, Hello… where to begin with? As a rule of thumb, start humble and then change as the conversation progresses. Besides Respected, add a Sir/Ma’am to add a personalised touch. If you don’t know who is at the receiving end leave it blank or with a Sir/Ma’am.
Follow this with a one line of general greeting like, Hope you are doing well and keeping safe.
- Purpose:
Immediately after the greetings, get to the point. Nobody likes reading long emails, especially on their mobiles which is where most of us access it. So clearly define the purpose in 1-2 short sentences.
An example can be. This email is regarding an internship opportunity at (company name) as a (position/role). I would like to offer my candidature for the same.
- Body:
This is where you mention all the important details. Start by why you want to work at this particular firm. Mention any projects or work of the company you have admired.
Next up, describe yourself. What are you studying, what is your speciality and why would you make a good candidate.
Finally, mention the duration of the internship, when can you start and any other points you may want to clarify.
Note, that each point should be a different paragraph and constitute 2-3 sentences each. Anything longer and you have lost the reader.
- Conclusion:
Conclude with a ‘I hope to hear from you soon’ and adding ‘I have attached my resume for your perusal’.
End with a Thank you, Yours sincerely (your full name)
Don’t forget to add your website or digital portfolio links in the bottom signature in case the recipient wants to check the same.
And just like that, you have your first email drafted and ready to go. Do not forget to attach your resume and other contact details. In case you don’t hear back, write a follow up email in a week or call after 10 days to inquire about the same.
