Cover Letters for Internships in 2026: Do They Matter, and How to Write One | Intern Insider
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Cover Letters for Internships in 2026: Do They Matter, and How to Write One
Most hiring managers still read cover letters, and a third expect one even when it's optional. How to write one that isn't generic, with real examples.
Every recruiting season, someone declares the cover letter dead. With AI writing a growing share of applications, the argument sounds plausible. The hiring data says otherwise, mostly. A survey from early 2026 of 650 hiring professionals across 60 industries found that 68% consider cover letters important in some capacity. About 12% admit they don't read them at all, 75% want letters customized to the job, and 33% expect a cover letter even when the application says it's optional.
So the honest answer to "do they still matter" is: it depends on the industry, the company size, and how good the letter is. Here's what that means for you as an internship applicant, and how to write one that actually helps.
The majority of hiring managers at least skim cover letters, and many read them carefully. Nearly half read the cover letter before the resume, which means the letter can shape your first impression. A good one gives a recruiter one more reason to choose you over an equally qualified candidate.
A strong cover letter can convince a hiring manager to interview a borderline candidate. A generic or error-filled one can sink an otherwise good application. To be clear about the limits: a great letter won't save an unqualified resume. But it can be the edge between two similar applicants, and a sloppy letter can still cost you an interview you would have otherwise gotten.
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At large companies receiving floods of AI-optimized resumes, cover letters have become one of the main ways to tell similarly qualified candidates apart. If hundreds of applicants clear the bar on paper, the letter is where you show what makes you different.
Smaller companies read cover letters to gauge personality and fit: will this intern mesh with the team and its values? At small startups, hiring managers often read every letter and make interview decisions based on them, because each new hire genuinely changes the team.
Tech is the mixed case. Many tech companies make cover letters optional, and applicants regularly get interviews on technical skills alone. But with AI-generated applications on the rise, more tech hiring managers now value an authentic letter that shows real personality and how you think.
Finance and consulting: the most conservative application culture around. Cover letters remain expected for internships at banks, investment firms, and consulting companies, and the vast majority of finance recruiters expect one even when it's labeled optional.
Nonprofits and government: these organizations almost always value cover letters. Competition for mission-driven roles has grown, and hiring managers want to see your passion for the mission and your understanding of the communities they serve.
Media, publishing, and communications: in writing-centric industries, the cover letter is part of the test. Employers in publishing, journalism, PR, and digital media will absolutely judge your writing, tone, and creativity.
Engineering (mechanical, electrical, etc.): traditional engineering firms expect cover letters as a sign of professionalism and interest, and they scan them for hands-on project experience and teamwork.
Research and academia: for research internships in labs, R&D departments, or academic settings, a cover letter (or research statement) is essential. Professors and research managers want to know your academic background, research interests, and motivation.
Writing a cover letter can feel daunting, but it comes down to telling your story in a way that lines up with what the employer needs. Here's what that looks like in practice.
The number one cover letter mistake is the one-size-fits-all template. Recruiters can spot a letter that could have been sent to any company within a sentence or two. Tailoring means a few concrete things:
Address the right person or team by name when you can
Show you understand what the company does and what makes them different
Connect your experience to their specific needs
Reference recent company news, products, or initiatives
Mention specific interactions you've had with the company or its people
Here's the difference in practice, starting with a gaming company.
Generic: "I am writing to apply for the game design internship at your company."
Tailored: "As someone who has logged over 500 hours in Fortnite and reached Champion League in Chapter 7, Season 2, I'm thrilled to apply for the Game Design Internship at Epic Games. I've been particularly impressed by your recent implementation of the ecosystem regeneration mechanics, which fold environmental awareness into the gameplay itself."
The same move for a financial institution.
Generic: "I am a finance major looking for internship experience."
Tailored: "After participating in your virtual investment challenge last November, where my team constructed a portfolio that outperformed the S&P 500 by 3.2% during the simulation period, I'm eager to apply for your Summer Analyst Internship. I was particularly impressed by your recent advisory role in the $4.2 billion renewable energy merger announced in February 2025, a deal that balanced sustainability goals with shareholder returns."
And one built on a personal interaction.
Generic: "I am interested in your company culture and working environment."
Tailored: "When I spoke with Maria Rodriguez from your engineering team at last month's University Tech Fair, she described Cisco's collaborative approach to problem-solving through your 'Huddle Spaces.' This resonated with me, because my best work has come from similar settings on my robotics team, where a comparable rapid prototyping approach cut our development cycle by 40%."
Naming a specific interaction with someone at the company shows initiative and genuine interest, and it gives you a personal connection most applicants won't have. A few shapes this can take:
An informational interview: "After speaking with João Silva, a software developer on your AI team, during my informational interview last month, I was fascinated by your approach to balancing model accuracy with computational efficiency, a challenge I've explored in my own research."
A career fair conversation: "Your presentation at the Northwestern Engineering Career Fair sparked my interest in Medtronic's work on minimally invasive surgical tools. My conversation with recruiter David Chen about your summer prototyping process confirmed this internship fits my biomedical engineering focus."
A company event: "At Microsoft's recent open house, I was particularly inspired by Dr. Lin's presentation on your quantum computing initiatives. Her explanation of how your team approaches error correction in quantum systems connects directly to my coursework in advanced computing architectures."
An alumni connection: "Speaking with Emma Watson, a UPenn alumna who now works as a product manager at your company, gave me valuable insight into how Adobe balances creative innovation with user needs. Her description of your design thinking process mirrors my approach to my own UX projects."
A company webinar: "After attending your 'Future of Sustainable Fashion' webinar series in January, where your Chief Sustainability Officer Sarah Johnson discussed Patagonia's textile recycling program, I became even more determined to contribute to your environmental initiatives. Ms. Johnson's point about balancing consumer education with product innovation resonated with my experience leading our campus sustainability committee, where we increased recycling participation by 45% through similar educational approaches."
A conversation that prompted the application: "When I spoke with Marcus Williams at the Boston College Finance Career Fair last month, he mentioned that JPMorgan's Trading division was expanding its use of machine learning for risk assessment. This conversation was particularly exciting for me, as it connects directly to my senior research project on applying neural networks to credit default prediction. Mr. Williams suggested I would find a good fit with your Quantitative Trading internship program, which prompted my application."
Every one of these includes a detail or insight gained from the conversation, not just a name. That's the difference between showing you were engaged and showing you collected a business card.
Your cover letter should complement your resume, not duplicate it. Pick one or two relevant experiences and expand on them with specific details, numbers, and outcomes. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) works well here, written as a short narrative that connects back to the role.
A computer science student applying to Amazon might have this resume bullet: "Built a recommendation algorithm for campus food delivery app." Here's the cover letter version:
"During my junior year, our campus food delivery app was struggling with user retention. Analyzing the problem, I discovered users weren't finding meals that matched their preferences. I designed and implemented a collaborative filtering algorithm similar to those used in Amazon's recommendation systems, which increased user satisfaction by 27% and repeat orders by 35%. This experience of solving a real business problem through a data-driven approach has prepared me to contribute to Amazon's commitment to personalized customer experiences."
A marketing student applying to Nike might have: "Managed social media for university athletics department." As a story:
"When our university's women's basketball team made it to the national championship but received minimal coverage, I saw an opportunity. As the athletics department's social media manager, I created a series of behind-the-scenes player stories and game-day content that increased Instagram engagement by 215% and attracted 3,000 new followers in two weeks. The campaign caught the attention of local news outlets, resulting in a sold-out arena for the championship game. This experience taught me how authentic storytelling can build community and drive action, skills I'm excited to bring to Nike's digital marketing team."
Choose stories that match the job description. If the posting wants "problem-solving and analytical thinking," tell the one where you solved a problem through analysis.
A common worry: you don't have "real work" experience. Internships don't require previous corporate experience, and you probably have more usable material than you think:
Academic projects and research
Club leadership and extracurricular activities
Personal projects and side gigs
Volunteer work and community service
Competitions and hackathons
Jobs that look unrelated (the skills transfer)
Here's a gaming enthusiast applying to Riot Games:
"Beyond my formal computer science education, I've dedicated over 1,000 hours to League of Legends, reaching Diamond rank in the 2025-2026 season. This deep engagement with the game has given me unique insights into player experiences and balancing issues. Additionally, I created a Discord bot used by 5,000+ players to track team statistics and suggest optimal champion compositions, which has been featured on three League community YouTube channels. This combination of player perspective and technical initiative would allow me to contribute meaningfully to Riot's balance team internship."
And a fast food worker applying to a consulting firm:
"My two years at McDonald's might not seem directly relevant to management consulting, but the experience provided valuable business insights. Working across all stations during high-volume shifts, I identified inefficiencies in our drive-thru process that consistently caused delays. I proposed a new order assembly sequence to our manager, which was implemented across all shifts and reduced average wait times by 40 seconds per order. This systematic approach to problem-solving (observing operations, analyzing bottlenecks, implementing measurable improvements) has prepared me for the analytical demands of consulting."
Whatever you choose, connect it to the role. "I did X" is half a sentence. The other half explains how X gave you skills this internship needs.
Companies hire people who want to be there. Your letter should explain why you want this internship at this organization, not an internship in general. Reference their values or mission if they genuinely resonate with you, share real personal connections to their industry or products, and be enthusiastic without getting overly informal or desperate.
Generic: "I'm interested in working at Apple because it's a large and successful company."
Specific: "Apple's approach to accessibility has personally impacted my family. When my cousin with visual impairments received her first iPhone, the VoiceOver features gave her newfound independence. This experience sparked my interest in inclusive design, which I've explored through my HCI coursework. I'm particularly excited about the Accessibility UX Design internship, as it would allow me to contribute to products that truly change lives, continuing Apple's legacy of designing for everyone."
Here's the same idea for a business analyst internship at Salesforce:
"Salesforce's 1-1-1 model of corporate philanthropy initially caught my attention, but it was experiencing your technology in action that truly inspired me. As a volunteer database administrator for a local nonprofit, I implemented Salesforce Service Cloud to track client interactions. Within three months, our case managers reported saving 5+ hours weekly on administrative tasks, hours they now spend directly supporting clients. This firsthand experience with how Salesforce technology amplifies social impact fits my career goal of using business skills for community benefit. The Ohana culture that emphasizes giving back is exactly the environment where I believe I would thrive."
Researching culture takes more than the About Us page. Read employee reviews on sites like Glassdoor, the company's blog posts, and their social media to get a real feel for the values and the work environment.
A cover letter is professional, but it doesn't have to sound generic or robotic. Recruiters, especially in less formal industries, appreciate authenticity and a conversational tone. Sound confident without being arrogant, keep it to 3-4 paragraphs on one page at most, skip the overused buzzwords, and edit thoroughly for grammar and spelling.
Clichéd opening: "I am writing to apply for the Marketing Intern position at your esteemed company. With my strong communication skills and passion for marketing, I believe I would be a great addition to your team."
Natural opening: "The Integrated Marketing internship at Spotify caught my attention immediately, as someone who has analyzed music marketing trends on my 'Marketing Melodies' blog for the past year. I'm particularly intrigued by your recent campaign integrating podcast advertisements with personalized playlist recommendations, a strategy that connects content discovery with creator promotion."
Clichéd skills paragraph: "I am a hard-working, detail-oriented team player with excellent communication skills. I think outside the box and am passionate about innovation."
Natural skills paragraph: "During my product management role in our student innovation lab, I discovered my strength in bridging communication between our developers and designers. When our app redesign stalled due to conflicting priorities, I created visual user journey maps that helped both teams see how their work interconnected. This approach turned our weekly meetings from tense standoffs into collaborative problem-solving sessions, ultimately delivering our project two weeks ahead of schedule."
Many tech companies treat cover letters as optional, so if you write one, make it count. Show curiosity and a problem-solving mindset, point to relevant projects and technical skills, and let teamwork and communication show alongside the technical ability.
Dear Microsoft Azure Team,
The Cloud Infrastructure internship caught my eye because it combines my experience with distributed systems and my fascination with scalable architecture. During my university's hackathon last month, I built a serverless application using Azure Functions that automatically processes campus sustainability data, cutting manual reporting time from 20 hours to 30 minutes monthly.
When our team encountered memory leaks in our Node.js application, I researched profiling techniques and implemented a monitoring solution that identified and resolved the issue. This experience debugging production code taught me to balance quick fixes with sustainable solutions, a mindset I'd bring to Azure's infrastructure team.
Beyond coursework, I've contributed to three open-source projects, including a pull request to improve error handling in the Azure SDK for JavaScript. Your team's recent work on energy-efficient computing also lines up with my interest in sustainable technology, which I explored in my capstone project on optimizing cloud resource allocation.
I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss how my background in distributed systems and passion for scalable, efficient infrastructure could contribute to Microsoft's cloud services.
Sincerely,
Alex Chen
A few tech-specific moves:
Reference the specific technologies, languages, or frameworks the role uses
Mention open-source contributions or personal coding projects
For gaming companies, your experience as a player is relevant, so use it
For product-focused companies, show interest in their specific products or features
Keep the tone professional and polished. Lead with analytical ability and quantified results, show you understand the industry and the firm, and demonstrate client-ready communication alongside the technical skills.
Dear Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Team,
As the leader of my university's investment club portfolio team, which has outperformed the S&P 500 by 2.8% annually over the past two years, I'm excited to apply for the Summer Analyst position in the Natural Resources group at Goldman Sachs.
My interest in Goldman specifically was solidified after attending your virtual investment banking workshop last October, where I was impressed by your team's analysis of the recent wave of consolidation in the renewable energy sector. This sector has been the focus of my research in my Corporate Valuation course, where I developed a DCF model for evaluating early-stage clean energy companies.
Beyond technical skills, I've developed practical experience that aligns with banking's demands. As financial analyst for our student government, I manage a $200,000 annual budget, creating monthly variance reports and presenting allocation recommendations to the executive board. This role has honed my ability to communicate complex financial information to non-specialists, a skill valuable in client interactions.
I'm drawn to Goldman's leadership in sustainable finance, particularly your recent work on the $4.2B green bond issuance for renewable infrastructure. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my analytical background and passion for the energy transition could contribute to your team.
Sincerely,
Jordan Williams
In this world:
Use industry terminology precisely, and only where you're sure of it
Mention relevant coursework like financial modeling, accounting, or economics
For consulting, emphasize problem-solving and client communication
Reference specific deals, transactions, or reports from the firm if you can
Lead with the mission and your demonstrated commitment to it. Show you understand the communities the organization serves, and balance the idealism with practical skills, because these organizations stretch limited resources and value people who can deliver impact on a budget.
Dear Sierra Club Internship Coordinator,
When I organized my campus's first Climate Action Week last semester, bringing together 15 student organizations and 500+ participants, I saw firsthand how coordinated environmental advocacy can catalyze institutional change. Our event directly led to our university committing to carbon neutrality by 2035, five years earlier than previously planned. This experience fuels my excitement for the Policy Advocacy internship at Sierra Club.
My environmental commitment extends beyond organizing events. As research assistant in Dr. Patel's Climate Policy Lab, I've analyzed the effectiveness of various state-level renewable portfolio standards, creating an interactive data visualization that policymakers now use to compare program structures. This blend of research and communication skills would allow me to contribute immediately to your legislative analysis needs.
What particularly draws me to Sierra Club is your community-centered approach to environmental justice, exemplified in your recent campaign against industrial pollution in riverside neighborhoods. As a volunteer with River Cleanup Coalition for three years, I've worked alongside residents affected by these issues and understand the importance of amplifying community voices in environmental advocacy.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in policy research and community organizing could support Sierra Club's mission of creating a more just and sustainable future.
Sincerely,
Taylor Johnson
For this sector:
Reference specific programs or initiatives, rather than the cause in general
Show you understand the challenges in their particular focus area
Mention volunteer experience or a personal connection to the mission
Show awareness of both the idealistic goals and the practical constraints
Your cover letter is a writing sample, full stop. Let your style show, prove you understand the publication and its audience, point to content you've made and what it did, and show you're paying attention to where the industry is going.
Dear Vox Media Internship Team,
When I analyzed shifting news consumption patterns for my senior thesis, I found myself repeatedly returning to Vox's explainer videos as prime examples of adapting complex content for digital natives. The clarity and depth with which you tackle complicated topics, without sacrificing nuance, represents exactly the kind of journalism I aspire to create. This is why I'm excited to apply for the Multimedia Journalism internship.
My journey in digital content began with my YouTube channel "Policy in 5 Minutes," where I break down public policy issues for college students. Growing this channel to 15,000 subscribers taught me to balance journalistic integrity with engaging presentation. For a video explaining carbon pricing, I translated dense economic theory into accessible animations, resulting in 50,000 views and adoption by three university professors for their environmental economics courses.
As News Editor for our campus publication, I've led our transition from print-first to digital-first publishing. I implemented a data-informed content strategy that increased our monthly readership by 65% and doubled our newsletter subscribers. This experience taught me to balance editorial judgment with audience insights, a skill I noticed Vox excels at through your thoughtful integration of audience feedback into coverage decisions.
I'm particularly drawn to Vox's commitment to explanatory journalism in an era of information overload, and would love to discuss how my background in multimedia storytelling and audience development could contribute to your team.
Best regards,
Morgan Zhang
For media applications:
Show familiarity with their specific content style and editorial voice
For journalism, demonstrate research and storytelling ability
For creative roles, let your personality show while staying professional
Mention published work, social media accounts, or portfolios
Hands-on project experience is what engineering firms scan for first. Emphasize practical builds, problem-solving, and technical skills, then show the teamwork and communication it took to get them done, along with an understanding of industry standards and practices.
Dear SpaceX Propulsion Team,
When I watched the first successful Falcon 9 booster landing in 2015, I set a goal to someday contribute to the technology making space more accessible. As the Propulsion Lead for my university's rocket team, where we recently achieved a successful launch of our liquid-fueled rocket to 10,000 feet, I'm excited to apply for the Propulsion Engineering internship at SpaceX.
My hands-on experience aligns well with this role's requirements. For our rocket project, I designed and tested injector plates for our liquid oxygen/kerosene engine, implementing an innovative swirl pattern that improved combustion efficiency by 12%. When we encountered combustion instability during testing, I led our five-person team through a systematic troubleshooting process, ultimately identifying and resolving a resonance issue in the propellant feed system.
Beyond technical skills, I've developed the collaboration abilities essential in aerospace engineering. Coordinating between our structures, avionics, and propulsion subsystems required clear documentation and effective communication. As our team grew from 8 to 25 members, I created standardized test protocols and CAD component libraries that improved knowledge transfer and design consistency.
What particularly draws me to SpaceX is your rapid iteration philosophy. I've followed the Starship development process closely, noting how each test, even those ending in spectacular fashion, produces valuable data that drives design improvements. This approach resonates with my own engineering mindset, where I believe in testing early and often.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in propulsion systems and collaborative engineering could contribute to SpaceX's mission of making humanity multiplanetary.
Sincerely,
Sam Patel
Engineering-specific notes:
Include technical details without drowning the reader in jargon
Mention relevant technical standards or methodologies you've used
For manufacturing roles, name your experience with specific tools and processes
For design roles, emphasize creative problem-solving and optimization
Genuine intellectual curiosity about the research area is the main thing a professor or research manager looks for. Highlight your technical skills and methodologies, show you can work both independently and within a research team, and reference the group's actual work.
Dear Dr. Martinez,
As an undergraduate researcher focused on neuroplasticity, your recent paper in Neuron on activity-dependent myelination captured my attention. Your novel approach to visualizing myelin formation in vivo revealed patterns I hadn't encountered in my prior studies. I'm excited to apply for the Summer Research internship in your laboratory at Stanford.
During my two years in Dr. Li's developmental neuroscience lab at UC Davis, I've developed technical skills relevant to your research. I've become proficient in primary neuronal culture, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy. For my independent project, I optimized a protocol for quantifying dendritic spine morphology in hippocampal neurons, which reduced analysis time by 60% while maintaining 95% accuracy compared to manual counting.
My coursework in cellular neuroscience, molecular biology, and advanced statistics has built a strong foundation for research. I've also developed programming skills in Python and R, which I applied to automate image analysis for our lab's calcium imaging data, resulting in a poster presentation at last year's undergraduate research symposium.
What particularly draws me to your lab is your integration of cutting-edge imaging techniques with fundamental questions about neural circuit development. Your recent work using optogenetics to probe activity-dependent myelination represents the kind of innovative approach I hope to learn and contribute to. I'm especially interested in your ongoing project examining the relationship between myelination and learning, as it bridges my interests in cellular neuroscience and cognition.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my technical skills and enthusiasm for neuroscience could contribute to your research program.
Sincerely,
Emily Chen
For research applications:
Read the lab's recent publications and say something real about them
Mention specific techniques, equipment, or methodologies you've used
For medical research, balance technical knowledge with compassion
Make the connection between your research interests and the lab's focus explicit
Dear Google Cloud Team,
The Software Engineering internship on Google's Cloud AI team immediately caught my attention because it combines my experience in machine learning with my passion for creating accessible tools for developers. Having used Google Cloud's Vision API to build an app that helps visually impaired users identify objects in real time, winning first place at HackMIT 2024, I've experienced firsthand the impact of Google's developer-friendly AI tools.
At my university's AI research lab, I've spent the past year developing algorithms that reduce the computational resources needed for natural language processing. By implementing an innovative pruning technique for transformer models, my team reduced inference time by 37% while maintaining 98% of original accuracy. This project taught me to balance theoretical optimization with practical deployment constraints, a mindset I'd bring to Google's efforts to make AI more efficient and accessible.
Beyond my technical skills, I've demonstrated the collaborative abilities needed in Google's team-oriented culture. As teaching assistant for our Advanced Machine Learning course, I created supplementary tutorials that helped 30+ students with diverse backgrounds successfully complete their final projects. Several students mentioned in evaluations that my ability to explain complex concepts in clear terms significantly enhanced their learning.
What particularly excites me about Google Cloud is your commitment to democratizing AI capabilities for developers of all skill levels. The recent launch of Model Garden fits with my belief that powerful AI should be accessible to developers solving problems across industries. I'd be thrilled to contribute to tools that empower others to build innovative solutions.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in efficient ML systems and passion for developer experience could contribute to Google Cloud's mission.
Sincerely,
Priya Sharma
Dear Adidas Digital Marketing Team,
When Adidas launched its "Impossible Is Nothing" campaign featuring real stories from athletes with disabilities, it reinforced why your brand has always resonated with me: you understand that sports marketing is about making movement meaningful for everyone, elite or not. As someone who has used social media to increase adaptive sports awareness on my campus, I'm excited to apply for the Digital Marketing internship this summer.
My marketing journey began as Social Media Coordinator for our university's athletics department, where I faced a challenge: most student athletes felt our content didn't reflect their actual experiences. I addressed this by creating an "Athletes Uncovered" series, highlighting their stories beyond game highlights. This authentic approach increased engagement by 215%, grew our following by 3,000+ in one semester, and most importantly, fostered a stronger community among student athletes and fans.
In my Digital Marketing course, I applied analytics skills to real challenges. For our capstone project with a local sportswear brand, I conducted A/B testing on email campaigns that identified which product photography style drove 32% higher conversion rates. This experience taught me that effective marketing requires both creative storytelling and data-driven decision making, a balance I've noticed Adidas excels at maintaining.
My ability to connect with diverse audiences would serve Adidas well. As President of our Adaptive Sports Club, I've developed inclusive marketing materials that helped double participation in our events. Understanding varied perspectives is crucial for a global brand committed to making sports accessible to all communities.
What particularly draws me to Adidas is your approach to sustainability, especially the ongoing "Run for the Oceans" initiative and your commitment to recycled materials. I'd be excited to help amplify these efforts to environmentally conscious Gen Z consumers, who increasingly make purchasing decisions based on brand values.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience in authentic storytelling and data-informed marketing could contribute to Adidas's innovative digital presence.
Best regards,
Marcus Johnson
Not every application needs a cover letter, and not every recruiter will read yours. But when one is expected, or when you're the borderline candidate who needs a tiebreaker, the letter is one of the few parts of the process you fully control. The best ones feel authentic and specific, like they could only have been written by you for this particular opportunity. That takes real research and reflection for every company, which is exactly why most applicants skip it.
