Engineering Internship Cover Letter Sample & Guide

What do mechanical engineering, software engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering internships have in common? They all need a great engineering internship cover letter to get you in.

The competition is fierce and it’s not enough to say that you have no experience, but you’re willing to learn. That’s building with sand and your cover letter needs to be cast iron.

How do you do that when you’re just starting off?

You’ve come to the right place to find out how to turn your dream internship into a physical reality.

This guide will show you a cover letter for an engineering internship example, plus the best tips on how to write a cover letter for an engineering internship step-by-step.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

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Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter samples and create your cover letter here.

Remember—your cover letter will fall apart if it doesn’t have a killer resume to brace it, like the one here: Engineering Internship Resume

See our other engineering-based writing guides here:

• Engineering Cover Letter
• Cover Letter for Internship
• Mechanical Engineer Cover Letter
• Electrician Cover Letter
• Software Engineer Cover Letter
• Software Developer Cover Letter
• Electrical Engineer Cover Letter
• IT Cover Letter
• System Administrator Cover Letter
• Computer Science Cover Letter

Want to explore your options further? See our full selection of cover letter examples for every career: Best Cover Letter Examples for All Professions

Okay, let’s get moving to the good stuff.

Engineering Internship Cover Letter Sample

So you’ve just seen a great example of a cover letter for an engineering internship. Read on to see just how you can write one just like this.

Engineering Internship Cover Letter Template

Here are the best tips on how to write a great cover letter for an engineering internship:

1. Use the proper engineering internship cover letter format

As an engineer, you know it’s all about structure. These tips will having you building the perfect cover letter structure fast:

• Use the correct cover letter spacing: a 1” margin on all sides and single or 1.15 line spacing.
• Use a sleek cover letter font in 12 pt size.
• Double-space between paragraphs for easier readability.

Read more: The Best Covering Letter Layout

2. Create a professional engineering internship cover letter header

• Include your name and complete contact information in the top left corner.
• List your phone number, email, LinkedIn, and (optionally) other social media or websites. Just check your online profile first. 
• Add the city and date right below.
• Include the addressee’s details.

Having a hard time finding the name of the hiring manager? Check the company’s website or do some research via LinkedIn. You can also just call up the company and ask.

Read more: Cover Letter Header Examples

3. Open with a personal greeting and a compelling first paragraph

• Start with a professional cover letter salutation and address the potential employer by name.
• State what position you’re applying for.
• Highlight your most relevant achievements while keeping it simple.

Read more: How to Start a Cover Letter With a Bang

4. Show that you’re the candidate they’re looking for

• Refer back to the job ad and explain how your relevant experience can help solve their problems.
• Mention some interesting achievements that you’re proud of. Don’t just rehash your resume.
• Use numbers whenever you can: they draw attention!

Read more: What Should a Cover Letter Say?

5. Explain why this is the job you want

• Include a couple of genuine compliments.
• Make them understand why you want this job more than any other.
• Make them realize that if they hire you, you’ll want to stick around for longer.

Read more: What to Include in a Cover Letter?

6. Make an offer and include a call to action

• Ask for a call or meeting and suggest a time.
• Repeat how valuable you could be—make an offer to help them with their KPIs.

Read more: Great Cover Letter Closing Paragraph Examples

7. Close with a professional sign-off

• Sign off with your full name.
• Include a digital copy of your handwritten signature (if you have one) below your sign-off.
• Add any cover letter enclosures that might be required.
• Add your basic contact details in the footer.
• Save with proper cover letter title.

How long should a cover letter be? It definitely shouldn’t go on for pages.

Once you’re done writing, make sure that your cover letter has a design just as great as your accomplishments: Professional Cover Letter Design

Don’t just send out your cover letter and cross your fingers. Remember to follow up on your job application. Here’s how to do just that: Write a Great Follow Up Email to Your Application 

As you can see, a great cover letter can really propel you into the seat of that internship everyone would kill for. But make sure your engineering internship application doesn’t buckle by also writing a fantastic resume.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Choose a resume template here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Thanks for reading! What do you think of this sample cover letter for an engineering internship? Are there any tips you think we’ve left out? Let us know in the comments below!