How To Write A College Student Cover Letter (With Examples)

While crafting a professional cover letter can be difficult for anyone, college students might be wondering how to get started when they lack work experience. Even without years of professional experience, you can still write an excellent cover letter that convinces hiring managers that you’re the right person for the job.

To help you with this, we’ve put together some instructions on how to write a cover letter when you’re a college student, some example letters, and some tips on how to polish your cover letter.

Key Takeaways

• Your cover letter should include an achievement-driven introduction, your key skills and qualifications, and a call to action.

• Research the company you’re applying to so you can tailor your cover letter to them and follow any guidelines they lay out.

• Include your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, honors, and soft skills in your cover letter.

How to Write a Cover Letter as a College Student

What you write in your letter to a hiring manager is important, but you also need to focus on the overall structure. The formatting for both a resume and cover letter is quite similar. Here is an overview of how to lay out your letter:

1. Add your contact information in a header. At the top of your letter, you want to list out your contact information. This should include your name, phone number, and email address. Including your home address is also an option.

   Maria Smith
   215-888-5252
   [email protected]
   16 West Street
   New York, NY, 10001

   9/1/2020

2. Add the company’s contact information. Up next you should add the contact details for the company. You should put the hiring manager’s name, company address, and phone number. Typically, this information can be found within the job posting or by doing some digging on the website.

   Tim Cook
   Apple, Inc.
   One Apple Park Way
   Cupertino, CA 95014

3. Include a greeting. Your salutation should be tailored to the hiring manager, i.e. “Dear Mr. Smith”. You want to avoid saying phrases such as “To whom it may concern” which are not as personal. If you cannot find the correct hiring manager to address the letter to, it is also acceptable to use “Dear Hiring Manager” as your greeting.

   Dear Mr. Cook,

4. Give an achievement-driven introduction. The introduction to your cover letter should be a way for the recruiter to get to know you right away. Discuss how your education has made you a strong candidate and what you have learned. Lead with a special accomplishment that relates to the position that you are applying for. This gives the hiring manager an immediate sense of who you are and is a great segue into the next component of your letter.

   My name is Maria Smith and I’m pleased to submit my application for Marketing Research Intern at Apple, Inc. I was thrilled to read this job description on Indeed and feel as though my education and skills are a perfect fit for this exciting team.

5. Cover key skills and why you fit the job. With your introduction setting the tone, the next section of your letter should dive deeper into your relevant qualifications. As a college student this is where you can describe experiences or organizations that you were involved in that helped you to acquire certain skills. These experiences and transferable skills should align with some of the key duties that were outlined in the description of the job. Show your passion and why you want the role.

   This area of your cover letter should speak directly to why you want to work for the organization. You should express enthusiasm and a knowledge of the company. A tip is to research any notable accomplishments of the company, such as philanthropic work that you would also be interested in. Let the employer know that your personal values and goals align with those of the company.

   As a senior at Penn State University in the Marketing department planning to graduate in May with a 3.6 GPA, I have accumulated a broad range of skills in market research and spent over 150 hours compiling reports of various findings on different subjects. I recently conducted a significant focus group for the university, where we gathered feedback regarding the perception and satisfaction of campus life.

6. Provide a call-to-action (CTA). One of the first rules of advertising is to always have a call-to-action, and when marketing yourself to a prospective employer the same rule applies. Be direct in that you know you are a good fit and that you would like to move forward. You can request a follow-up to further discuss your credentials and learn more about the role. This will be the conclusion paragraph of your letter, tying everything mentioned earlier together.

   As an individual who fights for inclusion and diversity, I can say that not only do your values align with my own personal ones, but I feel as though I could make a significant difference through the value of research on this team if given the opportunity.

   Enclosed, please find my resume with further details about my education and previous experience. Thank you for the opportunity to apply for this exciting new position and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please reach me by email at [email protected] or via phone at 215-888-5252.

7. Give your best regards and add your name. End your cover letter with a farewell statement such as “Best regards” or “Sincerely” followed by your first and last name underneath.

   Best regards,
   Maria Smith

College Cover Letter Examples

Email Cover Letter Example

Tips for Writing Your College Student Cover Letter

Even with knowing the perfect structure for your college cover letter, you might have additional questions on how to complete it. With these tips for writing a cover letter as a college student or recent grad, you will be well on your way to getting an interview.

1. Do your research. Before you begin writing your cover letter, start researching the prospective employer. This goes beyond knowing when the company was first founded or the name of the current CEO. Find out what the work culture is like, what initiatives the organization has spearheaded, and what some of the current goals are. LinkedIn is one of the best resources for digging deeper when it comes to doing your homework on a company.

2. Follow the guidelines. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in the overall picture and overlook the small details. When it comes to applying for a job, you want to ensure that you are following the instructions exactly as they are given. If the internship or job posting asks for the cover letter to be saved in a certain format for email or be addressed to a specific person, make sure to follow the guidelines.

3. Provide up-to-date contact details. Make sure that you give the hiring manager your current contact information. This is a more common issue when the same cover letter template is reused, but this also is another reason why tailoring your letter is important. Clearly articulate to the hiring manager that they can reach you at any of the provided contact methods.

4. Confirm the recipient’s contact information. We already covered including the hiring manager’s contact information at the top of your letter but want to reiterate that you should verify these details. You should also confirm the email address when submitting electronically. If you send your resume and cover letter to the wrong recipient, you will miss out on the opportunity. You can always find the proper contact information within the job listing.

5. Add a subject line. This is a tip specifically for emailing your college cover letter. Every proper email needs a subject line that informs the intended recipient of what the message will be regarding. For your subject line, keep it simple with the position orinternship that you are applying for, and your name.

6. Perfect your cover letter. Look at your cover letter and make sure that you have covered all of the basic structural elements. Did you start with a strong introduction to who you are? Did you highlight your education and how it has prepared you for the position? Will the reader be able to see your passion for their organization? Ask yourself if the hiring manager can get a definite sense of why you would be the best fit for the job.

   It is always a good idea to reread your cover letter several times and have at least one other person look it over. Many students and alumni will have access to career service professionals or counselors that can assist with feedback. If not, having a trusted friend or family member with a strong sense of detail is also an excellent option.

What to Include in Your Cover Letter

When you’re writing a cover letter as a college student, here are some things you should include if they’re applicable to you:

• Academic achievements. If your senior project earned the award for the best in your graduating class, say so. If you worked on a project that was successfully implemented in the real world, talk about that too.

  Your academic achievements demonstrate not only your expertise in your field of study but also your ability to do excellent work.

• Extracurricular activities. Talking about the clubs you were a part of (or led), the volunteer work you did, or the other activities you participated in can help give hiring managers a better idea of all that you bring to the table.

• Honors or high GPA. If you graduated with honors or with a GPA higher than 3.5, mention that in your cover letter. While grades certainly aren’t everything when it comes to getting a job, if you have good ones, they’re worth mentioning.

• Soft skills. Being a college student requires many of the same skills that being an employee does, especially when it comes to soft skills like communication, time management, and problem-solving. Highlight these in your cover letter by giving examples of how you’ve used them.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Expert

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.