Engineering Internship Cover Letter [Samples, Tips + Template]

Engineering Internship Cover Letter Sample
Created by Cake

A good engineering cover letter for internship, or cover letter in general, should serve these 3 basic purposes:

  • Provide a professional Introduction for yourself.
  • Give reasons for the recruiter to feel that you are the top candidate for the job.
  • Cause recruiters to let you advance to the next steps!

Especially in the engineering field, a well-written engineering internship cover letter can help you elaborate your past projects, whether academic or personal, in a more narrative way. A good engineering internship cover letter could also illustrate that you have good written communication skills, making you stand out in the increasingly competitive market.

To illustrate some points, we will use sample cover letters for engineering internships. With no experience, you could also use a cover letter template for engineering internship provided at the end of this article. Keep on reading and you’ll be able to craft your own engineering internship cover letter!

Engineering Internship Cover Letter Example

For starters, below is a sample cover letter for an engineering internship, to give you an overview of how a complete engineering internship cover letter looks like.

Jane Doe
123 Sunshine Road
Port Charlotte, FL 33948
(941) 111-2222
[email protected]

August 1, 2022

Eve Adams
The Renewable Energy Company
123 Sunshine Road
Port Charlotte, FL 33948

Dear Ms. Adams,

My name is Jane Doe, and I am writing to apply for the intern position in the technical operations department of The Renewable Energy Company. As a renewable energy enthusiast, I have taken many related courses throughout the past 3 years of university, where I find myself intrigued by the future of off-shore wind energy plants.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to work as a technical operations intern at The Windy Company, where I had to create a communication procedure for windmill maintenance. Last semester, I also contributed to the renewable energy market in the West Coast as a research assistant for Prof. Smith. From these experiences, not only have I learnt the whole process of repairing and maintaining the windmills, I am now also knowledgeable about the overview of the off-shore energy supply system in the West Coast area.

My previous managers and teammates have acknowledged my sense of responsibility towards assigned tasks. In addition to my passion for renewable energy, I wish to learn and grow my career in the field. I am eager to apply my communication and technical skills and support The Renewable Company’s department of technical operations in any way I can.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am available for a chat at all times through the contact information I have listed above, and would truly appreciate an interview opportunity with you.

Sincerely,
Jane Doe

How to Make a Cover Letter for an Engineering Internship

Here are the steps on how to write a cover letter for an engineering internship. 

1. Know the complete format of an engineering internship cover letter.

Cover letters are formal documents that have a certain format to follow. Make sure your engineering internship cover letter contains the following parts:

  • Cover letter header: including sender information, date written, receiver information
  • A professional salutation: Address the hiring manager politely with proper titles & names
  • Opening paragraph: Opening your engineering internship cover letter with an enthusiastic paragraph that shows your interest
  • Body paragraphs: One to two paragraphs that describe any relevant experiences and skills
  • Closing: Close off with an invitation or call-to-action
  • Sign off: A proper sign off with professional complementary closes and your name

2. Understand the job description and research the company.

A good engineering cover letter for an internship elaborates your skills, projects and experiences in details and delivery that cannot be executed in your resume. Finding out more about what the company requires, or the company culture will allow you to write yours in a way that attracts the recruiter more.

3. Start with a tailored & appealing opening paragraph.

Amongst a possibly big pile of engineering internship cover letters, the first paragraph has to catch the recruiters’ attention, so make sure to briefly state what makes you the best candidate for the internship amongst the crowd.

Here is an example paragraph from a cover letter for software engineer internship:

My name is Rafael Lee, and I am writing to apply for the software engineer intern position at Hello App Design. I was excited when I came across this job opening, as I have been an avid fan of the ‘Productivity Master’ app series that Hello App Design has created so far. As I have 3+ years of experience in Python and SQL, I believe that I will be a good addition to your team and will be able to learn a lot of practical skills from the team.

4. Describe your relevant background & skill sets.

Pay attention to the job description and “good-to-haves” before writing your engineering internship cover letter, and think about the skills or experience you have that matches what the job needs. Pick two or three most relevant ones and use solid examples to illustrate that you indeed possess those skills.

Here is an example paragraph from a cover letter for electrical engineering internship:

At my recent internship with ABC Robotics, I assisted the optimization team in redesigning machine arrangements for efficiency improvement. This has successfully increased production efficiency by 30% in our year-over-year metrics. I am confident that I would be able to bring about good results as an electrical engineer intern at DEF Robotics.

5. Explain your motivation.

Here, it is good to emphasize your passion and willingness to learn, more because it is an engineering cover letter for an internship, where a lot of past experience is not necessary or uncommon. Explain why you want this job and tell the recruiter the way(s) you can contribute to the position if you are admitted, by linking back to what you have already written in the body paragraph.

Here is an example paragraph from a cover letter for mechanical engineer internship:

My previous managers and teammates have acknowledged my sense of responsibility towards assigned tasks. In addition to my passion for jet propulsion design, I wish to learn and grow my career in the field. I am eager to apply my communication and technical skills and support NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in any way I can.

6. Close your letter with appreciation and a call-to-action.

Thank the recruiter for his/her time reading your cover letter, followed by an invitation to contact you for the next steps, which is usually an interview. Remind them how you can be contacted, and that you wish to hear from them.

Here is an example paragraph from a cover letter for civil engineering internship:

I would highly appreciate the opportunity to further discuss my interest in this role and can be reached at (941) 111-2222 and [email protected]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

7. Finish your engineering internship cover letter with a professional sign-off.

Be sure to close off with a formal greeting like sincerely, best regards, best, etc. Remember to not use greetings you would write in a postcard for your friends, as cover letters are still formal documents, though similar to essays.

💡 Pro Tip: Also remember to include your contact information in your signature when you are sending an engineering internship cover letter through email.

Engineering Intern Cover Letter Tips

💡 Show your passion for the field in a software intern cover letter.

A software intern cover letter should always include what kind of hard skills or programming languages that you are proficient in. If you don’t have one yet, you could learn basic ones on MOOCs first so you can mention them in your cover letter, proving that you made an effort and are genuinely interested in this field.

💡 Elaborate projects in your mechanical engineer internship cover letters.

A cover letter for a mechanical engineer internship should contain previous related experiences. Projects, even those you did in university courses are a good start. Be more detailed and concrete in explaining what you did in that project.

💡 Attach relevant references in a cover letter for a civil engineering internship.

Assuming you have had relevant courses before, you must have a blueprint or basis for your civil engineering project. It could also be the finished project that you did with your professor. Consider putting a link of your portfolio in your cover letter for civil engineering internships.

💡 Highlight your soft skills in an electrical engineering internship cover letter with no experience.

In an electrical engineering internship cover letter with no experience, try to link your past activities with what the job requirements are. The most common example is linking your experience working with random teams in your case study club, to the communication and teamwork skills needed for your electrical engineering internship!

💡 Showcase your written communication skills in your cover letter. 

Use formal words to express what you’re trying to say. It has to be more narrative than your resume, so use real stories that you have experience to tell them more about what you have done or can do if admitted. 

💡 Always proofread, proofread, proofread.

One grave mistake would be not rechecking and proofreading your engineering internship cover letter. This shows lack of effort, and could cost you an interview opportunity. Take the time to finish your draft earlier, and ask others to help you take a look if possible. 

💡 Draw a strong connection between you and the job, and customize your engineering internship cover letter.

Another common mistake is to craft one general engineering internship cover letter and send to multiple positions without finding the keywords in the job description. Research the company and job requirements thoroughly and think about what you can offer to them in your current state. 

Engineering Intern Cover Letter Template

Below is a cover letter template for engineering internships that you can use when crafting your own.

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your phone number]
[Your email address]


[Date of writing]


[Name of employer]
[Mailing address of employer]


Dear [hiring manager's name],

I am [Your name], a/n [An adjective to describe you] individual writing to apply for the [Name of position] position in the [Name of department] department of [Company name]. [A short sentence explaining why you think you are an ideal candidate for the position].

[Introduce the most important skill from the job requirements and give an overview of the experiences that helped you acquire or hone that skill]. [State concrete achievements or proven action that further solidify the fact that you indeed possess that skill]. 

[Introduce the second most important skill from the job requirements and give an overview of the experiences that helped you acquire or hone that skill]. [State concrete achievements or proven action that further solidify the fact that you indeed possess that skill]. 

[State the details you find in the company website or other sources and use the above-mentioned examples to explain how you will contribute to the company in that specific job description(s)]. [Express your passion and willingness to contribute and learn extra skills in this new position, further showing that you are self-motivated].

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would highly appreciate an interview opportunity with you, and I can be contacted at all times through the above contact information.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

🔑 Key Takeaways 

Now that you know how to write a cover letter for an engineering internship, always remember the 3 points in an engineering internship cover letter: start strong, always make a connection and end in a proactive manner. 

When you’re lost, do use the cover letter template for engineering internships that we have provided.

Good luck!

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--- Originally written by Evelyn Peng ---

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