[Used with permission, all names redacted.]

Every year our company hopes to find great interns to fill our paid internship positions. And we do!

One way to get our attention is with a good cover letter, especially if your resume may not have a lot of actual work experience at this stage.

Here’s an example of a great cover letter. I’ll say why after you read it.

No plagiarizing, please! Use this only as inspiration.

The Cover Letter That Knocked Our Socks Off

To Whom It May Concern:

In today’s exceedingly competitive and fast-paced market, it is vital for organizations to entail strong and aggressive leadership to meet constantly evolving business development goals. I am confident that my driven personality, outstanding ability to multitask, exceptional oral and written communication skills, market research and sales experience, as well as vast knowledge of business finance and computers can contribute to the superior level of performance and innovation at <your company>.

What intrigues me most about this position offered by <your company> is the expertise and experience I would be able to gain in constructing customer identities in each of the company’s market segments, including description of roles in segment organizations by job title, what influences them to purchase, and many more.

I would be able to utilize the knowledge I currently have in market research from developing a marketing plan for a college of nursing as well as constructing a new marketing strategy for <company>. Also, I would be able to apply my experience and knowledge in sales to the position, which is great when gathering information from the sales department and applying it to the market segment research.

Currently, I am seeking a position where I can uphold strong business development, marketing, sales, finance, or management performance standards, work directly with clients and make an instantaneous impact on the company. I am a full-time student athlete who works 25+ hours per week, which allows me to exercise and enhance acute time management skills. As a member of your team, I am confident that my sociable personality, innovative philosophies, and experience can make an immediate contribution to the continued success of <your company>.

The location of <your company> is not an issue seeing as I am planning on taking up residency in <your city> for the summer after spending most of the previous summer on <campus>. My resume is available for your review and consideration. I welcome the opportunity to speak with you regarding available opportunities with <your company> for the upcoming summer.
Sincerely,
<Name>

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Your Takeaways

What did this cover letter show?

Character, accountability, willingness to learn, and a heck of a lot of personality and promise.

What it isn’t: Perfect. But that’s okay, because of everything in the sentence above.

A great cover letter doesn’t need to hit every single note. But if it shows, not tells, who you are and what you can bring to the company, it’ll get attention.

And in this case, it got this person the job!

Would this style of cover letter make or break someone’s chances with your company?