Cover Letter for an Internship: Example & Writing Guide
Getting an internship is tough. Don’t just send a CV, learn how to write a compelling cover letter for an internship to beat the competition.
You’ve labored over the words, measured out the margins, nailed down the font. Your cover letter is ready to send.
Except that it looks like you’re off for the New Year’s ball dressed in sweats and a tee. Your cover letter definitely needs some fancier threads.
I know you’re rolling your eyes now. The internet is full of horrid examples, it’s hard to find something nice, and even harder to tailor it to your needs.
Well, we’ve done the searching for you and found the best cover letter templates there are so you can have your cover letter decked out and ready to go in no time.
Best of all, they’re free!
This article will show you:
- Free cover letter templates better than 9 out of 10 others.
- Examples of downloadable free cover letter templates categorized by source so you can choose which you like best.
- Our selection of professional free cover letter templates that will grab the recruiter’s attention.
- Easy to follow instructions on how to use the selected free cover letter templates.
Or take the hassle out of everything and give our cover letter builder a try. With more than 18 cover letter templates, you’ll definitely find something that suits you and the position you’re applying for.
Sample Cover Letter for a CV —See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.
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Free Microsoft Word Cover Letter Templates
1. Graphicpup’s Free CV Template
This simple yet modern cover letter template is a versatile go-to for almost any position.
Your name and job title is on prominent display in the cover letter header and your contact information is neatly arranged between two sleek lines and cleverly categorized with nifty icons.
Download it here.
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2. Graphicpup’s CV Freebie
This cover letter template takes a more personalized approach by using your photo in the upper left hand corner of the cover letter.
Your personal information is nicely arranged at the top for convenience, leaving a lot of white space to demonstrate your value and skills.
Download it here.
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3. Bold Monogram
Bold Monogram offered by Microsoft Word has the perfect title to describe it. Bold in both color and concept, the bright red block on the left of the page both draws attention to your contact information as well as sets apart the rest of the page to focus the reader’s attention on your career experience and skills.
The eye-catching monogram at the top gives a personal touch and a reason for the hiring manager to remember this cover letter from among the sea of others.
Download it here.
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How to Use Free Microsoft Word Templates
The free cover letter examples above belong to the standard package of freebies offered through the Microsoft Office Suite.
Here’s how to access them:
- Open MS Word.
- The main page will open with format options for your new document. Go to the “more templates” option on the right hand side.
- You’ll get several categories to choose from. Choose “CVs and Cover Letters.”
- Choose the template you like and click “open.”
- Fill in your experience and skills and you’re done!
MS Word templates usually aren’t the most beautiful when it comes to cover letters, but they are usually quite easy to format, edit, and save. That said, if you start playing around with the formatting too much, you might find yourself with the famous problem of having one letter totally skew your entire cover letter.
Free Cover Letter Templates by Canva
1. Turquiose Typography Letterhead
Canva really comes through with this colorful, yet light cover letter template. A wide, turquoise bar on the left side includes your name and personal information. Large initials in the middle of the bar help draw attention and make it memorable.
The rest of the page is space left for the body of your cover letter.
You can download it here.
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2. Orange Shapes Creative Letterhead
Another bold idea from Canva, this cover letter template uses color and graphics across the whole page to really make your cover letter stand out from the rest the hiring manager sees.
Your contact information is neatly arranged at the bottom in a dark bar while your name and current title are emphasized at the top of the cover letter. The light, circular graphics help give a bit of personality to the cover letter without being overwhelming and overshadowing your career experience and skills.
Download this here.
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How to Use Free Canva Cover Letter Templates
Canva is what you would call a “freemium” site, which means there are things that you can use without having to switch to a paid plan.
Access the templates on Canva here. Note, downloading or saving may sometimes require setting up a free account.
Some job seekers may find that formatting and adding information to Canva templates is more complicated and less familiar than through Google Docs or MS Word. That’s because Canva is geared more towards artists while MS Word and Google Docs are more focused on the text.
If you have little time or are digitally/artistically challenged, Canva probably isn’t for you.
Google Docs Cover Letter Templates
1. Spearmint
For fans of designer simplicity, this Google Doc cover letter template is a good choice.
Mostly offering white space for your cover letter, there are subtle geometric designs in the right corners of the page, adding an artistic touch to the page, but not drawing attention away from what’s important.
A sparing use of coloring brings attention to your name and date.
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2. Business Letter
This free cover letter template puts a little bit of pizzazz into professional. Dark letters stand out against a plain, white background, giving your cover letter a real air of professionalism. Your name and contact details are displayed on the left side of the page.
A bit of color draws attention to the important things like your name and contact information, but doesn’t distract from the rest of the letter.
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3. Swiss
This free cover letter template goes back to basics and opts for a simple, no nonsense layout. Your name is prominently displayed at the top of the page and separated from the rest of the page with a thick line.
Your contact information goes right underneath and then the rest of the page is devoted to your career experience and job skills.
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How to Use Free Google Docs Cover Letter Templates
These free cover letter templates can be accessed through your Google account (which is also free).
All you need to do is:
- Log on to your Google account.
- Enter Google “Docs”
- You’ll see a screen that asks to start a new document. Click on “Template Gallery” to the right hand side.
- You’ll get a new screen with a list of all of Google’s templates. Scroll down to “Letters.”
- Click on the template of your choice and Google will open it up as a lorem ipsum document.
- Fill it in with your experience and skills and you’re done!
Google Docs are nifty since they can go wherever you have an internet connection. The downside may be that Google Docs sometimes have random formatting issues when saving to other formats such as Word or PDF.
Never send a Google Docs cover letter straight from your account.
Why not take all the hassle out of handling the format of your cover letter template? Get an added bonus of a template that looks 10 times more professional than any of the examples you’d find for free.
You can write it in our cover letter builder.
When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.
When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Free Cover Letter Builders
1. Cover Letter Template (Max Romeo)
This template focuses on minimalism and the use of white space. Sleek lines are used to separate your paragraphs, giving a new twist to an old look.
Your contact information is neatly stowed away at the bottom and highlighted by modern icons.
Get yours here.
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2. Free Cover Letter Template (Hannah Panizares)
Another modern and free cover letter template offered by Venngage. This template goes against the more “traditional” division of white and black with the use of yellow and black, but still retains a very professional feel.
As a bit of a twist, the cover letter has room for a personalized signature at the bottom of the page which the recruiter will definitely notice.
Neat icons on the left hand side of the paper draw attention to the personal information listed there.
Download it here.
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3. Free Cover Letter Template (Sandra Barnes)
Venngage brings some really bright and cheerful cover letter templates to the table, and this one is a good example. A bold use of both shapes, color, and font formatting really help capture the hiring manager’s attention.
All the sections of your cover letter are neatly compartmentalized and separated from each other. Despite there being a lot of elements on the cover letter, this template manages to bring it together to form a pleasant reading experience.
You can download it here.
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4. Free Cover Letter Template (Sophie Dawson)
This cover letter template is definitely in a league of its own. It’s a nice cross between the infographic style that the internet has grown to love and the classic letter format of a cover letter body.
Fun, engaging icons at the top of the page really draw attention to your skills and passion before the hiring manager even starts reading.
Find it here.
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5. Free Cover Letter Template (Linda Jackson)
This template really takes a creative approach to the cover letter.
White space has been replaced with a subtle background of small, light triangles. Your personal information along with the summary/objective from your CV can be found neatly arranged at the top of the page.
A balanced use of different colors helps guide the reader down the cover letter. A handwritten signature at the bottom adds a nice, last artistic touch.
Download it here.
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6. Seattle
This template takes a more simplistic stance towards the cover letter. It uses color only as a border around the page. Attention to key elements is drawn through the use of different font sizes. A large area of white space gives you enough room to really showcase your experience and skills.
You can find it here.
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7. Dallas
Another cover letter template from CoolFreeCV that introduces a little more color than its predecessor. A sleek, blue bar decorates the left side of the page, giving it a colorful yet professional look. The rest of the format remains pretty much the same—contact info at the top, plenty of white space over the page.
Check it out here.
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How to Use Free Cover Letter Builders
Each one has their own rules and policies. For the most part, you can download their free sample cover letters for your CV directly off their site. In some cases, you may have to register or set up a free account.
Key Takeaway
The internet is full of free cover letter templates, but for the most part it’s “you get what you pay for.''
- Don’t settle for less—if you look long and hard enough, you can find some great cover letter templates.
- Feeling more artistic? Try Canva. Prefer to focus on your text? Go for Google Docs or MS Word.
- Be mindful of what job you’re applying for and your own experience level. Choose a cover letter template that suits both the best.
- Google Docs and MS Word may cause formatting issues while Canva may result in a frustrating user experience. Other sites may ask you to register and send spam to your email. Set realistic expectations.
Remember that a great cover letter template may be the spice, but that means little if the main course is a bowl of water.
Get some helpful tips with this reading list:
Get started with this nifty intro to help you understand what you even need a cover letter for: What is a Cover Letter?
Top it off with some professional examples and advice on writing a great cover letter: How to Write A Cover Letter
Are there any great free cover letter templates that we’ve missed? Let us know!
