Internship request email format: fill in and copy
A short cold email asking a company for an internship, with a clear ask, your skills and your availability.
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An internship request email is a cold email to a company that has not advertised an internship. Most companies receive many of these, so the ones that get a reply are short, specific and easy to act on. Think of it as a 60-second pitch: who you are, what you can do, when you are free, and a polite ask.
When to send it
Send it two to three months before you want to start. Summer and semester-break internships commonly get booked early, and companies need time to arrange a mentor and a desk. Send on a weekday morning, and follow up once after seven to ten days if there is no reply. One follow-up is professional; three is spam.
Who to send it to
Find a named person if you can: the team lead in the area you want, or the HR contact on the careers page. "Dear Hiring Manager" is acceptable if no name is available. Send to one person at a time, not a list of addresses in the same email.
What to include
- A subject line with the word "internship", the field and your name.
- One line on your course and year.
- Two or three skills you can prove, with a project, test or certificate if you have one.
- Your availability and whether you can work remotely, from the office or both.
- Your resume as a PDF, named with your name.
- Your phone number.
Common mistakes
- Writing a page about your dreams and nothing about what you can do for the team.
- Asking about stipend in the first email. Raise it once they show interest.
- Copying a template with another company's name still in it.
- Sending from an unprofessional email address.
- Attaching certificates, mark sheets and photos nobody asked for.
If the company says no, thank them and ask if you can check back next term. Many internships come from the second email, not the first.