Sample cover letter for Internship position at NVPC

Dear NVPC Hiring Manager,

I would like to indicate my strong interest in the internship program at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, specifically the position of Knowledge intern working on the project on Future Trends and Policy in Giving. I’m a junior at the National University of Singapore pursuing an undergraduate degree in Global Studies.

My previous internship experience at the Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy gave me a deep understanding of the landscape of philanthropy and giving in Singapore. The experience was centered around researching and conducting literature reviews on community development, nation-building and social welfare in Singapore, culminating in a published research paper. I consolidated and organized wide range of information about the development of social welfare and giving in Singapore from its colonial to post-war state, tracing the origins of state welfare, as well as corporate and community giving. Furthermore, I am currently working with the NUS Centre for the Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation on several projects on migrant workers and foreign domestic workers in Singapore including the Respect Our Rights campaign, which has helped develop my research skills on both qualitative and quantitative data, and helped the organization in reaching large audiences for public outreach and awareness on these social issues. This has helped me hone my communications skills, in presenting my research and the campaign material to various stakeholders. It also provided me with experience in working with marginalized communities as I did fieldwork and conducted interviews with foreign workers to support my work. I have previously conducted literature reviews on social issues specific to Singapore, by studying a broader context and applying similar theories to Singapore in a comparative context.

I have a strong belief in the important role that youth play in promotiong social change and awareness, and thus hold the opinion that public education and effective volunteerism through community engagement is key to a concious, giving society. Social innovation and enterprise also particularly interests me because of its ability to integrate business, income generation and entrepreneurship for a social benefit. I have served on the student committees for the social innovation club on campus and organized student symposiums on social entrepreneurship. I am currently part of a team attempting the DBS Social Venture Challenge. I have lived in the College of Alice and Peter Tan, a residential space devoted to community engagement and volunteering, allowing me to study modules on the subject, as well build lasting relationships with beneficiaries in Singapore such as HOME.

Strengths in research and communication skills- both verbal and written- with a background in issues relevant to the NVPC and this project would allow me to work efficaciously during the internship and contribute to the research that the NVPC does. If given the opportunity to work with NVPC, I will value my time in the organization and use it to develop a better understanding of social policies on volunteering and philanthropy. I also look forward to meeting professionals and scholars in the field and I believe that an internship with the NVPC will be a stepping-stone in achieving my career objectives. I will bring to the table a strong work ethic, a commitment to deadlines and targets and a passion for the goals and objectives of the NVPC and the project that I am assigned to.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Sovereigna Lakhotia

National University of Singapore

+65 90252960