Sample cover letter for Internship position at Securities and Exchange Commission

Dear Hiring Committee,

I would like to express my interest in the Summer 2015 Student Honors Business Program at Washington D.C. Although I have minimal accounting and auditing experience, I learn quickly and possess characteristics that would allow me to excel at this internship.

As a student at the University of California, Berkeley I have strived to push myself by taking rigorous and quantitatively demanding courses. As demonstrated by my coursework, I have taken an introductory statistic course, two general physics courses, as well as a microeconomic analysis course. This spring semester I am taking an introductory econometric course that requires data analysis with the software package STATA as well as an urban and real estate economics course that requires theoretical modeling.

In addition to being “book smart,” I am able to apply my knowledge and analytical capabilities in creative directions. An example of this would be the application of my web development internship to create an interactive forum/website. The forum not only adds value to participants for the science bowl competition, but works as a subtle marketing channel for the ebook I co-authored with three others. Another example would my work as a business analyst for Consult your Community. There, I was able to thrive in a team environment and leverage my analytical capabilities to help grow local small businesses and start-ups in the Bay Area.

However, I believe that it will be my outlook, rather than my characteristics that predict my success in this internship. I believe in remaining humble and to be cautious of becoming overconfident. Despite my accomplishments, I believe that there is always room for improvement and room to work harder.

I hope the hiring committee will find that the characteristics and outlook I bring, in addition to my experience and education, will be valuable assets and predictors of success in this internship.