An internship cover letter is a 1–page business letter that describes the reasons you’re uniquely qualified for an internship position. When you’re applying for internships, sending a cover letter along with your resume shows initiative and sets you apart—as long as your cover letter has the right information.
The purpose of a cover letter for an internship is to show employers that you’ve already demonstrated the required skills through a variety of academic experiences. Internship cover letters include details about course projects, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and academic awards in addition to or instead of work experience.
The step-by-step guide, examples, and template below will show you how to write a cover letter for an internship that gets results. Additionally, use QuillBot’s free AI cover letter generator to synthesize your skills and abilities into a perfectly polished cover letter.
A resume summary is an overview of your main qualifications and professional characteristics. It’s the first section of the standard resume format and summarizes your background and experience level as well as your most relevant qualities, skills, and/or accomplishments in 2–4 lines.
For each job application, your resume summary should look a little different because the purpose of a resume is to quickly show employers how well your background aligns with the job requirements.
The tips and examples below will help you customize your resume summary for different employers and job applications.
Published on
March 19, 2025
by
QuillBot
Revised on
April 28, 2025
A resume objective—which outlines the type of position or work environment you’re seeking—used to be the standard way to begin a resume. Within the last two decades, the standard resume format has changed, and employers now expect a resume summary at the top of your resume (just below your contact information).
A resume summary is an overview of your qualifications that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. But this section can be challenging if you just graduated, you’re applying for your first job, or you’re changing careers.
In those situations, a resume objective can supplement the qualifications in your resume summary with evidence of your motivation. Resume objectives are not necessary when you have a lot of experience in your field.
If you do include an objective in your resume summary, make sure that the section also summarizes your skills, and customize the wording for each potential employer.
Published on
March 13, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
June 4, 2025
A curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter are both important parts of the job application process. Knowing the difference between a CV and a cover letter—and how to craft each document well—can help you stand out against other candidates.
A CV is a summary of your work history, skills, and education. However, the word “CV” means different things depending on location:
In some regions, like Europe, a CV is what Americans call a resume—a condensed summary of your qualifications customized for a specific job application.
In other countries, like the United States, a CV is a much longer summary of your qualifications that gets updated over time, often for use in academic, research, and medical fields.
A cover letter is a business letter that complements your CV or resume, showing why you’re the best candidate for the job.
If you’re wondering “Is a cover letter necessary?” you’re not alone! This question is widely debated among recruiting experts. The best approach is to find out if the job posting or application site mentions a cover letter. If the employer doesn’t specify, submit a cover letter to be on the safe side.
Until recently, a cover letter and a resume were standard protocol for professional job applications. Now, employers don’t always expect or require cover letters, but they usually can’t hurt, even when they’re not required.
The tips and insights below will help you decide when a cover letter is necessary so that the job applications you submit in today’s market have the best possible impact.
When you need a cover letter, use QuillBot’s free cover letter generator to instantly draft a letter that will stand out to prospective employers.
Published on
March 9, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
May 7, 2025
The terms resume and CV are sometimes used interchangeably but are technically not the same.
A resume is used for most job applications. It highlights your relevant work experience, skills, and education and typically spans 1–2 pages. A CV is a longer, more detailed document commonly used when applying for academic and research positions.
In some regions—like Europe—the term CV is used to refer to what in American English is called a resume.
Published on
March 9, 2025
by
Kate Santoro, BS
Revised on
March 27, 2025
You do not need to include references on a resume, unless they are specifically requested that way. You also do not need to include the line “references available upon request.”
Instead of taking up space on your resume with references, prepare a separate reference page that you can send to recruiters later on in the interview process, when they request it.
The purpose of a resume is to align your skills and experience with requirements for jobs, internships, or other career opportunities.
You submit a resume with a job application to concisely summarize which of your skills, employment history, and education are most relevant to the job requirements. Your goal is to show recruiters that you’re a great match so that they’ll select you for an interview.
Employers request resumes with job applications so that they can efficiently choose which applicants to interview. Your resume helps them evaluate your qualifications and prepare interview questions that are uniquely tailored to your background.
Understanding the purpose of a resume—as outlined below—will help you make a resume that’s relevant and focused.
The mainpurpose of a cover letter is to showcase your qualifications, personality, and enthusiasm for the role.
When you apply for a job, you submit a 1-page cover letter and your resume to convince recruiters that your skills and background are well-aligned with the job requirements. Employers use cover letters and resumes to decide which candidates they want to interview.
While your resume provides a structured summary of your skills and experience, a cover letter elaborates on your achievements and values in a narrative fashion.
The following tips about the purpose of a cover letter will help you introduce yourself and tell your professional story in a compelling and convincing fashion.
TipIf you need to create a cover letter quickly, use QuillBot’s AI cover letter generator to instantly draft a compelling cover letter that includes all the necessary sections.
How far back a resume should go depends on your experience level and the job requirements. A resume should go back 10–15 years at most and only include jobs that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
You don’t need to go back 10 years if you’re in the early stages of your career, and you don’t need to include every past job.
In fact, you might only have room for 3–4 past jobs if you want to achieve a concise resume format and a 1–2 page resume length.
No matter how far back your resume goes, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you submit job applications that are polished and error free.
How far back should a resume go exampleYou’re a 35-year-old accountant who is applying for an Accounts Payable Specialist position. You have 10 years of experience, starting with your first job out of college working as a tax preparer. For the last 7 years, you’ve worked on vendor invoices.
The main requirement on the job posting is “5–7 years of accounts payable experience with 2–3 years in a senior-level accounting position,” and the job entails invoicing and paying vendors.
On your resume’s “Employment History” section, you only include jobs from the last 7 years, and you focus each job description on the skills that this particular position requires.
