Getting the Internship

In applying for an internship, your resume and cover letter are frequently the most important aspects of your application.  While some organizations may interview you, not all will.  The ones that do conduct interviews evaluate your qualifications based on the written materials you submit.  A typo or small error can disqualify you for competitive internships. 

In all of your written submissions for an internships, there are several important tips to keep in mind.  First, it is best to save your materials in .pdf format.  This keeps them from getting formatted incorrectly if your intern coordinator is using a different word processor than you.  Also, it is help to have a uniform header on the top of all your submitted materials, including your name and contact information.  No only does this make your submissions look more professional, it also ensures they'll be attributed to you in case for some reason, they get seperated.  Finally, remember to tailor your resume, cover letter and writing sample (where applicable) to the organization.

Since writing samples don't frequently get a lot of attention, they'll briefly be discussed here.  The best writing samples are ones you have previously submitted for class.  They've been graded and you've received feedback as to their quality.  On that note, only pick papers you've scored well on.  Additionally, do not pick a writing sample which is extremely specific to something entirely unrelated to your application; you want to impress the reviewer with your writing skills, not baffle them with jagon.