7 Internship Cold Email Templates That Get Replies

Updated July 1, 2026 · Copy-paste ready

Below are seven internship cold email templates you can copy and personalize. Each is under 120 words, written to sound like a real student, and built around one specific reason you're interested plus one clear ask. Change the bracketed parts for every company.

1. The straightforward inquiry

Subject: Internship inquiry — [Your name] Hi [Company] team, I'm a [year] studying [major] at [school]. I'm looking for a summer internship and wanted to reach out directly. I'd be glad to help wherever I'd be most useful. Do you take interns? My resume is attached. Thanks, [Your name]

2. The "I built something" opener

Subject: Student interested in interning at [Company] Hi [Name], I'm a [year] at [school]. I recently built [project] to learn [skill], which is what got me interested in what your team does with [specific area]. I'd love to intern this summer. Would you be open to it? Resume attached. Best, [Your name]

3. With no experience

Subject: Eager first-time intern — [Your name] Hi [Company] team, I'm a [year] studying [major]. I don't have internship experience yet, but I've been teaching myself [skill] through [class/project], and I'd work hard to be genuinely useful from day one. Do you take summer interns? Thanks, [Your name]

4. The specific-role ask

Subject: [Field] intern interested in [Company] Hi [Name], I'm a [major] student at [school] focused on [specific area]. I've followed [Company]'s work on [thing] and would love to contribute this summer, even on small tasks. Are you taking interns? Happy to send more detail. [Your name]

5. The follow-up (send 5 days later)

Subject: Re: Internship inquiry — [Your name] Hi [Name], Just following up on my note from last week — still very interested in interning with [Company] this summer. Totally understand if now isn't the time. Thanks for considering it. [Your name]

6. Referred by someone

Subject: [Referrer] suggested I reach out Hi [Name], [Referrer] mentioned your team might take summer interns. I'm a [year] studying [major] at [school] and have been working on [project]. I'd love to help out. Would a short chat make sense? Resume attached. [Your name]

7. Career changer / non-traditional

Subject: Switching into [field] — interested in interning Hi [Company] team, I'm moving into [field] and have been building skills through [what you've done]. I'm looking for an internship to apply them and would be glad to start small. Do you take interns? Resume attached. Thanks, [Your name]

FirstInternships auto-writes a personalized version of these for each of 16,000+ companies based on your resume — no filling in brackets by hand.

Generate mine free →

Frequently asked questions

What should I write in an email to ask for an internship?

Introduce yourself in one line, give a specific reason you're interested in that company, ask directly whether they take interns, and attach your resume. Keep it under 120 words and send it from your own email.

Can I use the same internship email for every company?

No — reuse the structure, but change the one company-specific line each time. Identical mass emails get ignored and can be marked as spam.