Looking for a college internship opportunity is already difficult. But when you mix in the number of required documents you have to prepare, it becomes an even greater challenge.
If you have zero professional work experience, creating your resume and intent letter can be daunting. To make things even more intimidating, how well you craft your CV and application letter greatly influences your chances of landing a great on-the-job training opportunity.
For your resume, letters, and other OJT requirements, you’ll find plenty of templates available online. However, it’s best if you write your own to make sure your individuality shines through. Copying generic samples will make it hard for employers to differentiate you from dozen other applicants, reducing your chances of getting hired.
To help graduating students secure a fruitful OJT experience, Internship.ph shares a checklist of the required documents for college internships. Although OJT requirements can vary depending on your degree program, the basics are generally the same:
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Cover or Application Letter
- Endorsement Letter
We provided samples and formats for these documents to help you write your own. Keep in mind that these aren’t templates you can copy; they are just guides to make sure you stand out among other applicants.
1. Application Letter
An application letter for OJT, sometimes called intent letter or cover letter, should include your degree program, the skills you can contribute, and what you hope to learn from the company. It also helps to include a brief explanation of why you’re interested in interning for this company.
For instance, if you share the values that the organization is known for, you can mention that to gain a slight edge over the other applicants.
Tips on writing a letter of intent for OJT:
- Don’t just put “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To whom it may concern” as the salutation. Address the letter recipient by their name. You can usually find the HR manager’s name when you research more about the company.
- Limit the letter to a single page. Hiring managers have to sort through dozens of applications, so they won’t have time to read through long intent letters. Also, keeping your letter concise but impactful will help you make a strong impression with the employer.
- Highlight your skills and abilities. Companies are particularly interested in the benefits you can bring to their organization.
Sample Application Letter for OJT
| April 05, 2020 CompanyUnit no., Building NameStreet, City Dear [Name of Hiring Manager]: I am Mark Lopez, currently taking BA Organizational Communication at the University of the Philippines Manila. I am interested in applying for your internship program, particularly in the marketing department. Studying in this degree program has taught me various communication strategies and dynamics, which I can utilize if I’m accepted in your company. I have intermediate-level skills in technical writing, corporate writing, and marketing copywriting, equipping me with valuable abilities that allow me to contribute to the company’s internal and external communications. I would like to work with your company, since this field is one of my desired career paths. Additionally, I am interested in your nonpartisan foundation dedicated to our out-of-school youth, because this is an advocacy I also believe in. Enclosed are my resume and writing samples for your reference. I can start work the week of April 19. Should you have any other concerns, please contact me at 09XX-XXX-XXXX or email me at [email protected]. Sincerely, Mark Lopez |
If you’re applying via email, you have to write a brief introduction on the email itself. But make sure you’re not just repeating the contents of your application letter.
Keep your email brief. You can mention how you found out about the internship position, whether you learned about it from their website or a Facebook group. This shows that you proactively searched for their company.
2. Resume
Just like your application letter, keep your CV short but memorable. No one wants to read a resume that’s more than a page, so it’s best to omit details about your primary and high school education.
The challenge with writing a resume for OJT application is filling up a page if you have zero working experience. In this case, you want to highlight your skills and abilities, extracurricular activities, school organizations, and achievements. If you have academic honors, such as a Cum Laude standing, you can also include that in your resume.
Tips on writing a CV for OJT:
- Keep your layout simple and scannable. Avoid colorful borders and creative fonts that can distract from the content.
- List your experiences and activities in reverse chronological order, with the most recent ones on top.
- If you’re involved in any school organizations or extracurricular activities, explain your in role in detail. This gives the hiring manager an idea of how you work within an organization and the practical skills you can contribute.
- Put the most relevant details about you first. For instance, if you’re banking on your writing skills to get hired, your writing abilities and experiences should be on the top half of your resume.
- Skip the objective statement. Hiring managers often skip that part, so it’s not worth the space on your CV.
- Don’t forget to include your contact details. This makes it easy for hiring managers to reach you, especially if they downloaded your CV but not your cover letter.
- If you’re applying online, name your resume file properly. Naming the file as “CV” will make it difficult for hiring managers to look for yours once they’ve downloaded dozens of resumes. Include your surname and school in your CV file name (“Lopez, M. – UPM”) to make sure HR managers can recall your application in one glance.
Sample Resume for College Student with No Work Experience
| MARK LOPEZ | #4 Premium St., Brgy. Sangandaan, Project 8Quezon City 1106https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklopez.17/ |
| EDUCATION BA Organizational CommunicationUniversity of the Philippines Manila2022 (expected year of graduation) Coursework included business writing, marketing, and public relations SKILLS Technical WritingCreative WritingSocial Media ManagementEvents Planning and ManagementResearch and Planning CONTACT [email protected] | ORGANIZATIONS UP Manila Junior Marketing Association (UPM JMA)Vice President for Externals (since 2020)Responsible for all external activities of the organization. Actively seeks out prospects for sponsorships and partnerships and manages relationships with sponsors and partners. Works closely with the Vice President for Finance to meet target revenues. Organizational Communication Society (OrComSoc)3rd Year Batch Representative (since 2020)Represents the juniors of BA Organizational Communication, making sure their concerns are heard and considered by the executive committee. Disseminates information to the entire batch regarding events to keep them updated. ACTIVITIES Growth Sessions UP Manila Junior Marketing AssociationGrowth Sessions is a 2-day webinar series that encourage the personal and professional growth of UPM JMA members, covering topics like digital marketing, finance management, entrepreneurship, and others. Eto Kami Ngayon (OrCom Week 2020)Organizational Communication SocietyEto Kami Ngayon is a 1-day talk where OrCom alumni are invited to speak about their chosen professions, providing valuable insights for graduating students who are interested in taking similar career paths. |
If you want to highlight a skill or activity you mentioned in your CV, you can expound on it in your application letter. This gives the employer a better idea of what kind of tasks and roles would fit you. Just remember to keep your intent letter as concise as possible.
3. Endorsement Letter
Lastly, most companies look for an endorsement letter from your professor or practicum adviser. Some professors give their students a template letter, so you can just replace the titles and names accordingly. But it’s still a good idea to learn how to write the letter yourself, in case your adviser doesn’t provide you with a template.
The purpose of the endorsement letter is to give you credibility as a worker, helping the employer build their trust in you. The letter should read as authoritative, since it’s supposed to come from your college department. Even if the hiring manager doesn’t ask for an endorsement, you can still give them a copy to strengthen your application.
Tips on writing an endorsement letter for OJT:
- Mention how many practicum hours you need to complete and the month you’re supposed to finish your internship.
- Briefly mention the skills you’ve developed with your degree program and how you can apply these in a corporate setting.
- Make sure the letter has a header, with the logo of your college and department, if possible, to lend more credibility to the endorsement.
Sample Endorsement Letter for Internship
| COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MANILA Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila 1000 Department of Arts and CommunicationRoom 305, Rizal HallTelephone 5231628 – 5163228 (extension 112) Month #, YYYY Title Name I SurnamePositionCompany Name# StreetCity Recommending Mr. Mark Lopez for Internship The Department of Arts and Communication is pleased to recommend Mr. Mark O. Lopez for internship with your company. Mark is an incoming senior in the BA Organizational Communication program of the University of the Philippines Manila. Part of the program’s requirements is a 200-hour internship in an organization of the student’s choice. Mark has applied to do his internship in [Company’s Full Name]. Now ready to start his senior year in the university, Mark has developed competent writing, speaking, and marketing skills that enable him to meet the demands of your company’s internship program. At the same time, he recognizes that the workplace is as challenging a venue for learning and sharing competencies as the university. We are grateful that [Company’s Full Name] is an active partner in ensuring that the business leaders of tomorrow are imbued with the right work values today. We are confident that Mark will be valuable to your organization, just as the training that you will provide will be to him. For the Department of Arts and Communication: [Name of Professor]Practicum Adviser |
After drafting the endorsement letter, have it approved by your professor. They’ll check the letter for grammar errors and sign it once it’s approved.
Get Ready for Your OJT
The purpose of these documents is to put your best foot forward and secure an interview with the company you’re eyeing. Although they don’t guarantee your spot in an internship program, they do give you a chance to prove yourself in the interview.
With that, it’s important to take the time and effort to carefully craft your resume and letters. Highlight your skills, abilities, and other qualifications that are relevant to the company you’re applying in. This way, the employer gets a clearer picture of what you can bring to the organization.
If you want to learn more about the ins and outs of college internships, check out the Internship.ph blog. Browse our site to learn more about our services.
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