Sample Thank-You Letter for an Internship

It's always a good idea to say thank you to an employer after you have finished an internship under their sponsorship. It's a way to show your appreciation for the opportunity and to continue your relationship with the organization. If you play your cards right, it could even set the stage for turning the internship into a full-time, paying job.

Why Write a Thank-You Letter

The primary goal is to thank your employer and the people you have worked with for the opportunity to develop your skills, gain job experience, and learn all that they had to teach you. Extending your appreciation is the polite thing to do, and will help you leave a good impression on the people you met during your internship.

Before you write your note, consider what method to use. If you want to send a personal message, you might give your intern supervisor a handwritten card or typed letter. If you just want to send a quick note, you can send an email.

If you go this route, make sure to send different notes, not variations on the same letter. It's unlikely people will compare, but it means more if you send a genuine thank-you and not just a form letter.

What to Include in the Letter

Express your gratitude and appreciation. Make sure the phrase "thank you" is actually in your note!

Mention the details. Include specifics about the things you learned and the experiences that were most useful. For instance, you might say, "Thank you for spending the time to explain the ins and outs of planning a campaign launch." Or, perhaps you'd say, "I really appreciate all the feedback you provided on the initial marketing strategy draft."

Provide your contact information—including your LinkedIn URL—so that the employer and the other professionals you met during your internship can keep in touch with you should they wish. 

What Not to Include in the Letter

Ask for a job outright. Your thank-you letter can certainly set the stage for a job offer down the line, but you don't want to seem like you're only saying thank you in order to get something else.

Don't be negative. Use the letter to vent frustrations or to express negative sentiments about the company, its employees, or the experience. If you had issues with any aspect of your internship, now is not the time to bring it up.

Include anything that isn't genuine. False compliments come off as phony, even in the hands of a skilled writer. Hopefully, even if your experience was less than 100% positive, there was something about your internship that you valued. Talk about that, and leave the rest aside.

Excessive length: While you want to be specific about what you've learned during this experience, keep your message short. Your email or letter should likely be three to four paragraphs in length at most. The main things you want to include are your appreciation, some details on what you got out of the experience, and your contact information. 

Sample Internship Thank-You Letter to Download

This thank-you letter example is a model for you to adapt and use to thank your employer after completing an internship. Use it as inspiration when writing your own message. This letter is in business letter format, with the contact information at the top. 

Download the thank-you letter template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), or read the text version below.

Sample Internship Thank-You Email

A thank-you email is very similar to a thank-you letter. However, instead of putting your contact information at the top, you will put it at the bottom, in your email signature.

When you're sending an email thank-you message, put your name and "thank you" in the subject line of the message so that it's sure to be read.