After your internship is complete, whether it’s an in-person or virtual experience, it’s a good idea to send one (or more) thank-you notes. Sending a thank-you note allows you to express your appreciation for the opportunity. Plus, this polite touch helps you end your internship on a strong, positive note.
Who to Thank for the Experience
You can send a thank-you note or email to your direct manager, to the internship program leader or coordinator, and also to any colleagues who may have been particularly helpful or involved in your day-to-day work during your internship. If your college career office helped you set up the internship, saying thank you is a nice way to update the staff on your summer experience.
Tips for Writing an Internship Thank-You Note
Here are the most important things to include in your thank-you note:
Your Appreciation for the Opportunity
As in any thank-you note, make sure that you express gratitude. Hopefully, you’ve gained valuable experience through this internship and can speak about why you are grateful for having had the position.
What You Gained Through the Experience
Try to use specific, detailed examples here. You can talk about a favorite moment, something valuable or interesting you learned, or a new, eye-opening experience or awareness you’ve achieved.
Your Contact information
Do not ask for a job directly if you’re interested in getting hired for a permanent role—your thank-you note is not the right place to be aggressive in your career search. But you can ask to connect on LinkedIn or other work-related social media platforms or to share your contact information in the hopes of keeping in touch. If you are interested in employment with the company, review these tips for turning an internship into a job. If you are sending thank-you notes to multiple people who you met during your internship, make sure that every note is unique, and speaks to your relationship and experiences with that person.
Internship Thank You Note Example
Here is a thank-you note example you can send (via email or mail) after completing an internship. This thank-you note example can be used to say “thank you” either for an internship experience or for providing career advice.
How to Send Your Thank-You Note
You can email your note, or send a hard copy letter or handwritten thank you card via postal mail. Dear Jeremy: Thank you so much for the opportunity to intern at the Sunshine Home. It was a wonderful experience and made me even more certain that I would like to pursue a career in helping at-risk teenagers. Over the course of the internship, I was able to spend many hours with each resident – listening to them and talking with them about their goals and plans for the future. It was incredibly rewarding to be able to help them focus and make plans when so many of them started out without much hope. Your advice and experience have been tremendously helpful throughout these past six months. I truly appreciate the confidence you showed in me by giving me this internship. I hope that after graduation, I might be able to speak with you at greater length about the directions I might take in pursuing a career in social work. Best Regards, Alanna Tibbits If you are emailing your thank-you note through the company email, make sure to include your personal email address in your note so that people can keep in touch. In order to ensure that your email is read, use the subject line:
Review More Examples
Review more examples of thank you letters and emails to send after completing an internship.
What You Need to Know About Writing Thank You Letters
Being able to craft a sincere thank-you note is an important element in anyone’s professional toolkit, no matter what job field they are pursuing or what level they are at in their career. Make sure you review what you need to know about writing thank-you letters, including who to thank, what to write, and when to write an employment-related thank you letter.
