Who should I send an internship cold email to?

Send it to the person who runs the team you want to join, such as a team lead, manager or founder, not to a generic careers inbox. That person can create or approve an internship, and a direct message to them is more likely to be read.

How long should the email be?

Short enough to read in under a minute: a few sentences on who you are, why this company, one relevant project, and a small ask such as a 15-minute call. Attach your resume as a PDF rather than pasting it in.

When should I follow up?

A polite follow-up about five to seven days after the first email is a common approach. Add something new, such as a project update or a course you finished, and make the reply easy, for example a yes or no question.

What should the subject line say?

Be specific and plain, for example the role you want and your background, instead of vague lines like Internship Application. Avoid spammy words and exclamation marks.

How to Write a Cold Email for an Internship (With a Template That Gets Replies)

A cold email is a short message to someone who does not know you, asking for an opportunity. It sounds awkward, but it is one of the most effective ways for a student to get an internship, because many openings are filled through direct contact before they reach a job board. The catch is that most students send bad ones. This guide shows how to send a good one.

Pick the right person

The best recipient is the person who would manage you: a team lead, engineering or marketing manager, or a founder at a small company. Find them through the company website, LinkedIn, or a college alumnus who works there. Emailing a generic careers address is better than nothing, but a named person is far more likely to reply.

Do ten minutes of research per email

Before you write, learn one specific thing about the company: a product feature you used, a recent launch, a blog post, or a project the team shared. This is what separates your message from the hundred copy-pasted ones in their inbox. If you cannot find anything to say, pick a different company.

The structure

Subject line. Specific and plain. For example: "Frontend intern, B.Tech CSE student, built a React app for X".
Opening line. Who you are, in one sentence: your year, your course and your college.
Why them. One sentence about the specific thing you noticed.
Proof. One project or result that is relevant to the role, with a link.
The ask. Small and easy: whether they have room for an intern, and whether a 15-minute call is possible.
Sign-off. Your name, phone number, LinkedIn and resume attached as a PDF.

A template you can adapt

Subject: Frontend intern, third-year CSE student, built [project]

Hi [Name],

I'm [Your name], a third-year B.Tech CSE student at [College]. I've been using [product] and liked how [specific detail].

I recently built [project], which [one-line result], and I'd love to apply those skills on your team. Here's the link: [URL].

Do you have room for an intern this [season]? If it's easier, I'd be glad to share my resume and chat for 15 minutes at a time that suits you.

Thanks for your time, [Name] | [Phone] | [LinkedIn]

Change every bracket. If a line could be sent to any company without edits, rewrite it.

When to send

Weekday mornings tend to work better than Monday mornings or Friday afternoons, since people are more likely to be at their desks and catching up. This is a rule of thumb rather than a guarantee.

Follow up once, politely

If there is no reply after about a week, send one short follow-up. Add something new: a feature you shipped, a course you finished, a competition result. End with an easy question. After that, move on. Two messages is persistent, five is pestering.

Mistakes that get emails ignored

Starting with "Dear Sir or Madam"
Pasting your whole resume into the body
Asking for a job in general instead of a specific role
Sending the same email to dozens of people with only the name changed
Typos in the company name or the recipient's name

Make the email easy to believe

Your email is only as strong as what it links to. A recipient will probably glance at your resume, LinkedIn or a project link before replying. Make sure those are ready: read which projects to put on your resume and LinkedIn tips for students. For the full search plan, see how to get your first internship.