High School Student Cover Letter Sample & Guide

Today’s Date

Hiring Manager’s Name

341 Company Address

Santa Monica, CA, 94301

(xxx)xxx-xxxx

hiring.manager@gmail.com

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],

My name is Eleanor Guthrie, and I am a senior at Santa Monica High School interested in becoming a skilled professional in graphic design. I saw [Target Company’s] internship opening on Behance and think I would be the most qualified and driven high school student for the High School Summer Internship position.

As an eager student and graphic designer, I have supervised Yearbook Club design campaigns and formatted page layouts for the Santa Monica School Paper while managing AP Art, Intro to Graphic Design, and Computer Applications coursework with a 3.6 GPA. I am also a member of the National Honors Society and the National Art Education System. To further assure you of my qualifications, I have included 3 accomplishments from my resume:

Created a Yearbook logo designed to incorporate school mascot and colors; opted to use coated paper in 2016, which improved photo quality and increased profits by 5%.
Procured advertising for school paper, saving organization 25% in costs.
Edited and curated photos used for school paper; increasing readership by 15%.

I admire [Target Company’s] acceptance of and willingness to promote avant-garde artists and their diverse styles in their major ad campaigns. This has inspired me to pursue graphic design as a career and taught me to believe in my creative ideas, no matter how strange or daring they may seem.

I am thrilled at the opportunity of learning under [Target Company’s] graphic design team and would like to schedule an interview as soon as possible. Please contact me at [Phone] or via email at [Email] should you select my application. Thank you for your time and consideration; I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Eleanor Guthrie

1. Show Them Who You Are: Obviously, your introduction should include your name, high school, and grade, but you should also aim to impress hiring managers with a confident introduction. For example, our applicant starts out by saying she’s “interested in becoming a skilled professional in graphic design.” This assertive tone looks professional and mature.

2. Elaborate on Your Skills: If you’re a high schooler, you likely have little to no work experience. If this is your situation, then emphasizing the qualifications you do have is your best bet. Our applicant focuses on her contributions to the school paper and the Yearbook Club while juggling tough coursework and maintaining a high GPA. If you are not involved in any extracurricular activities, then mention soft skills that are relatable to your desired position.

3. Mention Your Accomplishments: A common problem for high schoolers is filling up the entire cover letter page. Instead of using large font sizes or increasing margins, we suggest including 3 noteworthy achievements from your resume. The bullet point format takes up lots of space and sticks out from the body of your cover letter. This method will direct the attention where you want it.

4. Research the Target Company: A great way to show initiative and maturity is to research the company and incorporate those facts into your cover letter. Our applicant used this tactic to bolster her own credibility with the target agency.

5. Close with Your Details: You mentioned your contact information already, but it helps to mention your details again. Close with a request for an interview and thank them for their time.