How To Write A Pitch Letter: 4 Tips To Land That Internship

A cover letter is a necessity while applying for a job but a pitch letter is essential for applying to a job that has been advertised. A pitch letter is submitted in an organisation when you know there is an opening, have a connection within, and feel that you will be the right fit. What becomes important here is for you to dictate via the letter why the organisation should hire you and how you will be using your skills to solve problems and challenges at work.

Most companies hire through referrals from the existing employees in the system. It’s easier to trust the feedback and response of current employees than finding new prospects from a pool of candidates. Thus, it becomes important to have a connection within the organisation and if you don’t, pitching yourself to the organisation is an ideal choice.

While writing a pitch letter, try and build a connection with the organisation or the person reading your mail. The more direct and honest you are about liking the company and wanting to work for the specific role, the chances of your bosses calling you for an interview are higher. Write from the heart and if the company and its employees value such honesty, half the battle is won.

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The formatting and the basic structure of a cover letter and pitch letter are quite similar, just that pitch letter is more customised to the role and the company you are applying for.

Proactive Approach

There are two ways to go about applying for a job when you know there’s an opening:-

• Applying as per the traditional method via the system- company website, online job portal, sending your resume on mail
• Sending your resume along with a pitch letter, thereby pitching yourself for the job

If you have been really eyeing the job that now has an opening, your best bet is option two. Reach out to the recruiter/hiring manager and send them a personalised message and/or a mail along with your pitch letter to get noticed early. This way you are proactively making yourself available for jobs you are interested in by taking initiative.

Contrary to popular belief, reaching out to a hiring manager is favourable and beneficial as it gives you first access over other candidates. Below are some of the points to keep in mind while doing so.

Timing Is Everything

Sending your pitch letter early and as soon as the job has been posted will give you a great opportunity to get noticed by the hiring manager. It also gives you an opportunity to showcase your interest in the profile before the position is filled by internal reference.

As a fresher or high schooler, it’s important to apply for the internship program months in advance as these positions are filled quickly and before the internship program commences. The ideal time to approach the company for an internship is at least six months in advance. In proverbial terms, be the early bird to catch the worm (the job/internship). It takes time to build relationships within a company and for this starting early is important. This shows your eagerness and interest in the internship regardless of your current skills and achievements. Hiring managers often value enthusiasm and keenness of a candidate for a role, over skillset.

Sending your pitch letter early and as soon as the job has been posted will give you a great opportunity to get noticed by the hiring manager.

Find Out Key Decision Makers

There’s always employees who have more say in who is to be hired and who is not. These are the people you need to connect with if you want a sure shot at getting interviewed. These will usually be the department heads, senior hiring managers or owners in case of startups. Having an insider who can vouch for you will only strengthen your candidacy and chances of getting hired.

Rejection Means ‘Not Yet’

Rejection is inevitable in the process of searching for a job. There will also be instances when there’s silence from the hiring managers and the no-response-situation will either teach you patience in the process or put you in a place of no hope. Take rejection in your stride and keep trying to find the right fit. A golden rule to take with you here is, it’s not a “no”, but always a “not yet”.

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How To Write A Pitch Letter

Let us now discuss step-by-step, how to write a pitch letter.

Subject Line

Mention the role you are applying for clearly in the subject line.

Example: Application for HR Internship at CBC

Paragraph 1

Paragraph one should cover the following:-

Introduction | If you are working part-time, freelancing, or are currently employed with a company, mention the name of the company and your position. If you are a student who is currently pursuing their education, mention the year, your course and name of college/university.

Example: I am an enthusiastic and driven Commerce graduate with an Honours degree from the University of Rajasthan. I am currently looking to secure a Financial Analyst position to utilise my strong analytical skills and business knowledge.

Enthusiasm | Start the paragraph by revealing your enthusiasm for applying for the position.

Example: It is with great enthusiasm that I am applying for the position of Sales Intern at xyz.com.

Your Source | Always mention how you found out about the opening. This gives the recruiter a point of reference to understand how you discovered them and the position.

Example: After reading the job description at Skillshare.com, I felt I might be a good fit for the job.

Paragraph 2

As an applicant it is your job to connect your skills and achievements to the company’s needs. You need to mention here and explain why you will be a good candidate for the role. Mention at least two to three skills and achievements and what you have been able to accomplish in your experience so far. Ensure mentioning those achievements that are relevant for the role.

Example: I love creating buzz-worthy content that connects with the audience. My latest blog on the review of Movie Carnival received 10,000 shares on Twitter.

In case of no experience, mention one of your skills gained through some other domain and relate it to the current job.

A pitch letter is submitted in an organisation when you know there is an opening, have a connection within, and feel that you will be the right fit.

Example: Having done intensive volunteering work with the underprivileged as part of the outreach program in my college, I have developed skills of empathy, having a sense of community and effective communication. These skills will come in handy as an HR Intern while communicating with employees and handling employees’ grievances in the plant of your prestigious organisation.

Paragraph 3

In paragraph three, mention what you will actually be doing to help the company. Research and understand the challenges the organisation is currently facing and how you could help. If you don’t find any, give the ideas that you have in mind to resolve the typical issues that the particular department may be facing.

Example: I understand that employee retention is a challenge that all organisations face. During my first month of joining, to combat attraction, I will be launching a program to arrange feedback from employees and then making changes that will help address and resolve the pain points of the employees.

If you have any work samples, mention the links and attach your portfolio for them to see your work and make a judgement about your skills.

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Example: I have an avid interest in writing and continually write a food blog, reviewing some of the local restaurants in and around Kolkata, Here are some of the my recent work samples and blogs

Link 1:

Link 2:

Closing | State politely that you will like the opportunity of being interviewed for the role. Thank the recruiter for their time and consideration and mention you will be looking forward to hearing from them. Give them a call to action. Ensure to enclose your resume in the mail.

Example: I welcome the opportunity to talk with you more about this opportunity so I can further demonstrate my suitability for this position. Thank you for your consideration.

Regards/ Sincerely,

John

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Follow Up

Finally, follow up. A polite mail to gently remind the hiring manager about your candidacy does no harm and shows your sincerity and genuine interest for the role.

In the job search game, you need to go out there and search. This is a typical – “eat what you can” hunt situation where, if you don’t look you will not seek.

A tip to remember here is that when sending these emails you should be cognizant of the fact that those reading them won’t have too much time on their hands. So, you need to be short, crisp and to the point. Keep your sentences short so that they can easily be comprehended.

If you don’t like the role you are applying for, you can always pitch a new role to the company and its key stakeholders. Organisations love kick-starters who don’t need to be pushed to work. So, be the one who is the first to aim for the goal post!

Parisraja Bajpai is an Organisational Psychologist, with extensive hand-on experience in talent acquisition, talent management, employee counselling, employee engagement, training and development. She is currently heading HR department at Nexstgo. Views represented in this article are solely of the author and do not represent those of the organisation they are associated to.