Use case · Internship

Creating a PDF application for an internship

The internship application follows its own rules: less work experience, but more motivation and willingness to learn. This is how you build cover letter, CV and attachments so that you convince even without a long track record.

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CV generator for internships

Student and pupil templates, easy data entry, ATS-compliant PDF. Even without work experience, the CV looks structured and professional.

Create an internship CV

Mandatory or voluntary internship, what you must state

Recruiters clearly distinguish between a mandatory internship (required by the study regulations) and a voluntary internship (without obligation). The difference is also decisive legally:

  • Mandatory internship: no minimum-wage entitlement, no limit on duration, exempt from social insurance (except accident insurance)
  • Voluntary pre-/post-study internship up to 3 months: no minimum wage, exempt from social insurance
  • Voluntary internship over 3 months: minimum wage (2026: €12.82/h), subject to social insurance

Mention explicitly in the cover letter or CV whether you are looking for a mandatory or voluntary internship, preferably with the duration and a reference to the study regulations. That saves the HR department a round of queries.

Motivation letter: what sets your application apart from 200 others

For internships, recruiters go through often 200 to 500 applications per position. They look for signs that you really want it, not that you “need just any internship”. Three elements that make your application stand out immediately:

  1. Concrete reference to the company: which activity, which project, which study of the company interested you? One line is enough, but it must show that you have researched.
  2. Concrete learning goals: what do you want to learn in the internship? Not “gain a lot of experience”, but “get to know working with Tableau in a real reporting context”.
  3. What you bring: what do you offer? Even without work experience you can bring something: a university project, a side project, a tutorial.

Avoid clichés like “exciting tasks”, “dynamic environment”, “young team”. They signal that you have recycled the cover letter for several positions.

CV without work experience, how to fill it meaningfully

The most frequent beginner's mistake: panicking and putting in every school activity to cover gaps. Better: few, but relevant, stations with a short explanation.

What belongs in the CV, even without classic work experience:

  • Study projects: seminar papers with methodology (e.g. “data analysis of 1,200 customer reviews, R-Studio”)
  • Tutorials / student assistant: even a single semester counts
  • Pupil jobs with a learning effect: cashier work is okay, but better to remove it if longer stations are available
  • Volunteering: association board, school newspaper, scout group, anything that shows self-organisation
  • Language certificates, online courses, coding bootcamps: with proof of certificate

Keep the CV to one page. For internships nobody expects two pages, a compact, easily readable page looks more professional.

PDF folder: order, file size, file name

The clearest form is a single PDF file, built in this order:

  1. Cover sheet (optional, but often wanted for internships)
  2. Cover letter
  3. CV
  4. Current transcript of records
  5. School-leaving certificate (often mandatory for internships)
  6. Any internship references, recommendations

Create the CV and the cover letter as a PDF, scan certificates with Scan to PDF and combine everything with Merge PDF in the correct order. If a page is rotated or the order is wrong, Organize PDF helps with sorting.

At the end, compress with Compress PDF if the file is over 5 MB. Many internship portals cut off attachments automatically.

Internship vs. working-student position, which suits you?

Both are student forms of work, but they differ fundamentally:

  • Internship: usually 4 to 26 weeks, often full-time, often during the lecture-free period, with a focus on learning
  • Working student: several months to years, max. 20 hrs/week during term time, with a focus on productive collaboration

For the application this means: in the internship cover letter, motivation and willingness to learn dominate; in the working-student application, professional suitability and availability. If you keep both open, don't write one generic application, but two clearly separate versions.

Frequent mistakes in internship applications

  • Standard cover letter for every position: recruiters recognise recycled texts immediately. Rewrite at least the first paragraph.
  • Mandatory internship not explicitly stated: saves queries, signals familiarity with your own study regulations.
  • CVs that are too long: one page is enough for interns, anything else looks padded.
  • Photo requirement overestimated: the photo is optional. If you use one, make it professional, no holiday picture, no selfie.
  • Certificates not digitised: certificates photographed with a phone are often crooked and pixelated. Better digitise them cleanly with a scanning app or the scanner.
  • Wrong salutation in mass-mailed cover letters: the main reason for immediate rejection. Use the recruiter's name from the job ad or LinkedIn.

Create your internship CV now

Create an internship CV

Frequently asked questions about the internship application

When should I apply for an internship?
At large companies, 6 to 9 months before the desired start date. At small and medium-sized companies, 2 to 3 months' lead time is often enough. In corporations, internship positions are often firmly scheduled, summer internships are usually advertised in October/November of the previous year.
Do I need a cover letter for mandatory internships?
Yes, even if the internship is compulsory, the company expects a motivated cover letter. Write concretely why this particular company, the obligation alone is not an argument.
How long may an internship be at most?
Mandatory internships can be of unlimited length (up to what the study regulations allow). Voluntary internships are subject to the Minimum Wage Act from 3 months, and beyond 6 months can become problematic in terms of social insurance. Plan the transition into a working-student position or permanent employment.
What if the internship pay is not enough to live on?
Internship pay is often low, especially in publishing, media, NGOs. BAföG recipients should definitely inform the BAföG office, as internship pay can be exempt from being counted (mandatory internship fully, voluntary partly).
Can an internship turn into permanent employment?
Yes, that is often the path. Raise it openly towards the end of the internship, ask whether there are possibilities, and offer to stay on as a working student or junior. Asking actively never hurts.

Weitere Anwendungsfaelle

PDF Application for Working Students (Werkstudent)

A working-student application has to show: professional suitability despite the study workload, availability and self-organisation. This is how you structure cover letter, CV and PDF attachments without falling into the typical beginner traps.