Can I Talk About My Goals In My Cover Letter?

I had a student from the University of Portland email me and ask if she should be including her future goals in her cover letter. This is a great question. As an employer, I want to know that a student applying to intern or work for me is going to be able to get one step closer to their dream job if they are selected for the position. Their dream job doesn’t need to be working at my specific company but it needs to be a relevant industry or company. For example, if you are applying to intern or work at Seventeen Magazine in their editorial department but your dream job and future goal is to be a social worker, the employer will see this as a negative. Again, as an employer you want to know that you are providing a student with a valuable/relevant experience that can one day help them get closer to achieving their future goals.

You can also take this one step further by not only mentioning your future goals but explaining how this opportunity will help you reach your future goals. Additionally, make sure you don’t list out 100 future goals, I would stick to mentioning 1-3 future goals. Good luck!

Check out my internship book (All Work, No Pay) for more examples of how to write a cover letter and cover letter tips here.