Sample cover letter for Internship position at Dalberg

Dear Ms Caseman

I am a nal year undergraduate at the University of xxx and I would like to apply for the Dalberg Summer Internship.

e eradication of poverty and inequality through long-term sustainable development projects is something I am passionate about. Development consultancy appeals to me as I have really enjoyed the analytically rigorous project work that I have undertaken throughout my degree and also the regular interactions with a range of stakeholders as President of Cambridge University International Development Society. I am attracted to Dalberg because of the opportunity you o er to work with both development agents and corporate businesses. Also I like the company’s ethos of seeking rst to improve the lives of the poor around the world, with the making of pro t secondary to this.

In 2012 I spent six weeks in Tanzania with the charity Tearfund. rough working with Tearfund prior to the visit I identi ed that most Women’s Self-Help Groups lacked a strategic vision for the future. In addition to the trip costs I raised £1300, choosing to allocate £750 to fund a three-day strategic planning conference for the leaders of an 1800-strong group. I actively participated in the conference and was impressed by the plan produced and so therefore decided to give a further £250 to the group. I directed the discussion over the best allocation of the funds unifying a diverse range of people to come to a solution. In January 2013 the First Lady of Tanzania heard about the progress of the strategic plans and has visited the group herself and donated a further £1250 of funding.

My Geography degree has provided opportunities to undertake both quantitative and qualitative research. During my time in Tanzania I conducted a detailed assessment of ve women’s self-help groups in the Dodoma region (this will form the basis of my undergraduate dissertation). rough the coding of interview transcripts I determined the functions and limitations of such groups as a vehicle for NGOs to achieve development. I found that one very important function is to provide NGOs as well as government organisations with a platform for their activities, including the provision of nance for savings and credit schemes.

As President of Cambridge University International Development Society I have over the last year organised a number of projects and overseen 15 di erent events in Cambridge. ese have involved liaising with key speakers, such as the Traidcra UK Senior Strategic Advisor. I have led a team of 12 in the taking of strategic decisions. An example was the postponement at short notice of a panel discussion following the unexpected resignation of the main organiser and speaker a few days before the event. I deemed it more bene cial for the society to reorganise the discussion properly and accept the initial disappointment than to attempt to run the event with key people unavailable.

I feel that I have the skills and experience to make a valuable contribution to the work of Dalberg and I look forward to hearing from you with regards to an interview.

Yours sincerely,

xxx