A recent survey asked more than 300 HR professionals, the biggest problems they found with recent graduates applications letter for internships. The number one complaint poor written communication on the application itself. Hiring Managers notice, when your cover letter is not crafted with care, and it can leave them wondering, will this person detract from any company's image?

Today, I'm going to walk you through each step of writing that perfect internship cover letter. One that proves you've got the skills, experience, and potential to land that ideal internship. Let's get started.

Writing an internship cover letter can sometimes feel harder than writing your resume, because there are just so many possibilities. But that freedom to express yourself is exactly what makes your cover letter so powerful. This is a chance to point out the reasons why you check all the employers boxes as the intern they've been looking for. To help you get a sense of what goes into a great cover letter. Let's pull up an example.

The first thing you'll notice right at the top of the page is this header section. This is where you will place your name, and contact information. So, the Hiring Manager can contact you if they want to set up an interview. You'll want the style of your cover letter to match the look, and feel of the company. I'm going to look for something a bit more upbeat, but still professional.

One last thing to know about the header is that you can create an even more professional image by choosing a matching cover letter and resume template. The page design says a lot, about who you are as an applicant, and the rule you see yourself in. So, you may want to use different looks for different companies. So now that we've got an eye-catching header, let's take a look at the greeting.

This is how you're going to address the person reading your cover letter, generally for internships. It's a good idea to stick with deer, followed by the last name of the Hiring Manager, or Internship Coordinator. It's worth putting in some time to find out who exactly that person is. Using their name shows that you're interested, and help to make a personal connection, which is kind of the whole point of the cover letter. If you really can't find out whom you should address, you can try something like 'Dear Internship Coordinator', or 'Dear (company name) Hiring Manager', and that's okay. But the actual person's name is a lot better.

So, now we're at the introduction. This is being the most important sentence on the entire page. Don't waste time with formal openings that don't say anything about you. Start with energy. Give a real world example that makes the Hiring Manager want to know what's coming next. Within the first paragraph, tell the Hiring Manager, why you want to do your internship with them, without going overboard on the flattery. Just make sure that they know you've done your homework, and that you're certain you're the right fit for this internship.

You'll notice starts with a personal anecdote. That's a fantastic option, especially for students, or people in creative, or independent fields. But, if you need something a bit more structured, you could go for a statistic, or a relevant fact. If you're still not sure how to start your cover letter.

Once you have a powerful opening that's got the Hiring Manager's attention, we can move on to the body section. This is where you have the most space to tackle your skills and accomplishments. Instead of just listing what you've done, try to tell a story about your professional experience, and how you would apply it to this new job. The Hiring Manager already has your resume, so don't repeat what's written there. Your cover letter is the place to give them new insight into your personality and work-style. It's really important to add numbers, and concrete information anywhere you can in this section. These details are going to make you stand out in the Hiring Manager's mind, so they can see the impact you'd have.

One of the biggest mistakes in terms of an entry level candidates make, is using their cover letter to talk about what they learn from the experience. Yes, an internship is for education, but your cover letter is the place to show what you can contribute to the employer motivation, and work ethic totally count. Before you wrap up your internship cover letter, make sure to tell the recruiter, how excited you are about the position, no need to brag, or demand anything. Simply express your enthusiasm, and tell them how they can reach you for an interview. Sign up respectfully with your name, double check for any typos, and congratulations, you've just created an awesome cover letter that makes the case for why you should land the interview and the job.

But before you go, let me give you a quick rundown of my top five tips for internship cover letter writing.

1. Do your homework
Research the employer, check them out on sites like glass-door, look them up in the news, read their social media. The more you know about their image, and how they operate, the easier it will be for you to present yourself as the right candidate in your cover letter.

2. Make every word count
A cover letter should be 3 to 4-paragraphs, and never longer than one page. That means that, each sentence must be deliberate, use those numbers, and details to illustrate your achievements. Choose specific verbs that convey a sense of action and purpose.

3. Customize
The job description is like a little window into the Hiring Manager's mind. Read it closely, pick out the most important skills, and responsibilities, and highlight them on your cover letter. Prioritize what the company cares about most in the specific rule you're applying for, and make sure your tone is enthusiastic about the opportunity.

4. Match your formatting
A professional header can really make you stand out, or even better consider using matching cover letter and resume templates, to create a unified look across your whole internship application letter. And don't forget to leave enough white space. So the page isn't tiring on the eyes.

5. Save it right
Pdf is usually the best choice when emailing or printing, because the formatting won't change between computers. However, a Word document is sometimes requested for online applications, so make sure to check the employers preferences before you submit.

That's it. You've got all the tools you need to write an internship cover letter that's AWESOME.