Many college students start out their careers by getting into internships. Internships are not a secret: about the same time you apply for one during summer vacation, you can be sure that there are other internship hunters in the field as well. You need to be able to write an cover letter that will get your foot in the door, and hopefully, land you an internship that can begin a rewarding career, even if you haven't graduated yet.

Students who pull out a sample internship cover letter from the internet will not have a lot of room to impress. This is because the typical sample internship cover letter is tailored to apply to any business you apply for -- like a cookie-cutter with no definite shape. It tends to be vague and addressed to no one in particular. It says nothing about the company being applied to or the applicant. The typical cover sample letter almost comes off as -- well, disinterested.

It's important to remember that in applying to a company, you are practically "selling" yourself to them. Companies spend millions in marketing for their products. That's not to say that you should spend an exorbitant amount in marketing yourself: after investing in learning and experience opportunities, it's as simple as selling yourself on the cover letter and resume -- the only chance you have to market yourself until you bag an interview. People think the interview is where you make the first impression, wrong -- it's in the cover letter. So do what you can to make those few words of your cover letter count.

A good internship cover letter, first of all, is addressed to the right person. Nobody wants to read an impersonal "to whom it may concern." It shows that the applicant did not concern himself enough to research on the company that he/she is applying to. Also, it's common courtesy to at least spell the name right. If you put yourself in the prospective employer's place, it would indeed be refreshing to see your name in a pile of letters with "to whom it may concern."

The keywords to writing a cover letter that will impress supervisors and land you an interview? CLEAR and FOCUSED. This is your one chance to sell yourself, so make sell yourself hard. Be assertive and driven. If you're passionate about the industry then let it show from your internship cover letter. If you want that internship then don't beat around the bush about it! In a sea of applicants, you need to be that fish that jumps right out of the surface -- assertive, driven, and passionate.

The truth is, cover letters shouldn't be made run-of-the-mill. Applicants shouldn't be sinking into the background. And your internship cover letter is your first, and often only chance to make an impression. So prove that you're worthy. Do your own research on the company and prove that you're interested (and interesting) enough to work there. Show why you and said company could be a perfect match. Reiterate briefly your skills, passion, and drive. Internship cover letters, in essence, are really tailor-made to fit each internship, company, and person. So write those internship cover letters like they matter, because they do.