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This blog is written by Ellie, our Campus Ambassador for Iowa State University. She is a junior majoring in Agricultural Studies with minors in Advertising and Animal Science.

Writing a cover letter can be a stressful task looming about while applying for an internship.  It is hard to accurately depict your talents and apply them to the internship you’re applying for. Here are some helpful tips on how to catch the attention of the company and land that perfect internship.

1:  Keeping in mind the company’s mission statement, as well as key words the company uses to describe their employees is important to show that you know the companies values and ideals.

2: Typically, cover letters are only three to four paragraphs long. The first paragraph should be an introduction of yourself, why you would like to intern for them, and then how you heard about this opening. The next paragraph should be a brief background of your experience and knowledge that are applicable to the internship. Also, what skills that you have that would help you be the best intern for their company; in this paragraph, utilize those key words from the company’s website. The last paragraph should entail how you are open to the opportunity to meet and how you appreciate the chance to further discuss your qualifications and skills. Thank them for their time and you’re done! Simple as that.

3: Always send your cover letter as a PDF. It is easier for them to access the file, and it will not get distorted.  Also, entitle it as your name, then cover letter, for example, John Doe Cover Letter. It will make the job a lot easier for the person sorting applications.

4: Usually, applying for an internship includes sending email enclosed with a resume and cover letter. In the body of the email, introduce yourself and what internship you are applying for. Also, ask if they need any writing samples and provide them with your personal blog, or social media pages your write content for.

5: Always take the time to review your cover letters and make sure that it explains how your skills relate to the criteria listed in the job posting.

It can be time consuming to write a custom cover letter for each job you apply for, but it’s important to take the time and effort to show the company why you are a good match. Best of luck, interns!

This blog is written by Ariam, our campus ambassador from Stony Brook University.

Not everyone is over joyous about resumes on white paper anymore. It wasn’t until winter break that I realized I might be one of many college students who still submit paper copies of resumes. Why is that? In the age of tweeting, chatting, and texting while crossing the street there are many new ways to present your resume to employers.

1. Digital Resume

Consider submitting a resume through an online website that offers great templates and url links at your disposal. Not only is it easily accessible to just about anyone, but you are given the opportunity to create your own page and upload stories and videos. Essentially it serves as an online portfolio. Some free sites include about.me, and visualize.me. Feel free to include the page link on any of your social media pages, and your business card.

2. Add Color

It shouldn’t come as no surprise that students are starting to add color to their resume. For so long we’ve seen resumes printed on white or off-white paper (very 2005!) This is a great way to help your resume stand out from a stack of white paper. As long as you adhere to the old-fashion layout of spacing between sections, using the same font and leaving a comfortable margin on the sides, top and bottom of the page—I don’t see why you shouldn’t try it.

3. Got a Poster Board?

According to USA Today College, doing something out of the ordinary like printing your resume on a poster or a banner definitely shows creativity and that edge factor that a lot of companies like to see in prospective employers. You might be wondering, which mailbox is big enough to hold a poster board?! Well, you already being on-campus (at a career fair) is a great place to try this presentation. This is definitely one way to literally knock your competition’s resume out of the stack!

4. Video

Uploading a video is probably ideal for a landing a position with a Communications and Media company. Think about it. Up until this year, the Intern Queen blog accepted vlogs and written posts from campus ambassadors around the country (don’t know why this isn’t the case anymore.) The benefit here is that employers can see how you present yourself, and foretaste your personality. Like your 30-second elevator pitch, this is another edge that employers want to see. Ask yourself: What do they want to know about me and what I can offer?

This blog is written by Lauren, our Campus Ambassador at Binghamton University. She is studying Political Science and Business Management and will graduate in May 2014.

As second semester begins to start up, you may be starting on your internship or job search for the summer or next fall. Hopefully you have chosen a number of places at which you would like to work. The next step is to write your résumé for these positions. You might be thinking that you have only done a certain amount things in your life, so one résumé should be sufficient enough for all your applications. This is where the people who get hired separate from the pack. Tailoring your résumé to the job you’re applying for is key and will help you secure the internship or job of your dreams.

So at this point you might be thinking, “How can I change my résumé if I’ve only done x, y, and z?” It’s as simple as choosing that statement piece of jewelry to spice up your outfit. You may be wearing the same basic outfit, or in this case dealing with the same basic set of clubs, internships, and jobs, but you have to find a way to make it stand out for the new job or internship application.

For instance, let’s say you are the president of your sorority or fraternity. This is an unchangeable fact. What you can change, however, is how you present this information on a résumé. Applying for a communications job? Discuss how you communicate with your organization members and emphasize your ability to relay information effectively. Applying for a legal position? Discuss how being president entails you to understand all the rules that your national organization has created and how you enforce them. Applying for a marketing job? Discuss how you’ve led campaigns to make your name more known on campus. Applying at a non-for-profit organization? Discuss the philanthropy campaigns that you have led, coordinated, or participated in.

This approach of tweaking position descriptions and highlighting what is most relevant to the job at hand applies to anything you’ve done in your life. It is all about looking at the job descriptions and remembering what aspects of your past or present jobs, internships, and clubs relate most directly to what the company is looking for in a new hire or intern. Even though rewriting your résumé may seem annoying, redundant, and time consuming, different companies will hopefully recognize your efforts to tailor your résumé to what they are looking for and you will land the internship or job of your dreams!

Are you a saavy, ambitious man who wants to express themself through blogging and networking with hundreds of people? The Intern Queen wants YOU. InternQueen.com is looking for male guest bloggers to contribute to our site. Our site gets between 500 and 800 hits a day, which means people will be reading your posts. Sounds like something you’d like? Great! Send me an email at emily@internqueen.com, and we’ll have you writing about topics that interest you before you know it.

This blog was written by Hilary, our campus ambassador at Columbia College in Chicago. She recently transitioned from Communications intern to Special Events intern at The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois.

Having trouble filling your free time? Here are a few ideas of how to get involved that come with some great perks!

Help out your professors. These people know what they’re doing, that’s why you pay your tuition dollars to them. Take the time to see if you could help them out in their office. This shows great initiative and gives you a chance to learn more about them and possibly who they know!

Reach out to non-profits. Non-profits are great, even if they’re not what you’re interested in long term. They always have work to be done whether its in-office or at a 5K or event they are hosting. This is a great chance to get experience you may not have had at your internship or learn about in class.

Join local organizations that fit to your interest or major. This is a biggie. Going out and getting involved on campus or in your city’s organizations that nature to your interests, career aspirations, etc. says a lot. It will look outstanding on your resume and could lead to great networking opportunities.