If you are looking for an internship opportunity, you are already on the right track. Internships provide you an advantage when looking for your first respectable professional job. More importantly, internships can give you the needed push to determine what your first employment should be.
Each company has its own requirements for applying for an internship, but one thing is certain: you will be asked to submit your resume and perhaps a cover letter. If you are unsure of how to write an internship resume or which resume format is best for the internship, then keep reading to find out.
What Is an Internship Resume?
The CV you submit while applying for an internship is an internship resume. An internship resume emphasizes your skills, education, and other achievements; however, you might be concerned there is not enough information to include since you lack significant work experience to highlight.
While choosing what to put on your internship resume might be challenging, it also gives you a chance to consider the traits that set you apart from other applicants. Even if you lack the necessary work experience, you probably have experiences that have allowed you to hone your skills and make you a valuable team member.
Consider your past accomplishments regarding your education, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or any other area of your life where you may have displayed extraordinary talent, leadership, or critical thinking. Your ability to contribute to the company’s growth might also be highlighted on your internship resume.
How to Write an Internship Resume
Writing an internship resume can initially seem scary, but it does not have to become a nightmare. Remember that each internship position you apply for requires a different resume, and writing it based on the job requirements is key to grabbing the recruiters’ attention. It helps your CV become more targeted and relevant. To help you through every step, we have created a guide on how to write an internship resume.
Contact information
With a unique resume header, you can immediately stand out from the crowd of intern applicants. It improves your resume’s readability and clearly shows your contact information so recruiters may easily contact you to set up an interview.
This section should include:
- First and last name
- Address
- Phone number
Objective statement
Your objective statement should serve as a concise, memorable summary of your value so that potential employers can quickly grasp what you have to offer. Usually, recruiters seek keywords also used in the internship job requirements.
Take notice of these keywords and line them up with your own experiences and skills. In the end, you should have one to three words outlining your background, greatest skills, and professional aspirations.
Education
Recruiters look for professional experience in resumes. What if your experience is solely your education? Your educational experience will most likely be what distinguishes you from other students and recent grads, which is why at the beginning of your resume, immediately below your objective statement, you should highlight your education.
Include the qualification, the name of the educational institution, the month and year of graduation, and such information as is customary. Be sure to emphasize any scholarships you have received and any outstanding grades you have received.
Experience or achievements section
It is more vital that you have job experience to demonstrate when applying for internships than your prior employment was closely connected to the field you are looking for. You can show that you have a good work ethic and the capacity to collaborate with others by taking up even a part-time position at a fast food establishment.
You can also include odd occupations as long as you perform them regularly. For instance, jobs you may have performed for family, friends, and neighbors to earn additional money—such as babysitting, lawn mowing, house cleaning, and other tasks—are beneficial in demonstrating your dependability and drive.
If you cannot add a part on work experience, consider including a thorough section on achievements. Here, you can discuss any honors you may have received or projects you’ve completed that show off crucial abilities that an employer is looking for. Additionally, you can list your organizations and extracurricular activities here. Just be sure to phrase them in terms of accomplishments.
Skills
The company evaluates your suitability for the position using the skills section. When candidates share the same educational background, your skills will typically set you apart from the competition. In this part, mention both your technical and soft skills.
Technical skills are associated with your field of expertise’s specialized knowledge, whereas soft skills are more broad skills you have honed over time. Technical skills would include, for instance, knowing the relevant marketing strategies if you are seeking an internship as a social media manager. Similarly, having excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills can help you in your career, even though those skills are not essential in marketing.
Other sections
Even though this section is at the end of your resume, you should try to emphasize your skills. Here you should include your hobbies and interests you have that have assisted in developing particular skills. Sports, for instance, involve coordination and teamwork. Playing chess necessitates analytical and strategic thinking.
What to Do Before Sending Your Internship Resume
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Before submitting your resume, you should review your work and ensure it is flawless now that you have written everything down. Does it reflect the internship for which you are applying? Try to view your resume from the perspective of a recruiting manager. What information will be most important to them? What evidence do you have that you are the most qualified applicant for the job?
Additionally, ensure your resume is one page long; it will be neater and cleaner this way. Check it for errors, spell-check it, and have a friend read it because it is true that mistyping the name of a business or giving the wrong phone number might alter how a hiring manager views your CV (not to mention whether they can adequately contact you).
Check how it should be sent
Choosing a professional file name is crucial when saving your resume. As an illustration, “HaileyRueResume.doc” is preferable to “My Resume.doc.” You could be required to provide your resume in a certain file format. The most prevalent file types are .doc (for use with Microsoft Word) and .pdf (for Adobe Acrobat). It’s advisable to ask if you’re unsure of the format to utilize.
Finally, attach a brief cover letter if you’re emailing your CV. In it, you can discuss your reasons for wanting the internship and why you believe you’d be a good fit. Any attachments, such as your CV or resume, may also be mentioned.
Write a cover letter
Most internship positions require you to submit a cover letter along with your resume. It should serve as a short version of your resume and persuade the hiring managers to read your resume to learn more about you and what you offer to their company.
Tailor your resume and cover letter to each internship
One job posting frequently receives hundreds of applicants in the cutthroat world of internships. Furthermore, it might be challenging to stand out from the crowd because many college students are more alike than distinct. Ensuring you are the most suitable candidate for an internship by tailoring your resume to match a job description might be essential to success in the internship search.
Read your resume and compare it to the job description before clicking the “submit” button. Make sure your resume fully develops the ideas included in the keywords and phrases most frequently used in job postings.
Internship Resume Sample
Here is a sample resume for the internship given for your guidance:
Your Name and Last Name
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your Email
Objective statement
MBA in marketing with a passion for SEO, looking for an internship in a reputed marketing company where I can apply my strong research and technical analysis skills to create content for clients. I aspire to build on my experience in SEO marketing to become a leading specialist in the industry.
Education
MBA (Marketing) – 2019-21 – University Name
Achievements
- Completed two study abroad experiences and a semester-long research internship with XYZ Corp.
- 1st Place, 2017 Innovation Award: awarded $10,000 for the best senior project (out of 400+ projects) by faculty vote.
- Completed a two-month internship with Adobe. Commanded by the internship supervisor for resourcefulness and attention to detail.
Skills
- Strong fundamental research skills
- Working knowledge of technical analysis tools
- Eye for details
- Strong communication skills (written and oral)
Hobbies/Interest
Chess, Tenis, Camping
Wrapping Up
Recruiters read many resumes; hence, it is essential to try and make yours stand out. It should be tailored to the specific internship position you are applying for, and best emphasize your skills and achievements.
While resumes are crucial and should be immaculate and professional, they are only one component of the hiring process for internships. At the end of the day, make sure that your resume best represents you and is something you are proud of.