Looking for a cool internship to get experience for your dream job? Our guide and resume examples will help you get your resume ready for any internship!
A lot of colleges and universities require their students to complete an internship before graduation.
Internships are short-term work experiences that provide people -- usually students, but not always -- with entry-level exposure to a particular field or career. Internships are a good way of deciding if the career you've been wanting is actually for you by letting you into the career field for some time.
Internships in college are beneficial because they help you gain exposure and develop your professional attitude, which strengthens your character. Not to mention, internships are great opportunities to land an actual job in the industry you are interning for, and maybe even with the specific company you interned with.
Now, before you can land the internship, even if you've done many internships before, it is important to create an internship resume. This is where we come in.
In this article, we are going to be showing you 7 steps that will prepare your resume for any internship, and we'll show you examples, too.
Here's what we're going to be covering:
We're also going to show you how to find an internship that's good for you, so you can get right to it once your resume is ready.
You may or may not know this, but how you format your resume says a lot about you and can even have an impact on if you're getting the internship or not. Therefore, it is important to format your resume correctly.
Here are some elements you should always include in your internship resume:
Tip: Include a portfolio relevant to the internship you're applying for if you have one. Be sure to also include your academic email in your contact information, too.
When it comes to the format of your resume, there are three ways you can do so:
Ideally, you'll use a hybrid format, which will place emphasis on your experience and your skills, which internships do want to know before they decide to take you on.
Take a look at our guide on how to format your resume if you want to learn more.
Like an elevator pitch, your resume summary is a 1-2 sentence blurb that highlights your skills and experience.
Similarly, a resume objective is a 1-2 sentence blurb that describes your goals and objective with your resume and career.
Resume summaries and objectives are quick and easy ways to show those viewing your resume that you appreciate their time, which can help you stand out since not everyone writes one.
When applying for an internship, here are some elements to include in your resume summary or objective:
Every resume is different because it is very much tailored to the individual's achievements, goals, and experiences.
Here's an example of what your internship resume summary and objective can look like:
BA Honors Senior in Journalism at Full Sail University looking to expand my editorial experience through internships and work-study positions. Made Dean's List consecutively for three years and have completed one study abroad semester where I worked with the Vogue Spain editorial team.
Here's what your internship resume summary and objective should not look like:
Student of Journalism at Full Sail University looking for internship opportunities.
Tip: Sometimes, it's easier to write your resume summary after you have already written your resume. That way, it's easier to pick and choose what characteristics to include.
Want to write the perfect resume summary? Our guide on writing resume summaries has tons of examples.
Oftentimes, people take on internships before they actually step into the workforce. With that said, when applying to internships, it is possible that you are applying with little to no previous experience. If you have experience, great! If you don't, be sure to really highlight your key skills.
Highlighting your key skills show internship managers that you are qualified for the internship you are applying for.
Depending on what internship you are applying for, be sure to list relevant skills that will take your resume to the next level.
Let's say you're applying to an editorial internship. Here are some key skill examples you can include in your resume:
If that's not what you're looking for, and chances are it's not, then here are some other key skills that are important to include on your resume:
Tip: Depending on what your internship consists of, you can even include skills like being CPR certified and being multilingual. Just be sure to tailor your skills section to the kind of internship you are applying to. Do your research.
Having trouble identifying your skills? We have a guide with 100+ key skills you can include in your resume.
You don't necessarily need to have work experience to get an internship, but if you have it, it helps. If you've completed other internships before, be sure to include that in your resume, too, so internship managers know you, at least, have experience as an intern.
Here are some items you can include in the work experience section of your resume:
Regardless of what you've done, here are some elements you must include when listing each individual job experience:
If you've done an internship before, be sure to include it.
Here's an example of what your work experience could look like for an internship:
Editorial Intern, Vogue Spain
Barcelona, Spain • May 2019 — August 2019
Here's an example of what your work experience could look like for a similar work-study job:
Arts and Entertainment Editor for Student-run Newspaper, Full Sail University
Orlando, FL • January 2020 — Present
Want more tips and tricks on how to write your work experience description? Check out our guide on describing your work experience.
If you're applying for an internship, chances are, you're a student. While you don't have to be student, regardless, it is important to include your education on your resume.
When adding an education section to your resume be sure to include:
Tip: Don't include your GPA if it is below is the average.
Here's what the education section of your resume can look like:
Full Sail University
Orlando, FL
2018 — Present
B.A. in Journalism
GPA: 3.7/4.0
If you're unsure what else to include in the education section of your resume, take a look at our guide on how to list your education, which includes examples.
Let's say you're applying to a magazine as an intern and you've begun your own small zine or you're applying to a publishing company and you've already self-published your own books, these are projects you can include on your resume.
Including projects are your resume show internship managers that you are passionate about the field and have some self-employed experience and skill you can bring to the table. It's also a great way of showing leadership.
Here are some projects you can include on your resume:
When listing your project, here are some things to consider:
Here's an example of what a project listed on your resume can look like:
Magic Madame Magazine
January 2021 — Present
Tip: If you're not done any projects that are relevant to the internship you are applying for, create a hobbies section instead and list relevant hobbies. We have an article on including your hobbies on your resume that can help.
When applying for an internship, it's nice to show internship managers that you've received praise, whether its for an academic endeavor or anything else.
Including honors and awards on your resume shows internship managers that you are dedicated and hard-working, which are highly requested qualities regardless of what internship you are applying for.
Here are some honors and awards you can include in your resume if you've achieved them:
Tip: Be sure to include what year you received the award or honor and mention where it is from if it is not obvious.
Need more help? We've got a guide on how to list your accomplishments in your resume, including awards and achievements.
Whether you're nearing graduation, just started school or looking to test the waters of a new career, internships are going to be there, but sometimes, it's difficult to find the exact type of internship you are looking for.
Here are some good places to search for internship opportunities:
In addition, there may be internship opportunities available through your network.
Here are some people you can reach out to see if they know of any internship opportunities that may suit what you're looking for:
Tip: Some companies may even post about internship opportunities via their social media accounts. So, it's important to be on the lookout there, too. Even if they haven't posted anything on social, check their website or email them for possible opportunities.
Overall, there may be internship opportunities right around the corner for you, and if there are, it's important to have your internship resume ready for any place you'd want to work with. It may just be the kickstarter to your career.
Here's a summary of everything we've covered in this article:
Also, when it comes to actually finding an internship, be sure to do the following:
Soon, you'll be interning at the company of your dreams, or working in an industry you love thanks to the experience you got via an internship. Best of luck!
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