How to Write an Effective Internship Resume and Get a Job

Four Internship Resume Writing Tips

The right experience and skills are not all that you need to be successful in an internship application. Your resume should also be well-written and presented. These internship resume writing tips will help you create the best resume:

1. Choose the right format

   The right format is crucial for any resume, and there are three main resume formats to choose from. The first is a chronological resume format, sometimes called a reverse-chronological resume format. This format puts emphasis on work history and professional experience, making it less than ideal for an internship resume. The second is a functional resume format. This format prioritizes skills and is great for those who have little professional work experience. And the third format is the combination resume format. A combination or hybrid resume, balances work experience and skills.

   For an internship resume, a functional format is the best option. But, if you have a small amount of relevant work experience, a combination format will be great.

2. Highlight key skills

   The job description for the internship will highlight skills that are deemed essential for the role. You can help your resume pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan resumes, impress hiring managers by tailoring your resume to showcase these required skills, and show that you are not averse to hard work. If you do this, your chance of getting an internship position will be much higher.

3. Create a clear resume objective

   As you are unlikely to have a lot of work or internship experience, you should opt for a resume objective statement rather than a resume summary. Spend time perfecting your resume objective statement as it will be the first item a recruiter reads. Here is a great example of a resume objective for a college student:

   Dedicated computer science student at [xyz] with a 4.0 GPA seeking a software development internship with [company name]. Winner of the [name of scholarship] scholarship, the [name of award] award, and class valedictorian for 2021 with strong technical skills and passion for the role. Experience in social media management and web design thanks to volunteer work with a local veterans charity. Ideally, seeking relevant industry experience with a prestigious company.

4. Showcase relevant education and training

   Though hiring managers will not expect you to have a lot of professional experience, they will be looking to see what kind of academic achievements and relevant training you have. Include relevant coursework, your final degree classification or current GPA if it is 3.0 or higher, and any relevant certifications that you have.

Finally, remember to make use of online resources. Consider internship resume samples for inspiration and make use of internship resume templates via free resume builder tools such as the one offered by ResumeNerd.