9+ Internship Resume Examples & Writing Guide
Internships increase your chances of a successful career, so invest in your future with our intern resume examples and writing guide by certified resume writers.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Internship resume
objective examples
If you want to land a competitive internship, you’ll need to learn how to write an internship resume that captures a recruiter’s attention and starts with the resume objective.
In one or two sentences, you should introduce yourself by stating your academic background, the most relevant skills and qualifications you can offer the organization, and your goals for the internship.
The resume objective is ideal for internship resumes and college internship resumes because it allows you to share why you’re interested in this opportunity, what you hope to gain from the experience and what unique experiences you can bring.
PRO TIP
If this isn’t your first internship experience and you have quite a few years of highly involved academic experience, you may opt for a professional resume summary instead.
Compare these two examples of intern resume objectives to understand better how to nail one that impresses recruiters.
Good intern resume objective example:
“Driven business major with 2+ years of work experience and a strong 3.7 GPA, specializing in marketing and digital strategies. Possesses a solid foundation in marketing principles, consumer behavior and digital advertising. Skilled in utilizing data analysis and creative problem-solving.”
Why this example excels:
- Feature the intern candidate’s GPA to support their capability.
- Cites skills gained through work and education, like marketing principles and digital advertising.
- Mentions employer-desired skills like data analysis and consumer behavior.
Bad intern resume objective example:
“Hardworking and dedicated intern passionate about getting things done. Possesses strong organizational and communication skills. Experienced in customer service and problem-solving.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify the intern’s performance.
- Uses vague, generic-sounding language
- Fails to show what their education or work experience is like.
The fastest way to write your
internship resume
Craft an intern resume in minutes using our intern resume examples and Resume Builder! Watch as our Builder generates personalized content for all your sections and automatically formats your layout for a professional resume for an internship.
- 1
Enter the details about past experiences, academic or otherwise, and the builder will suggest tailored internship resume content written by certified experts.
- 2
Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
- 3
Easily paste this content to all your sections, reorganize your internship resume’s layout, add sections and customize your internship resume template. Download and start applying!
Our builder can save you time and work wonders. If you’re serious about an internship and want your resume to have a human touch, use our professional resume writing services.
A resume expert will work with you to write a job-winning resume.
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Internship resume work
experience examples
Every intern resume should have a work experience section. However, don’t fret if you lack formal experience. The key to writing a good resume for an internship is to draw from other experiences to fill out your work experience section, such as:
- Volunteer work
- Academic or personal projects
- School coursework
- Research experience
- Teaching experience
- School clubs
- Extracurricular activities
- Workshops
- Certifications
- Part-time work
- Study abroad experience or cultural exchanges
Compare these two good and bad examples of work experience sections for internship resumes:
Good example:
Trident Graphic Design I Providence, RI I 5/2023-9/2023
- Won internship position that received 1,500+ applications at this prestigious design firm.
- Assisted in developing new marketing promotions and graphics.
- Proactively addressed managerial needs and requests.
- Gained hands-on experience meeting deadlines and pleasing clients.
Why this example passes:
- Numbers and statistics add detail about how competitive this internship was.
- Good use of strong words and action verbs.
- References specific skills mastered in this internship role, like meeting deadlines and pleasing clients.
Bad example:
Avery Robotics I Redmond, WA I 5/2023-9/2023
- Answered emails and helped with operations.
- Assisted with data entry.
- Performed inventories.
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics, like how many emails the intern responded to per day.
- Too brief and general in task descriptions.
- Fails to discuss the results of actions, e.g., “Performed inventories that reduced spending on office supplies.”
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Internship resume skills examples
A crucial part of any successful internship resume is the skills section, where you’ll share the most relevant knowledge and tools you need to succeed. Here are 18 of the most in-demand skills for internship resumes:
- Digital literacy
- Data analysis
- Project management
- UX/UI Design
- Remote collaboration
- Content creation (especially video!)
- Cybersecurity best practices
- Problem-solving skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication skills (written and verbal)
- Database management
- Computer skills
- Report writing
- Email marketing
- Basic knowledge of programming languages (HTML, Java, Python)
- Administrative support
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Responsibility and accountability
PRO TIP
When lacking relevant qualifications, you can always use transferable skills from seemingly unrelated fields to show employers you’ll bring unique value to their organization.
Key sections for an internship resume
Your intern resume won’t be complete without a strong education section detailing all your relevant academic achievements. This section is so important that you can even place it higher on your resume if you apply for an internship role that values education.
In addition, depending on your desired industry, these are some of the most common and valuable sections in a resume for an internship:
- Honors and awards
- Publications
- Languages
- Relevant coursework
- Professional affiliations
- References (if requested)
- Volunteering
- Certifications
Only add extra sections if they’re relevant to your desired intern position. Otherwise, it may seem like you’re trying to pad your resume with personal information.
Three recruiter-approved resume formats
If you don’t know how to write a resume for an internship, it’s best to start by learning about the three resume formats to organize your resume’s layout. You may choose between the chronological, functional and combination resume formats. Here’s how they look:
How to choose a resume format
0-3
Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focus on skills.
- Best for first-time interns who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balance skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career intern.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for intern with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for you, it’s easy to choose an internship resume template. Our templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!
Stand out with an intern cover letter
A cover letter and your internship resume will strengthen your case for why you deserve the opportunity.
Most internships require you to submit a cover letter with your application. Although many job seekers bemoan the thought of having to write another document to land a role, the cover letter is an excellent tool with tangible benefits.
Whereas the resume is a more structured document with a concise selection of your qualifications, the cover letter’s purpose is to show employers those characteristics that make you stand out from the rest of the applicants.
We know that writing a cover letter from scratch can be challenging, so we created our Cover Letter Builder to help ambitious professionals like you.
Using our Builder is easier than you can imagine. All you have to do is type your desired role and working style, and the Cover Letter Builder will format a letter with tailored content for your internship.
Want it even easier? You can simply upload your resume, and the Builder will use that to generate a personalized cover letter for you.
You can try it yourself with our How to Write a Cover Letter guide, which includes cover letter templates, cover letter examples and tips for acing your application.
Related resume examples
Are you interested in browsing similar intern resume samples? Check out these college internship resume examples for various roles and industries.
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