Which resume format is best for an internship?

The three main resume formats are chronological, functional, and combination formats. While the chronological is the most common format type, only internship candidates who have had plenty of previous internships, fellowships, or other professional experience should use this format.

Internship candidates who lack traditional work experience should consider using the functional resume format. This format is ideal since it allows one to showcase all your valuable skills even if you didn't learn them through a traditional job.

As the name suggests, the combination resume format combines the strengths of both the chronological and functional formats. It balances out the focus between the two, so one doesn't feel like you're disregarding one of those assets.

Other format guidelines for an internship resume:

• Format: the reverse-chronological format (recommend format)

• Section headings: put your name and up-to-date contact information at the top so that recruiters know how to reach you in a flash.

• Fonts: use professional, easy-to-read resume fonts. 14-16 pt for section headers, 12 pt for the rest of the text.

• Margins: keep even 1" resume margins on all sides of the page.

• Line spacing: stick with 1.15 line spacing.

• Sections: use visible section headers and plenty of white space to make your resume easy to read.

• Filetype: always save your resume format in PDF unless the job ad says otherwise.