Finding the inspiration to write an awesome resume can be tough. You may want to tailor it to fit a specific job description. Or maybe you're having a hard time deciding what job experiences to include. Everything that goes into creating a perfect internship resume can take hours, days, even weeks. All of that work for an employer to take a glance. Studies show that employers only spend about 5-7 seconds looking at a single resume. No pressure or anything, but that leaves you with about 6 seconds to make an impression.
Now, take a deep breath. We're going to figure out exactly what you need on your resume as an internship. Since we've looked over 1,133,671 internship resumes, we're close to being experts to knowing exactly what you need on your resume. No matter whether you're an experienced internship or an entry-level internship what you want to make sure the resume captures exactly what you can bring to the table, so let's hop to it.
Do you wont to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume HeaderSometimes it's easier to take small, baby steps instead of tackling an entire task. By breaking it down, you can keep a checklist and check things off the list as you go. This will give you a sense of accomplishment. With that being said, the first thing we'll tackle is your contact information.
Your Name: The first thing to focus on is making sure you get your name on the resume. In terms of formatting, it's in a larger font than the rest of the resume. With only a few seconds to really impress, you want to make sure the employer knows who you are.
Address: If you're applying to a local area, it's a good idea to put your complete address here. Or at the very least the state you reside in. However, if you're applying out-of-state, you may want to leave out your home address. Some employers won't consider you if you have an out-of-state address.
Social Media: Living in the day-and-age that we do now, social media plays a big part in our every day lives. That includes what we put on our resumes. If you're going to include your LinkedIn profile, which is highly recommended, you'll want to update the profile so it has relevant information.
Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statementThis is one of those things that you can take it or leave it. Not every internship resume includes a professional summary, but that's generally because this section is overlooked by professional writing services. If you have the space to include it, you should. Especially considering you have such a short time to impress anyways. The key to this section is keeping it short and sweet while summarizing the resume. You know your professional summary is on point if you can answer these questions:
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your ResumeThis is where you might want to refer to the job description of the position you're applying for. While you only want to include skills you actually have, you might be able to tailor your resume to each job you're applying to by looking at what skills they're looking for and including those on your resume.
If you haven't started your job search just yet, then you might find looking at other interns resume examples to be helpful. We found that the most common skill amongst these resumes was communication. This skill was followed up by powerpoint. When you're writing your skills section, you should keep this in mind:
Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have AnyIt can get a little tricky when it comes deciding what to include in your experience section. From the amount of experience you have to what type of job you're applying for, lots of factors need to be taken into consideration.
When you're applying for a job you want to keep in mind that any experience you list should be relevant to the position you're applying to. Also, be sure to nix any experience outside of the past 10 years.
When you're writing about your roles and responsibilities in each position, you'll really want to keep each experience detail-oriented. If you can, include numbers to show how great you were in that position.
Don Wyatt
John M. McCardell, Jr. Distinguished Professor, Middlebury College
The experience that most stands out on resumes is of two types, having been rather constant and very likely to continue to be so for the foreseeable future. They are the demonstrated abilities to work independently and also to work as part of a group. The first indicates one's capacity to be resourceful and creative as needed, especially under such pressures as deadlines. The second shows one to be an effective collaborator, to be able to function constructively and harmoniously as member of a team. Being truly successful in the world of work requires some combination of both types of experience.Show more
While this section may not be the largest section on your resume, it is an important one. Many employers will spend time looking over this specific section, so you'll want to make sure you have it filled out accurately.
In your education section, there are certain things you'll want to highlight, including:
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.
Associate Vice President and Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs (ND International) and Associate Teaching Professor, University of Notre Dame
We often talk about the desirability of gaining T-shaped skills-ones that are both broad and deep. The future will require a metaphor that is more dynamic and iterative to capture the realities of the job market. Experiences that demonstrate a purposive range of activities to expand one's knowledge and abilities, such as service-learning, a professional experience, or undergraduate research, will be key for building this dynamic skill set. Show more
Did your resume land you an interview? Be prepared to talk salary.
How To Answer "What Are Your Salary Requirements"When you are ready to send your resume to employers, it's important to be aware of the current market conditions for interns. Salary can vary based on factors such as location, company, and industry. Check out our detailed salary information for interns to learn more.