Internship Resume: How to Write & 5+ Examples

Whether you need a general college student resume or are looking for something specific like a computer science internship, writing your resume doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Follow these six steps to write a standout internship resume and land the intern gig you want:

1. Use an internship resume template
2. Write a targeted student internship resume objective
3. Add extra details to your education section
4. Make a section for your major student accomplishments
5. Highlight your hard and soft skills
6. Use online resources and college services to discover relevant internships

1. Use an internship resume template

Your time is better spent finding the internships you want than trying to figure out how to properly format your resume.

Downloading a free template for your resume online is one way to get the formatting out of the way. Or you can copy-paste this blank internship resume template into your preferred word processor, and easily fill it out with your own information:

1. Header (Contact Information + Name)

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email: professional-email@gmail.com | Phone: 775 422 3142 | Address: 1243 Valley Wood Drive, Reno, NV 89523 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

---

2. Resume Objective

Motivated college [freshman/sophomore/junior/senior] majoring in [major name] at [University Name]. Seeking an opportunity to leverage my [internship-specific hard skills, like Adobe Photoshop or writing] skills this summer as an intern at your company. A [resume adjective that describes a positive personality trait] student driven to contribute immediately to [company name] and learn as much as possible.

---

3. Education

Degree title, major & minor (if applicable) / GPA (if above 3.5)

College Name – City, State
Expected graduation date: [Month] [year]
Honors and awards: [Dean’s List, etc.]
Relevant coursework: [Copywriting 300, Business 201, etc.]

Class of [graduating year] / GPA (if above 3.5)
High School Name — City, State
Honors and awards: [Class graduation rank if high, etc.]
Relevant subjects / coursework: [AP or IB classes, etc.]

---

4. Projects & Milestones

[Most Relevant Project / Campaign / Achievement Name]

• Bullet point highlighting a key achievement of this project / campaign / achievement, connecting its relevance to the internship if possible
• Use strong action verbs to start each bullet point
• Add numbers wherever you can in these bullet points as well

[Second-most Relevant Project / Campaign / Achievement Name] 

• Bullet point describing your primary success of this project / campaign / achievement
• Start these bullets with descriptive action verbs (“Drove traffic” rather than “Got traffic”)
• Include numbers in your bullets, and add an additional bullet point or two if necessary

---

5. Skills

• Hard skills relevant to the internship (can list multiple)
• Soft skills relevant to the internship (can list multiple)

Be specific whenever you can. For instance, mention the actual names of software or tools you can use.

2. Write a targeted student internship resume objective

When you apply for internships, a resume objective statement is the best way to start your resume off strong because it lets you target your application directly to a specific company and state your goals.

The objective on your internship resume should highlight your willingness to learn and how you plan to apply the transferable skills you’ve already cultivated to the new role.

As a student, your resume objective should showcase your most marketable character traits, relevant skills, and academic experience. Here’s an example internship resume objective for a high school student:

Resume objective for internship (high school student)

Hard-working and passionate student (3.8 GPA) capable of meeting strict deadlines. Seeking to apply strategic analytical skills to the Reporter/Researcher Internship at The Middlebrook Times. Possess proven writing and research abilities that will help you achieve your productivity milestones.

And here’s an example of a college student’s resume objective for a marketing internship:

Internship resume objective (college student)

Energetic and passionate graduate student working toward an MS in Marketing at the University of Georgia. Aiming to use consumer research skills and knowledge of advertising, PR, and product development to fill the open Marketing Internship role at Athens Advertising.

As the two samples above show, a strong resume objective gives companies a glimpse of what you’d be like to work with and what skills you’d bring to the role, pulling them in to read more of your resume.

3. Add extra details to your education section

If your educational experience is greater than your relevant work experience, put the education section of your resume near the top of the page. Try to include as much information as you can that’s relevant to the internship you want, like the following:

GPA

Putting your hard-earned GPA on your resume (assuming it’s 3.5 or higher) tells the hiring manager that you can be trusted to produce quality work within deadlines.

Here’s an example of how to include your GPA:

Bachelor of Arts in Communications
University of Washington, Seattle WA
August 2018 – May 2022
GPA: 3.8/4.0

Relevant coursework

Listing your relevant college coursework gives employers a better idea of your existing knowledge and skill set. Remember to only list classes relevant to the internship you’re applying for.

Here’s an example of how you can list your relevant coursework:

Bachelor of Arts in Communications
University of Washington, Seattle WA
August 2018 – May 2022

Relevant Coursework: Foundations of Journalism & Public Interest Communication, Advanced Journalistm & Public Interest Communication, Writing for Mass Media

Honors & awards

Adding academic-related awards shows hiring managers that you’ve been recognized for your hard work and accomplishments in the past. For example, you can include making the dean’s list on your resume.

Here’s an example of how you can include the dean’s list award on your resume:

Bachelor of Arts in Communications
University of Washington, Seattle WA
August 2018 – May 2022
Dean’s List for 6 semesters

Extracurricular activities

Placing clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities on your resume showcases your additional skills, like leadership and communication.

Here’s an example of how you can list an extracurricular activity in the education section:

Bachelor of Arts in Communications
University of Washington, Seattle WA
August 2018 – May 2022

Resident Advisor, August 2019 – May 2020

4. Make a section for your major student accomplishments

After you’ve listed your main academic details, give your internship resume some more substance. Create an additional section that’s relevant to the internship you want and highlights your greatest accomplishments as a student.

Some potential titles for this section, depending on what you’ve studied (or are currently studying), include:

• Projects
• Campaigns
• Achievements
• Research Papers

Including one of these categories lets you expand on the top highlights of your educational experience.

What can I include in this section?

You can include almost anything in this section. But it’s best to stick to topics that are relevant to the internship and will help an employer best understand how you’ll perform at their company.

In general, high school students focus on their club participation, while college students describe major class projects.

How do I format this section?

You format this section the same as your resume’s work experience section. Use the name of the club or project as the header, and explain your relevant achievements and duties in bullet points under the header. Also, include dates you worked on the project.

This is how one high school student formatted their major achievements section:

Major achievements section (high school student)

Major Achievements

Heritage High Newspaper
Reporter | Sept 2017 – Present

• Covered the boys varsity basketball team during its run at the state championship, resulting in a major boost to school spirit and helping drive a 20% increase in ticket sales
• Pitched and researched 3–4 informative and engaging stories per issue, targeting both the student body and faculty

If possible, highlight key accomplishments on your resume like the candidate above by using hard numbers to help employers understand your achievements better.

Here’s an example of a projects section from a college student internship resume:

Projects section (college student)

Design Projects

“Building a Greener Future” UI Design Project in Marketing 343
Lead Designer | May 2020 – December 2020

• Awarded 1st place for my design work in the UNR Marketing Department’s competition to build the best green initiative marketing campaign
• Created 5 unique digital design assets using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Figma
• Collected feedback from 200+ students to determine which design made the greatest emotional impact using a 20-question questionnaire
• Optimized 4 different file types (PNG, SVG, JPEG, and GIF) of the winning design to be featured across the Marketing Department’s website

While this section is ultimately just an extension of your education section, it strengthens your resume by giving the impression that you have relevant work experience.

5. Highlight your hard and soft skills

Finish your internship resume by including a detailed skills section. During your time as a student (whether studying or in a club), you’ve likely developed plenty of relevant job-related hard skills and soft skills that make you a stronger intern candidate.

Hard skills are usually learned in the classroom, while soft skills are related to your personality. Here are two lists to give you some ideas of what you can include in your own skills section:

Good hard skills for your intern resume

Good soft skills for your intern resume

If you don’t have many relevant technical skills, don’t worry. Emphasizing your soft skills helps you fill this section out even if you lack hard skills, and employers in most industries don’t expect their interns to have many technical skills anyway.

6. Use online resources and college services to discover relevant internships

Finding the internship you want often takes longer than writing your resume, so start searching early. Here are our top five tips for finding internships:

1. Contact career services at your college or university

If you’re a college student, your school has a department dedicated to linking you to internship opportunities. This is a great starting point for most aspiring interns, but be sure to reach out to them as soon as you can to boost your chances of getting one of the more desirable internships available.

2. Reach out to businesses and professionals in your field of study

If you’re willing to be proactive about putting yourself out there, you’re more likely to find a summer internship that’s related to the kind of work you’d like to do after graduating.

• Cold call businesses in the industry. Sometimes all you need to do is make a few quick phone calls to local businesses to land an internship interview.
• Contact professionals in the industry. Maybe you have a family friend or acquaintance in the career you’re pursuing, or have done the research to find professionals in your network. Sending a polite email could help you land an opportunity to glean some insights or help you make a connection at a company that’s hiring.

3. Attend a career fair

If your school isn’t hosting any career fairs, it’s pretty easy to find some happening in your community with a simple online search. Once you’ve found acareer fair that interests you, make sure to follow these tips:

• Wear some business casual attire
• Figure out what you need to bring to a job fair
• Prepare some questions to ask employers at the job fair in advance

If you feel nervous, try inviting a friend to go along with you. Having some company can help boost your confidence and make you feel more outgoing. Once you’ve made it, follow your interests and start meeting some potential employers.

4. Check with your network of friends and family

Employers love referrals, so if you know anyone working somewhere that needs an intern and they have a positive impression of you, you’re already a huge step closer to landing an internship.

Did you know that 85% of jobs are filled through networking? Reach out and let people know what you’re looking for, and see what comes up.

5. Touch up your online presence

According to an SHRM survey, 84% of organizations use social media to recruit potential candidates, so if you’re not leveraging your social media accounts as professional tools, you’re missing out on opportunities. Here are a couple ways you can use social media to attract employers.

• Update your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is an effective tool for connecting with companies and professionals to grow your network, and for staying on top of the latest job opportunities. Make sure your profile highlights all your strongest qualifications.
• Clean up your social media accounts. To maximize your chances of getting an interview or landing the internship, make sure there’s nothing on your social media accounts you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see. Inappropriate or inflammatory content could be enough to convince employers not to call you.