Internship Resume: How to Write & 5+ Examples

Whether you only need a general college student resume or are looking for something specific like a computer science internship, writing your resume doesn’t need 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 formatting your resume.

Downloading a free resume template online is one way to get the job done quickly. Or you can copy-paste this blank internship resume template into your preferred word processor, and fill it out with your 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 is the best way to start your resume because it lets you target your application directly to a specific company.

A resume objective is NOT a statement that tells an employer what you want from them. Instead, the objective on your internship resume should highlight your willingness to learn and apply the skills you’ve already cultivated in school to the open internship position.

As a student, your resume objective should showcase your most marketable character traits, relevant skills, and abilities. 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 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 undergraduate resume.

3. Add extra details to your education section

Because you’re writing a student resume for an internship, your educational experience is likely greater than your relevant work experience. So put your resume education section near the top of your internship resume, and fill it with as much information as you can that’s relevant to the internship you want, including the following details:

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.

Relevant coursework

Listing your relevant 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.

Honors & awards

Adding academic-related awards shows hiring managers that other professionals have recognized your hard work and accomplishments in the past. For example, you can include dean’s list on your resume if you made it consistently.

Extracurricular activities

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

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 as a 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 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 with a balanced resume skills section. During your time as a student (whether studying or in a club), you’ve likely developed plenty of relevant hard 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 internship resume hard skills

• Writing
• Editing
• Software: Microsoft Office, Adobe
• WordPress
• Online research
• Computer skills: typing, email
• Remote communication technology: Zoom, Slack

Good soft skills for an internship resume

• Organizational skills
• Multitasking
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Problem solving
• Empathy

If you don’t have many 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 four 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. Cold call businesses related to your field of study

Sometimes all you need to do is make a few quick phone calls to local businesses to land an internship interview. Do the legwork and you’re more likely to find a summer internship that’s related to the kind of work you’d like to do after graduating.

3. Attend a virtual career fair

The COVID-19 pandemic has made in-person job fairs risky in 2022, but you can still connect with businesses from all over the country at a virtual career fair.

Once you’ve found an online career fair that interests you, put on some business casual clothes, jump online, and start meeting 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.