How to Write Internship Experience in Your Resume

With so many students graduating each year with glowing credentials, entering the workforce today more challenging than ever. Companies will require you to meet an exhaustive array of requirements to qualify for an interview. One of the greatest challenges of securing lucrative job positions is showing you the relevant job experience. Even entry-level positions often require candidates to have at least two years of industry experience. It may get you wondering how to write internship experience in your resume.

Internship experience qualifies as real-life work experience. It is hence crucial to use time spent as an intern to boost your CV. Dive in and learn how to draft a compelling resume that can set you up for success as you pursue your dream career.

Why Is Your Internship Experience Important?

You may wonder whether it is necessary to bother to include your internship experience in your resume. Well, internships offer an excellent opportunity to test out various roles and gain industry experience. Even though most companies only hire interns temporarily, you could learn much during the internship period. It is often a period of apprenticeship where you learn under the watchful eye of industry experts with tried and tested skills.

The experience you gain is intended to expand your skill and prepare you for the job market. Once you graduate, it is vital to include your internship experience in your resume to give you an edge over other job applicants, especially those with zero industry experience. 

A Guide on How to Write Internship Experience in Your CV

Even fresh graduates must start from somewhere. With each viable employer demanding at least two years of experience, you may wonder how anyone ever secures a job. Well, this is when internships come in handy. Hiring managers and interviewers will consider you for a position as long as you meet the set requirements -irrespective of whether you earned real-life work experience while employed as a regular full-time employee or part-time intern.

Here are detailed steps on how to include your internship experience in your resume:

Step 1: Draft a Compelling Objective Statement

An objective statement allows you to outline your career path clearly and concisely. You could also use this section to describe why you are the ideal candidate for a specific role.Remember, its optional to include an objective statement in your resume. However, this section can help you grab the attention of hiring managers, especially if you have little to show in terms of work experience.

The idea is to use your internship experience as a tool to make potential employers consider you for a specific role. Ensure you mention the company that hired you as an intern and your job description or work responsibilities in brief. 

Step 2: Include Your Internship Experience under the “Work Experience” Section

Internships are designed to give students or fresh graduates a taste of what it’s like to work within an industry. Once you are hired as an intern, you may be tasked with a range of roles that will help you sharpen your scope of skill and apply relevant knowledge mastered in a classroom setting. An internship can give you the much-needed hands-on experience to secure appealing, permanent job positions.

A crucial tip on how to write internship experience is that you should not list your experience under the “educational qualifications” section. Mention the job title and create a list of your duties and responsibilities in brief. Additionally, ensure that you use action words to showcase your achievements during the internship. You can do this easily by using words such as you designed, spearheaded, collaborated, analyzed, etc.

Step 3: Be Sure To Include Relevant Keywords

Hiring managers and recruiters receive bulk applications for advertised positions. While it is possible for them to go through all the applications, they often don’t read every word unless they find a compelling reason. You can make your resume stand out from the volumes of applications by using easy-to-scan, industry-related keywords.

It is best to avoid using standard or generic keywords like fast-learner and people-oriented. Instead, use stronger words like result-focused and creative thinker. Such words will make your resume level up to the professional experience you claim to have earned during an internship. 

Step 4: Keep Your Resume Short and Concise

Sometimes, a long resume is not better. Unless you can fill several pages with relevant content, it is better to keep your application brief but detailed. Filling up pages with buzzwords and irrelevant information is only likely to be a deal killer. Hiring managers will also expect your resume to be short if you only have your internship to show as work experience.

Step 5: Make Sure You Sound Professional from Start to Finish

Making your CV look professional is good. It is equally essential to ensure that your contact details reflect your professionalism too. We live in the modern world, and most companies accept and respond to applications via email. Let’s just say it’s better to change your email address from cuteblondy123@domain.com to something that relays a professional image like firstname.secondname@domain.com.

Best Way to Format Your Internship Experience on Your CV 

Your research on how to write internship experience is only as good as your ability to use the best resume format. Again, proper formatting can make your application stand out and make it easier for hiring managers to scan through your qualifications, work experience, and career goals.

Include the Job Title 

It is crucial to indicate the job position you held as an intern. Avoid referring to yourself solely as an intern and instead, give yourself a title such as Data Analyst Intern or Social Justice Reforms Intern. The idea is to ensure that hiring managers can immediately guess the range of skills to expect from you.

Mention the Company and Indicate the Period of Internship

It is essential to give the company that hired you as an intern its due credit. Mention it and also specify when the internship started and when it ended.

Specify Your Roles in Bullet Points

Another tip in how to write internship experience is to highlight the roles you took as an intern. It will help hiring managers understand the kind of experience you gained. It is perfectly okay to include a maximum of five bullets as long as they mention roles relevant to the job position you are seeking.

Additionally, it is essential to keep your sentences short and precise. Begin each sentence with an action word such as delivered, evaluated, applied, collaborated, etc.

Highlight Your Achievements

Your experience as an intern is only as good as what you were able to achieve during the internship period. Again, make use of action words and only indicate achievements that showcase relevant to the job position you are seeking.

How to Write Internship Experience in Your CV—Example 

Here is an example of what the work experience section should look like

WORK EXPERIENCE

Techno Brain San Jose

San Jose, CA

Tech Programs Intern

Nov. 2020 – May 2021

  • Developed new systems for diagnosing and troubleshooting company software and hardware problems
  • Wrote new manuals to help customers install our newly developed applications and programs
  • Conducted research on the latest techniques for configuring operating systems
  • Collaborated with other departments in the company to develop and run new systems for resolving network issues

Achievement 

  • Received the annual award for The Most Outstanding Intern 2021 from Techno Brains President

How to Write Your Internship Experience in Your Cover Letter —Detailed Steps

With practice, most people can write clear, concise, and compelling resumes. Even so, it can be challenging to include your thoughts and other vital information in your CV. It is where a cover letter proves to be helpful. It offers you the chance to sell yourself as the best candidate for a specific position. In the cover letter, you can introduce yourself, expound on your qualifications and the skills and aptitudes you have gained through your work experience. More often than not, it couldis the cover letter that decides whether a hiring manager will proceed to read your resume.

Here are tips to help you describe your internship experience creatively and interestingly.

Step 1: How To Write Internship Experience; Have a Plan

Outstanding cover letters don’t just happen by chance. It takes careful planning and choosing the best structure to make the hiring managers eager to meet you in person during the first interview. 

Note down relevant experiences you have earned during your internship period and include them in your cover letter. Having a plan will also direct your flow of ideas and make you look professional and well organized.

Step 2: Research

I cannot emphasize enough  the importance of researching the company you wish to work for. You want to go through a company’s website and read their press releases, blogs, and news articles. You should also check out social media pages to find information that will give you a strong understanding of what an organization does, its values, objectives, and more.

The information you gather should do more than just make your cover letter glow. You could also use it during the interview to give you an edge over other candidates. In your cover letter, be sure to mention the company’s projects or goals that excite you.

Step 3: Define Your Roles and Responsibilities in Detail

Based on your research findings, you can highlight some of your experiences in detail, more so those that are relevant to the new job description. Let the hiring managers know about projects you have worked on and youryour skillsduring an internship.

Step 4: Let the Hiring Manager Know What You Have To Offer

A good cover letter must be short and precise. Avoid mentioning irrelevant stuff such as how happy you will be if you secure the job— the company doesn’t care whether you get the job or not. Instead, emphasize why you are the ideal candidate for the position. Mention the company needs you can satisfy and the problems you can solve. The idea is to let the hiring managers know that they will be lost if they fail to choose you.

You’ve Got This!

Internships are invaluable stepping stones that can set you up for success in your career path. Through experiences learned during an internship, you can show future employers that you’re not new to working within professional environments. You simply have to put your internship experience in your resume using strong, clear, and compelling words.

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