Internship Resume Example

Key sections to include in a resume

Internships can be competitive. As such, it’s important that you submit a resume that stands out and provides the recruiter and business owner with all the information they need to see why you’re the right fit for the position.

Here are seven key resume template sections that will help you impress the recruiter and craft the perfect resume for internships, no matter your chosen field.

The header is the easiest and simplest part of the resume. Here, you’ll provide your full name and important contact information, including your phone number, email address, LinkedIn profile (or other online networking profile), city, and state. You may also wish to list your professional title or academic major.

Example Header

Amy Smith
Urban Planning Student
Beaufort, SC
(803) 271-9921

smith.amy@example.com
LinkedIn.com/in/amysmith4

Professional summary

What goes into your professional summary depends on how far into your career you are. If you’re a college student, this section will focus more on your personal traits, skills, and career interests.

If you have a little work experience under your belt, you can feel free to highlight that experience on your resume for internships. Either way, you should do your best to showcase those elements that most closely align with the internship description or those most valuable and relevant to your target industry.

Example Professional Summary

An analytical and creative problem-solver with proven GIS experience and rigorous coursework in applied planning, community dynamics, planning law, and spatial analysis. Currently searching for an internship in urban planning and development.

Education

Because internships are typically awarded to students and those without much professional experience in a given field, highlighting your education is particularly helpful.

The recruiter or business owner will want to know what schools you’ve attended, your dates of attendance, what you majored in, and whether you’ve taken any courses that might prove helpful in your internship.

Example Education Section

B.A. in Urban Studies
Columbia University
September 2018–May 2022

Notable Coursework

GIS Methods
Urban Ethnographies
Neighborhood and Community Development

Pursuing a Masters in City & Regional Planning
Specialization in Housing & Community Development
Georgia Institute of Technology
September 2022–Present

Notable Coursework

Community Dynamics and Engagement
Planning Law, Regulation, and Implementation
Spatial Analysis of Socioeconomic Data

Work experience

If you’re a student and don’t have any paid work experience, it’s fine to leave this section off your resume. An internship is a unique professional arrangement designed to give you practical work experience, so recruiters and business owners won’t be worried about you lacking it.

That said, if you’ve worked in the same field as your internship, perhaps in a work-study job or summer position, you can list that experience in this section.

Example Work Experience Section

Future City Urban Consulting
Fayetteville, GA
June 2022–February 2023

Wrote and evaluated environmental impact reports applying to specific public planning projects and programs
Maintained and analyzed data required for community planning and participated in the development and revision of general plan elements
Created long-range planning documents such as the city’s General Plan and other assigned plans

Volunteer experience

If you don’t currently have any paid work experience due to your status as a student, this is where you can make your resume for internships stand out. List any volunteer experience you’ve had in the field, making sure to include the dates you volunteered and details about the nature of your work.

This is another great way to demonstrate your passion for the industry you want to work in.

Example Volunteer Experience Section

Columbia University Office of Community Engagement
Community Affairs Assistant

Provided basic office support, including reception, inventory maintenance, calendar management, mail handling, and document creation and filing
Assisted program director with special event registration and execution
Responded to local resident requests for information about upcoming land use projects

Skills

In this section, you should list your hard and soft skills. Although you may feel that all of your skills are valuable, stick to the ones that are most relevant to the internship you’re applying for. It isn’t necessary to list more than a few in both categories.

Technical Skills Examples

Geographic information systems
Demographic analysis
Spatial design
Project evaluation

Soft Skills Examples

Communication
Problem-solving
Teamwork
Storytelling

Hobbies and interests

In this last section of your resume, you can list interests that might be useful to the company conducting your internship. Avoid using this section to list random facts about yourself.

Example Hobbies and Interests Section

Languages Spoken: Native English speaker professionally fluent in Spanish and Mandarin
Extracurricular Activities: Club Secretary, Students for Recycling Education

Tips for writing the role-specific resume

For many people, an internship is their first professional experience in the field. For this reason, it might be a good idea to steer clear of reverse chronological resumes, as this format focuses heavily on work experience.

Instead, you can use an internship resume example that follows a hybrid format. This type of resume will allow you to showcase your transferable skills, educational coursework, and personal interests while leaving room to list any volunteer or professional experience you’ve had in a later section.

Even if you use a sample resume for internships as a starting point, it’s important to tailor your resume and cover letter templates to each opportunity.

Every internship will have a different focus and requirements. Your main goal should be to show recruiters that you’re interested in and passionate about the particular opportunity you’re applying for and that you meet the qualifications listed in the job description.

Customizing any resume examples you use for the specific internships you’re applying for also gives you a chance to highlight coursework, interests, and experience relevant to that position or company. This makes your resume even more appealing to the recruiter and increases your chances of being called for an interview or moving further along in the hiring process.

Finally, you’ll want to make sure that you quantify as many of your achievements as possible. It’s crucial to realize that even majors and fields outside of math and science can find ways to put numbers on their resume.

For example, if you volunteered at an outreach event, how many people were served? If you’ve written reports at your summer job, how many did you write, and how many stakeholders read them? Those applying for internships in business can highlight how much they’ve done in sales or how many projects they’ve been a part of.

Quantifying your achievements distinguishes your resume and cover letter from all the generic ones out there. It also helps the recruiter or hiring manager understand how much impact you’ve made in your chosen field.

Land the internship of your dreams with a professional resume

Internships provide the perfect opportunity to learn how to craft your resume. Even if you don’t have much work experience, you can highlight your education, volunteer work, and skills to make a good showing for yourself.

As you create your resume for internships, consider using a hybrid format to highlight your skills and coursework. Tailor the resume to each opportunity, and make sure you quantify your achievements to clearly show the impact of your work.

If this is your first time creating a resume, drawing inspiration from a few top-tier resume templates or cover letter examples is the perfect starting point. Begin creating your internship resume today with our robust, easy-to-use tools.