Deciding to go for an internship by writing an internship resume to a company is one of the best investments you can make for both your education and career. However, you might be wondering why a university student would waste their time working a few short months. This is a question for some, especially because not all internships pay.
Internships are extremely valuable experiences, and everything you learn will go a long way in your professional career. Here’s why internships are so significant: it provides you with a better chance of landing a great first job!
An internship can also help you identify what you want out of your first job. Internships give you the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be supervised in the professional workplace. Interning at an office lets you achieve professional goals all on your own – without having to be a permanent employee.
So how do you get the internship of your choice? It all starts by writing a compelling internship resume. Here are some tips to write a resume that stands out.
Customize Your Internship Resume For Each Employer
One of the biggest mistakes college students make when it comes to writing their resume is by making it too generic. If you want to truly stand out among hundreds, perhaps thousands of other interns, your resume should clearly focus on the qualifications of the internship.
A targeted resume shows that you are knowledgeable about the business and industry that you are applying for. This way you can showcase the skills and experience that the employer is looking for. Doing so which will increase your chances of getting hired because it convinces them that you are a good match.
Adding a “Relevant Experiences” section on your internship resume is a great place to list down everything you’ve done. Employers will value this portion of your resume, and some examples you can include maybe volunteer work, community service, coursework, or other projects that are relevant to the internship.
Highlight Your Professional Goals
Think of your internship resume as a vision for your future professional career. A short paragraph stating your internship goals will help an employer decide if you are the right match for the role or the industry.
Writing your internship goals may also help the employer craft projects and opportunities for you should they decide to hire you, with the goal of helping you reach your professional objectives and making the entire experience more meaningful for both of you.
Quantify Your Achievements
Whether in an internship or in the corporate setting, businesses find numbers extremely important as a measure of success. If you’ve had a previous sales job, for example, you can indicate: “Increased hardware sales by 40% during the second quarter”. If you’ve done volunteer work, you can also quantify your success by stating something similar to, “Spent 2 weeks immersed in a poverty-stricken area, and taught basic English to 100 students, improving their literacy levels by 20%”. Percentages and dollar amounts will make your achievements and successes clearer to the employer.
Make It Look, Professional
Since you’re still a university student, the document shouldn’t exceed one page if possible. Too little or too much information is never recommended. If you feel that the information you’ve included is too little, review your university experiences and see what activities you can add: relevant extra-curricular and co-curricular work, coursework, learning a new language, or studying new skills are excellent additions. Make sure that you highlight the most relevant and important achievements that you think your employer should know.
Finally, have someone else proofread your internship resume. A mentor, parent, or teacher can go over it to help you identify if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes; or any improvements you can make.
