Software Engineer Intern Resume: Samples for Internships

How does a new grad student get a software engineer job at a prestigious IT company?

By bribing the CEO?

Maybe by a manufactured zero-to-hero Hollywood story where he upgrades their entire network to prove his worth?

It’s far easier, actually, and far more doable.

Simply by writing an irresistible software engineer intern resume.

And, yeah, there’s going to be lots of competition—such is life.

But you’re still going to beat them.

This guide will show you:

• A software engineer intern resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a software engineer intern resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a software engineer intern resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a software engineer intern to get any job you want.

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Feeling flexible? Maybe you’ll find some of our other guides helpful, too:

• Internship Resume Examples
• Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Examples
• Junior Web Developer Resume Examples
• Entry-Level IT Resume Examples
• Engineering Internship Resume Examples
• Engineering Student Resume Examples
• IT Technician Resume Examples
• IT Resume Examples
• IT Support Resume Examples
• Best Resume Examples for All Jobs

Software Engineer Intern Resume Sample

Here’s how to write a software engineer intern resume:

1. Format Your Software Engineer Intern Resume the Right Way

Software engineering is all about creating software, testing it, making sure it works and that it fits the purpose for which it has been designed. Your software engineer intern resume needs to exemplify all of these qualities and more.

With a staggering 22% 10-year growth in jobs, there should be plenty of room for you to get into the industry. Except…

For you, as an intern, you don’t have to have a portfolio of clients who commended you for designing their multi-million cash cow software.

But your resume does have to show you have the makings of a future IT prodigy. Let’s start with some basic tips: 

• To get that perfect resume, first, you need to think about choosing a resume layout. There are a few to choose from, but the reverse-chronological format is the easiest and most adaptable choice.
• There is no room for sloppiness, be it in your code, or in your resume font choice. Only clean-cut, elegant resume fonts are permitted here. Use 11 or 12 pt size. 
• Organize your resume margins, line spacing, and white space to maintain a pleasant aesthetic and, more importantly, to visually section off the different parts of your resume. Mark the start of each section with a 13–14 pt heading for extra clarity. 
• Optimal resume length oscillates somewhere between one page and one page. Most beginners try to beef up their resumes with irrelevant details, but this is a mistake. In reality, all that does is that it blue-screens your application in the eyes of the recruiter.

Saving the file as a PDF shows youpossess a very desired quality among software devs—foresight. MS Word files often bug out, while PDFs don’t. Take advantage of this to make sure your work doesn’t go to waste.

Read more: Resume Format: Everything You Need to Know

2. Write an Excellent Software Engineer Intern Resume Objective

Resumes typically start with what is called a resume profile. It’s simply a short-ish resume introduction that’s your one and only chance to make a good impression and make it fast.

Interns, freshers, career changers all go for what is called a resume objective—that’s the industry name for a resume profile with no experience. How do you write one? Check it out:

• Mention your level of education and program name.
• Add a positive adjective to describe yourself.
• Outline 2 or 3 of your best achievements, add numbers if you can—they count for a lot (pun intended).

Once you have some relevant experience and professional achievements to list, you’ll replace your objective with an impressive resume summary. For now, though, an objective will do just fine! 

Read more: How to Start a Resume: Guide and Examples

3. Describe Your Education (You’re Likely Doing It Wrong)

There are lots of young professionals who are all doom and gloom, thinking they can’t start early because they don’t have real job experience.

And that’s simply not true.

Listing your education on a resume is one thing, doing it to play to your strengths is another:

• Start off with the basics, such as school name, location, your degree, majors and minors, and the projected graduation date.
• Follow that up with hot details from your school life. Mention things such as relevant coursework on your resume (your favorite CompSci classes you did really well in), alongside resume-worthy extracurriculars, student groups you were a part of, and anything else to prove your skills and knowledge.

Read more: Listing Your Degree on a Resume

4. Make the Most out of Your Software Engineer Intern Job Description

This one should be simple, just slap on past software engineering internships on the resume and forget about it, right?

Not really.

See, as highlighted in the resume objective section, even when your work experience bears little relevance to software engineering, it can still be used to your advantage. It’s like making use of pre-existing data structures and adapting them.

• Use the reverse-chronological format, meaning the first job goes last and the last one first.
• Each description should come complete with a job title and the company name and location, plus the years or months you spent there.
• Include up to 6 tailored bullet points that go in-depth on the quantifiable achievements you were able to accomplish.
• Keep in mind, there are likely hundreds of candidates trying for this job. So, to keep the attention square on you and yours, use power words like “Created”, “Increased”, or “Initiated.”

Read more: How to Put Programming Projects on a Resume: Guide & Examples

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5. Demonstrate Your IT Prowess with a Tailored Software Developer Intern Resume Skills Section

Question: What does the hiring manager want to see on a CS resume?

Answer: The right skills to make sure the hire fits the job.

And would you look at that, there just happens to be a list of resume skills for you right here:

Best Skills for a Software Engineer Intern

• Open Source
• GitHub
• Programming languages (Java, Python, C, Ruby etc.)
• Data Analysis
• Data Science
• SQL/NoSQL, MongoDB
• ASP.NET
• Machine Learning
• Software Design and Testing
• Critical Thinking
• Analytical Thinking
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Debugging
• Time Management
• Communication Skills
• IT Skills
• Decision Making

But copying won’t get you the job—only the trash can. You’ll want to tailor your skills section for the best results. Try this:

• Write down all of your skills like hard skills, technical skills and soft skills in a list or spreadsheet. Include programming languages you’re great at, too.
• Once that’s done, go to the job posting and see what skills they’re looking for in an ideal employee.
• Compare the two lists. Whatever matches you find are the best resume keywords to include and not only boost your chances but get past the ATS resume scan.

6. Take Things to the Next Level with Extra Sections on Your Resume

What’s the name of the IT guy from the Office?

Nobody knows.

So, don’t be like him. Instead, show flair, something personable, or something that shows a little bit of your uniqueness. You can achieve that through extra resume sections.

• If you’ve done volunteer work in the past, that’s a great addition to have.
• Minor bonuses like foreign languages can be a plus, too.
• Software engineering certificates on your resume or associations you’re a member of obviously score huge points and will definitely get the recruiter interested. 
• Other ideas can be things like special achievements, personal interests, or previous freelance work.

Read more: Good Things to Include on a Resume: Examples

7. Send a Cover Letter With Your Software Engineering Intern Resume

There’s no beating around the bush when it comes to the necessity of cover letters. Winners write them, rejects don’t, and that statement is more truthful than it might seem. Around 50% of recruiters won’t read a resume without a cover letter,according to HR stats.

Betting on all the other candidates not including one so that the playing field is level? Very much not worth it.

Follow these cover letter tips to get there in a jiffy:

• Pick a professional cover letter format and modern template before you begin, and make your life easier.
• Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager directly.
• Open the cover letter with a convincing hook, making sure to mention the exact name of the position you’re applying for.
• Prove that your skillset and drive are exactly what the company needs.
• End the cover letter with a compelling call to action.

Additionally, keep in mind the cover letter should be up to 4 paragraphs long and never go past one page.

Last but not least, we’re all onboard the “all internships should be paid” train, but don’t mention salary requirements on a cover letter regardless. It’s a bit too blunt.

Read more: How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter for an Internship

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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And done!

With that kind of a resume, you could skip the internship rung on your software engineer career ladder altogether!

Looking for for a different resume guide for IT? See our list below: 

• Computer Science (CS) Resume Examples
• Computer Engineering Resume Examples
• UX Designer Resume Examples
• Database Developer Resume Examples
• DevOps Engineer Resume Examples
• iOS Developer Resume Examples
• SQL Developer Resume Examples
• Machine Learning Resume Examples
• Network Engineer Resume Examples
• Tableau Developer Resume Examples
• Android Developer Resume Examples
• Technical Resume Examples
• Programmer Resume Examples
• Software Engineer Resume Examples
• Java Developer Resume Examples
• Engineering Resume Examples

Thanks for reading. Did we miss any crucial tips or advice for software engineer interns? Got any unanswered questions on writing a software engineering internship resume? Let us know down in the comments below!

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Sources

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
• https://faculty.washington.edu/ajko/papers/Li2019WhatDistinguishesEngineers.pdf