Resume for Internship for Freshers: Best Format and Template

So you’ve just graduated from your studies? Congratulations! The world is bustling with opportunities. You can’t wait to apply your newly acquired skills and start building your dream career. There’s just one obstacle on your way to success.

And that is… your lack of work experience. Sadly, many hiring managers don’t care about freshers. So you’ve decided to get an internship instead of a job. This way, you’ll have a chance to apply your knowledge and gain footing. Internships look great on resumes—they prove to recruiters you already have relatable experience.

To get the most prestigious opportunities available, you need a professional resume for an internship. One that highlights your skills and leaves recruiters wanting more.

This guide will show you: 

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

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.

Check this sample resume for internship to see what we’re talking about:

Sample Resume for Internships

So let’s get a close look at the best resume format for internships: 

1. Create a Great Resume for Internship Template

What do people notice first when they meet someone?

The looks. The silhouette, the clothing. Details come later.

And first impressions matter. A stain on a shirt can ruin a business meeting or a fancy date.

It’s the same way with resumes. Looks matter. If your resume looks like you wrote it on a napkin five minutes before sending it out, recruiters will simply delete it.

So here are a bunch of tips for using the best fresher resume format for an internship:

• Go with professional fonts such as Verdana, Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Georgia, etc. They look great both on-screen and when printed.
• Keep white space with 1.15 line spacing and 1-inch margins on all sides
• Group information in neat columns
• Follow the reverse-chronological order while describing work experience
• Save your resume for internship in PDF format, unless the recruiter names a different file type

So, we’ve got the looks. Now let’s talk about the rest.

Resumes for internships must include specific information—the kind that recruiters expect.

Make sure to put those sections in your resume:

• Personal information: your name and surname, degree or type of studies, contact details 
• Resume summary or objective: introduce yourself by stating your goals and showing your academic achievements.
• Education: your field of study, years of attendance, degree, most important coursework, and accomplishments
• Work experience: think of any transferable skills you gained.
• Skills: tailor the list to the position you want by combining hard skills and soft skills.
• Additional sections, such as conferences, certification, volunteering. Even hobbies can make a true difference.

Don’t worry—you’ll learn the details of what to include in each part later on in this article!

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2. Showcase Your Education in Your Resume for Internships

Let’s face it—most internship candidates have no valuable work experience.

That’s why when writing a resume for an internship for freshers, you must make your education section shine. Your field of study and degree aren’t enough.

You must remember that competition is high. According to India Skills Report 2021, over 85% of young professionals seek internship opportunities. To get the best options, your resume must attract recruiters.

Here’s how to make a resume for an internship stand out from the crowd:

• Name your degree and major along with the name of the college or university
• List the years of study: this helps recruiters understand if you are a recent graduate or still a student
• Mention relevant coursework: match the courses to the job you’re applying for
• List your CGPA
• Highlight the key skills you gained while studying: it shows that you know how to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations

Here’s how the education section of your resume for internship should look:

Resume for Internship for College Students: Education Example

See? The hiring manager will see that this candidate uses their brain instead of playing Candy Crush Saga during lectures. The key skills prove this person is confident and business savvy.

Nope. It’s too vague. Studying doesn’t equal acquiring useful knowledge.

Pro Tip: If you lack ideas of how to boost your career, check your college website for profiles of alumni, or try finding them on LinkedIn. By connecting with graduates from the same university, you can learn about their first career steps and see how they benefited from their education.

3. Mention Relevant Work Experience in Your Resume for an Internship

As a fresher, you might worry that your work experience is nothing to brag about. Stop putting yourself down! Even the smallest jobs taught you something useful.

Think of any transferable skills you’ve learned. Calming down angry customers while working at a restaurant? That’s serious conflict management. 

Drawing a company logo for your uncle? Principles of graphic design.

Answering phones at a call centre? Effective verbal communication.

See? They don’t sound that bad now, right?

Whenever describing work experience in a resume for an internship, remember to:

• Start with the most recent job—the oldest one goes at the end
• Mention your position, the name of the company and location, and dates of employment
• List key qualifications and responsibilities: 3–5 examples are enough
• Mention a key achievement—choose something that is truly impressive
• Back up your claims with numbers and percentages—quantitative achievements speak for themselves
• Be selective—think which skills you’ve gained can help during the internship

That’s the recipe for success.

Take a look at the results:

Resume for Internship for Freshers: Work Experience

See? Even a popular entry-level job such as customer service can help you prepare for more complex business matters.

Not very impressive, is it? While this example mentions what this candidate did at work, it doesn’t prove they’ve learned anything.

What to do if you have zero work experience? Don’t panic! Just describe in detail your academic accomplishments or volunteer experience. Maybe you’ve done some extracurricular projects while at university? Believe me—there are always opportunities to gain useful skills.

Check these examples of candidates with zero work experience:

Resume for Internship: No Experience

Now, this candidate not only has a big heart but also has great brains.

This candidate might be a great person, but they don’t know yet how to prove it.

Read more: How to Write a Resume for Freshers: Examples & Guide

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4. Make Skills Pop in Your Resume for Internship Opportunities

Brace yourself.

Many people dismiss recent graduates. They think freshers have nothing to bring to the table.

You need to prove them wrong. You are knowledgeable. You’ve got the skills needed for the job. You’ve got a strong work ethic. And don’t ever let them tell you otherwise.

So, you’ve found an internship that sparks your interest. Maybe you’re a graphic design student and this advertising agency needs someone to create graphics for social media channels. Or you study software engineering and just found a startup that can use your coding skills.

It’s time to make a tailored skill list that matches the internships that interest you.

Here’s a step-by-step method to create the skills section in resume for internships:

• Make a long list of all skills that you’ve mastered—not only job-related hard skills, but also computer skills and soft skills
• Scan the job ad for your desired internship and look for skills-related keywords
• Compare your skills with the requirements
• Make a curated list of 5–10 skills that are most relevant to this internship offer
• Don’t use single words—feel free to use short phrases to illustrate your skills better

Check these sample skills for internship resume:

How to Make a Resume for an Internship: Skills Examples

These are skills that the majority of college students own.

Let’s see a more specific example—the skill section in a resume for a hotel management internship:

Resume for Hotel Management Internship: Skill Section

This candidate is the perfect fit for an internship in hotel management.

Don’t underestimate the importance of computer skills. Read more: List of Computer and Software Skills to Boost Your Resume

5. Spark Your Resume for Internships with Extra Sections

While in college, you were a top student. Always the best marks. Assignments done on time.

You expected headhunters to swarm around you after graduation. Yet something feels wrong—there are no offers coming to you.

Why?

Because other graduates did something extra while in college. They went to conferences. Got industry certifications. Published guest blog posts in their free time. Used their knowledge for volunteer work.

Check these ways to put more value into your resume for an internship:

• Awards and accolades: Many institutions and companies organize competitions for students. It’s always worth participating—prizes often include scholarships.
• Certifications: Literally thousands to choose from. Think what type is best for you, e.g. if you’re a computer science student, go for Google Cloud, CompTIA Security+, or similar certifications.
• Conferences: Even as a college student, you can participate in industry meetings and speak at conferences. Helping to organize a student conference is also a great way to employ your skills.
• Volunteering: With over 3 million NGOs in India, there are many ways to help others while helping yourself get valuable experience. Maybe you can help run the social media channels of a local charity? Use your Java developer skills to build a great website for an animal shelter?
• Languages: If you want to work at an international company, English is a must. Other languages are a big plus. Remember to state your proficiency level (e.g. beginner, elementary, intermediate, advanced, native)
• Interests: You might think it’s silly, but your hobbies can actually benefit you. Want to get a chemical engineering internship? Talk about DIY chemical experiments on your YouTube channel. Hoping to get into graphic design? Show your talent on Instagram!

Easy, right?

Now, see how it’s done in a resume for internships for freshers:

How to Write a Resume for Internships: Other Sections

Much better than just a blank page.

Pro Tip: Found an exciting internship opportunity? Before you apply, make sure to research the company or organization behind it. With many internship scams, it’s important to vet the offer thoroughly. Check their website, verify the address on Google Maps, try to find employees on LinkedIn. And most importantly: never pay money to recruiters who promise to guarantee you a placement.

6. Combine Your Strengths Into a Summary or Objective for Internship Resumes

Hey, good news—this is the last step!

It’s time to write a summary or objective for internship resume.

You might be wondering: what’s the point? You’re probably thinking that your education, skills, and other sections speak for themselves.

But hiring managers will disagree.

They don’t want to do the thinking for you—they want to see a candidate ready to speak for themselves. They want to hear your sales pitch.

So, here’s how to write a summary or objective statement in a resume for internships:

• Use an objective for internship resume when you have zero relatable work experience. Focus on your education and tell how your theoretical knowledge can be applied to the internship tasks.
• Write a summary for internship resume if you already have work experience. Show how your past responsibilities translate into transferable skills that can be used during the internship.
• Include 2–3 achievements that match the theme of the internship
• Follow the best formula:
• Adjective + Degree + Experience + Achievements + Skills + What You Want to Do during the Internship

Let’s have a look at these experienced candidates:

Summary for Internship Resume

You must admit it—this person knows the drill. They showed experience and valuable achievements.

This candidate, on the other hand, lacks something:

This person might be a good candidate—they just don’t know how to show it.

So, these were experienced candidates. How about those with no experience?

As I said, when writing a resume for an internship for freshers, choose a resume objective to show what you wish to accomplish.

Check these examples of objectives for internship resumes:

Objective for Internship: Resume Examples

See what this candidate did? They listed important coursework. It shows they understand how to apply knowledge from coursebooks to assist the company.

Unfortunately, the following candidate wasn’t that clever:

Not very impressive. While internships are designed to teach, they still want candidates to have certain skills and knowledge. This resume objective doesn’t confirm if the person knows anything about management.

Pro Tip: If your resume summary refers to original projects or designs, consider attaching a portfolio to your resume. It’s especially valuable for graphic designers, artists, writers, as well as UX or UI designers, software developers, and programmers.

7. Pair the Resume with Cover Letter for Internships

Can’t wait to start your dream internship? That’s great!

But there’s one more thing you need to do to ensure you get it.

Write a cover letter.

It’s simply a must. Many recruiters don’t waste their precious time on applications without a cover letter. Boost your chances and get to writing.

Here’s how to do it:

• Format your cover letter for internship just like your resume—use the same fonts, margins, and spacing.
• Greet the hiring manager by name. If the job ad doesn’t mention it, try to find it on the company or organization website, or on LinkedIn.
• Write an opening sentence that grabs the readers’ attention.
• Present your accomplishments and experience in the second paragraph.
• Demonstrate how your knowledge can help the company during the internship.
• Leave an impression by making a promise at the end of your cover letter. 

Much easier than passing the finals!

Need a more thorough instruction? See here: Cover Letter for an Internship in India: How to Write, Examples & Tips 

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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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

Let’s revise all the steps to write a resume for internship:

1. Use the proper resume for internship format—make it look professional.
2. Describe your education in detail and highlight academic achievements.
3. Mention relevant work experience or projects you participated in.
4. List the skills that match your desired internship.
5. Add extra sections to promote yourself and show you’re not wet behind the ears.
6. Put a great summary or objective for internship resume at the beginning.
7. Write a matching cover letter for your desired internship position.

Now you’re all ready to rock the world.

Done writing your resume for internship? Feel free to share your thoughts on the process! I’d love to know:

• What’s the most difficult part of writing a resume for internship?

• What are your ideas to make yourself stand out from other internship candidates?

Let me know!

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