Elena Prokopets
When you’re fresh out of college and hunting for your first job, most of your resume entries will consist of part-time work and several internships. But where should those internship entries go? What should you say about them? We answer the above questions (and a few more!) in this post.
How to Put an Internship on a Resume?
An internship should go in the work experience section of your resume, along with any other work experience entries. State the employer’s name first. Then add the dates of your internship. Describe your responsibilities and achievements using bullet points. That’s it, you’re done with formatting an internship entry for your resume.
How to Put “I’m Interested in an Internship” on a Resume?
If you are interested in pursuing an internship, indicate that in your resume objective. A resume objective is a short statement, summarizing your career intent. You should place it into your resume header area.
Example:
College student, majoring in Sports Journalism. Interested in obtaining a summer internship with a regional magazine. Seeking out proactive mentorship and opportunity to contribute a fresh perspective on inclusivity in the sports industry.
Of course, you can also mention that you are interested in an internship in your cover letter. Always prepare one ready, even if the job posting says it’s optional.
How to Put an Internship on a Resume For an Engineer?
In most cases, your internship(s) will go into the Work Experience section of your engineering resume. You can also mention some of the skills you’ve developed during that internship in the skills section or resume summary.
If you participated in any notable projects, create a “Projects” section on your resume and include your internship there.
Example:
Work Experience:
Smith and Sons Electrical Manufacturing
Aug. 2022 – October 2022
Electrical Engineering intern with a local manufacturer of circuit boards for the automotive and agricultural industries. Duties and training received in:
- Wiring design
- Electrical component testing
- Product document creation
- 3D component modeling
How to Put an Internship That Turned Into a Job on a Resume?
It depends. If there was no gap between the internship ending and the job beginning, just merge it into one job entry. However, use the start date of your internship as the employment start date. You can describe advancing from intern to employee.
Here’s how such a work entry may look like.
The Breckenridge Hotel
Assistant Concierge
June 2020 – Present
Started as an intern while majoring in Hospitality Management at City College. Was hired as a full-time staff member immediately upon completing the internship. Worked for six months as a guest experience specialist before being promoted to assistant concierge.
Alternatively, if there was a gap between your internship and the job offer, style these into separate entries in your Work Experience section.
How to Put an Internship Twice on a Resume?
This depends on the situation. If you had two entirely different internships with different employers, then you should simply list them separately just as you would two different jobs.
However, internship programs can be multi-year. Some companies re-hire interns each other semester or sign them up for multi-step talent nurturing programs. Such programs make look like this:
- Freshman summer internship – Career exploration and learning
- Sophomore summer internship – Job shadowing
- Junior summer internship – Networking and development
- Post-graduation internship – Management development
In this case, list each internship separately as well. Treat each as an independent job. However, you can include that it was a specific phase of an ongoing internship program.
Example:
Corporate Rent A Car
Management Internship
Summer 2022
Completed the final phase of a three-part management development program as a recent graduate with a BA in Business Management. Also completed:
- Intensive Leadership Seminar – Summer 2021
- Introductory Management Internship – Summer 2020
Throughout each phase of this internship and development program, took part in a variety of training programs, educational seminars, and boot camps. Contributed to multiple projects in retail operations, IT, Finance, and customer support.
What if you took an internship with the same company immediately after completing another? This may happen if you pursue internships in different departments. Employers are also likely to want to retain you if they are impressed by your contributions. If this sounds like your case, list the internship as a single job. But clarify the circumstances of your internship.
Here is an example:
Brown Smith and Jones Attorneys at Law
Paralegal Intern
Summer 2019
Completed a four-week summer internship that was extended for an additional six weeks. Assisted attorneys with preparing briefs, interviewing witnesses, filing paperwork, and other law-related tasks.
Get The Most Out of Each Internship
Your internships deserve a prominent spot on your entry-level resume. They represent commitment and hard work on your part. Most internships also help you nurture practical hard skills, required to further advance your career. By following our tips, you’ll be sure to stand out from the competition and give potential employers a clear idea of why they should hire you.
