Internship Resume Is on Your Mind? 7 Tips to Stand Out

An internship is a period of getting work experience after or while studying at an educational institution. Many openings at business companies, non-profit organizations, and state agencies are usually provided for interns. The goal of this practice is to gain the necessary experience and skills in a given area. Most often, interns are not paid, and this period can last up to twelve months. Managers of host organizations usually want to save time and effort on recruitment, and they can offer a permanent job to the best interns.

An internship is a great way to discover your strengths and weaknesses in the professional field. In the course of training, you can gain practical experience in performing professional tasks and duties, expand your horizons, acquire additional competencies, and receive the necessary recommendations for further employment. Every intern is typically assigned to a team or curator. This manager or co-workers will help you get a running start and advise every time something is not clear.

Apart from the internship, young people can pass training in a particular organization. The training program is an opportunity for young graduate specialists to acquire professional skills. They must have at least one year of work experience in their specialization. In many cases, the training program is offered to young people abroad. Hence, the trainees can get valuable multi-cultural experience and improve other languages.

While you are still studying at your educational institution, make a list of preferred organizations where you would like to get an internship. Find specialized websites and sign up for newsletters not to miss any opportunity. If you have a specific company in mind that interests you the most, try to contact a responsible person within that organization. The point is that the selection for all applications is made by HR officers and not by top managers. Therefore, it is worth getting an HR manager's support in advance.

1. Take Your Documents Seriously

The first stage of most internship applications is writing and submitting a resume to a specific organization. First of all, a recruiter evaluates how neatly and appropriately your intern resume looks and how competently it is drawn up. The employee, who has to read a large number of applications, usually browses every resume for only six seconds. Then, this officer either moves on to the next one or sends you a positive response.

These few seconds are enough to see which educational institution you are still studying or attended and what specialization you have. If your internship resume does not stand out from the rest, it can quickly end up at the bottom of the wastebasket. It is especially relevant if you are applying for an internship at a prestigious organization. However, some simple changes can make you pass the initial selection phase easily.

2. Prepare an Outstanding Resume

Curriculum Vitae or CV is your business card, using which you can make yourself known to the target organization's employees. So, carefully choose a background, font, and photo. Without a nice picture, your resume for internship programs probably will not stand out. In addition to this, a CV with a photo looks more credible in the officers' eyes.

What is a good objective for a resume for an internship? Obviously, your goal is to be invited for the internship. Hence, indicate that in the appropriate section. Also, it will not be superfluous to show how you can be useful to the organization. Provide all the information correctly - personal data, educational institution, specialty, achievements, and additional data.

Do not be too humble. Of course, modesty is considered a valuable quality. However, you need to show yourself at your best in your internship resume. The lack of experience is not to be feared for interns. Instead, you can specify all the experiences you had in the past. If you had any employment, mention it with an emphasis on the primary responsibilities and tasks.

3. Compose your Cover Letter

The organization may not require you to submit a cover letter for your internship, but it can significantly increase your chances of success. First of all, this paper should state your motivation for an internship in this particular organization. It can be difficult for a recruiter to create an opinion about a candidate just by looking at their resume. A cover letter can tell the officer about your plans and how you can contribute to that organization. Browse cover letter samples online and craft your own and unique document.

4. Adapt Your Documents for Each Organization

Often, internship candidates create one resume and send it to dozens of different organizations. However, submitting a particular package of documents to each internship offer is more important than sending the same papers to many addresses. Learn more about the organization to which you intend to submit your documents. Also, consider what key skills and abilities a particular organization wants to see in candidates. Use the same language and terms as listed in the requirements for a potential intern. Based on these parameters, customize your intern resume and cover letter.

5. Choose the Right Words

Your internship resume will be ranked according to your keyword usage. Using the right words dramatically increases your chances of being accepted for an internship or invited for an interview. Such terms, on the one hand, should correspond to your specialty. On the other hand, they can demonstrate what duties you can perform. Action words such as "learned," "achieved," and "created" and are more likely to catch the eye of HR officers. If words or phrases sound good but do not directly convey essential information, they should not be used in your resume for internship openings.

6. Make Your Resume and Cover Letter Look Nice

Making a good first impression is essential. You have an opportunity to present yourself in the best possible way and take advantage of it. By default, your resume for internship should look perfect. A clean and beautiful resume will immediately tell the recruiter that you are well-organized and conscientious. The most important information should be listed before the less essential facts or details. If your documents have too much text or, conversely, too much white space, the officer in charge may think that you do not know how to present yourself or that you are not very interested in this internship.

7. Carefully Check Your Documents

Your papers should be compiled and appropriately written without errors. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully proofread and correct each copy that you are going to submit to a particular organization. Check your resume for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Do not wholly trust proofing and word processing applications. Sometimes they fail to detect some mistakes, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies. If you are not sure, show your documents to other people and get their opinion.

Conclusion

The process of getting an internship should not be a disappointing experience for you. Given the intense competition for internship vacancies, it is advised to adhere to the stated deadlines for application submitting. If you were not invited for an internship at the desired organization this season, it is not a big deal. You can use this time to your advantage by reading and preparing for a future internship. Develop an action plan, set goals, and act accordingly. Follow the mentioned above tips and pursue your goals. In that way, you will be one step closer to starting your desired internship.