How to write a résumé for an internship
Internship recruiters expect little or no work history. They want proof you can learn fast, finish projects, and show up. Your résumé's job is to make that obvious in a 10-second scan.
1. Put education first
List your school, major, expected graduation (e.g. Expected May 2028), GPA if 3.0+, and 3–5 relevant courses that match the internship.
2. Add a "Projects" section
Class projects, hackathons, research, case competitions, and personal projects count as experience. Name the project, the tools you used, and the result: "Built a budget-tracking web app in Python and Flask used by 40 classmates."
3. Tailor to each posting
Copy 5–8 keywords from the internship description (tools, skills, tasks) and use the ones that are true for you in your skills and bullets. This also helps with ATS résumé scanners.
4. Show leadership and teamwork
Club officer roles, team captain, tutoring, and part-time jobs all show reliability. Use action verbs: led, organized, analyzed, built, presented, trained.
5. Suggested order
- Contact info (with LinkedIn URL)
- Education
- Projects
- Experience (jobs, volunteering, leadership)
- Skills (technical + languages)
6. One page, PDF, clean format
Keep it to one page, use simple headings, and send a PDF unless the posting asks for Word.
Common questions
What do I put on an internship résumé with no experience?
Lead with education and relevant courses, then a Projects section with class, research, or personal projects, plus clubs, volunteering, and part-time jobs.
Should I include my GPA on an internship résumé?
Include it if it is 3.0 or higher, or if the posting asks for it. Otherwise leave it off.
How long should an internship résumé be?
One page. Recruiters screening interns read quickly, so keep only what supports the role.
Ready to write yours?
Our builder walks you through every section with prompts made for students, and shows a live preview as you type. Build and preview free; download Word + PDF for just $1.99 once.
More student résumé guides
- How to write your first résumé with no work experience
- Student résumé template you can fill in today
- How to write a résumé for a part-time job
- ATS-friendly résumé format: what works and what to avoid
- High school résumé example for jobs, internships and college
- How to write a college freshman résumé
- How to write a summer job résumé as a student
- Retail and cashier résumé for students
- LinkedIn vs résumé for students (and how to set up your first profile)