Taking a deep breath after seeing the perfect-looking web developer job ad, Dahlia Mathers pulled up her old resume. Having built some solid IT experience debugging software and troubleshooting networks, she was ready to make her next career move with a web developer internship . . . as soon as she celebrated her impending graduation in computer science, that is!
But her college student internship resume needed an update: Dahlia wanted a layout that aligned with Coursera’s vibe to show her enthusiasm for an internship there. Plus, she learned that writing an effective cover letter could be the touch her application needed.
Now, after referencing our time-tested resume examples, Dahlia is sporting a post-interview smile with her new start date! If you’re seeking your own college student internship, we’re confident our resume layouts and cover letter examples can help you, too.
What Matters Most: Your Skills & Experience Sections
While the types of skills you include will directly depend on which type of internship you’re applying for, balance and clarity are always helpful! Recruiters want to see that you have what it takes—plus a little something extra that sets you apart.
If you’re going for a more technical role (like just about anything within the realm of computer science), it’s especially important for you to be precise about your hard skills. That means each list item should be both professionally relevant and specific.
So, avoid generic skills or terms that could apply to just any field, and focus on honing your presentation to show more in-depth abilities that specifically qualify you for that internship. Don’t pitch your cooking skills for an IT internship!
Check these out:
9 top college student internship skills
- JavaScript
- HTML/CSS
- Oracle
- Django
- PostgreSQL
- RESTful APIs
- GraphQL
- Git
- Algorithm Design
Sample college student internship work experience bullet points
Some applicants get a bit uncertain about this part, so let’s go over a few ways you can show recruiters how you’ve put your skills into action.
Plenty of people already have some job experience that’s at least somewhat relevant to the internship they’re hoping for. List it if you have it! It isn’t “backwards” to go from a job to an internship if you’ve just graduated or decided to switch to a more specialized field.
Use any previous teen jobs, other internships, or even volunteer projects that relate to your career goals and demonstrate your abilities. And always measure your impact! You need quantifiable data like time measurements or budget savings to back up your achievements and prove that you’ve already made a difference.
Here are some examples:
- Performed bug fixes by utilizing JavaScript proficiency to reduce glitches by 11%
- Updated software on computers and performed basic maintenance on office devices to save $12.3K+ in repair costs
- Streamlined work flow by implementing a ticketing system and grouping similar issues together, reducing time to complete inbound requests by 3 days
- Build a scraper in Python to structure data on thousand of publications, using the Natural Language Toolkit library to improve abstract searches for research publications by 14%
Top 5 Tips For Your College Student Internship Resume
- Don’t forget your relevant courses
- Since you’re applying for an internship, it can be especially helpful to include other relevant courses within or alongside your degree in your education section. Don’t forget any independent classes you’ve taken—especially if they lead right up to your internship!
- Group like skills together
- Keep your skills list tidy and organized by arranging your skills in groups. So, if you’re applying for a software-related internship: List Python-related skills together, name JavaScript tools in succession, and so on.
- Mention your grad date
- If applicable, make sure you’re upfront about your graduation date on your internship application. You don’t want to confuse recruiters—or wind up biting off more than you can chew to avoid passing up an opportunity for much-needed internship experience!
- Polish your resume professionally
- Some people really can’t resist including a bold color or two on their resumes, but you really want to keep this to a minimum. Stick with just one color, use it sparingly, and ensure that everything is still highly readable. Show recruiters that you’re already professional and polished for your internship!
- Don’t fear white space
- When you pick your resume template, go for one that puts your greatest accomplishments front and center. But don’t be afraid to leave a little breathing room, too—it’s better than your resume looking crowded or filler-heavy. When you’re applying for an internship, you want all emphasis to rest on your qualifications.
Yep, and it’s easier than you might think! Refer to the internship description for phrases and keywords that stand out as good examples of team culture. Reflect these in your resume with a few tweaks to your wording or skill choices to show how you’re already the ideal intern.
Keep it to just one page, and don’t feel pressured to fill the page. Just stick with your highest achievements from college and your most impactful qualifications. Remember, if you’ve got the itch to say more, say it in your internship cover letter.
Just like your color usage, your font choices should be understated. Think “clean, modern, and readable.” Recruiters can only spend a few seconds skimming your college internship resume, so make it easy for them to see the good stuff at a glance!
