How to Add Internship Experience to Your Resume (With Templates and Examples)

Internships are considered valuable unpaid work experiences that can help you to receive on-the-job training for your career. Most often adding internships to your resume can help to enhance the quality of your work experience. It is important to know when to add internships to your resume that may help to distinguish you from other applicants. In this article, we discuss when to include internships on your resume, when to leave them out of your resume and how to add internships to your resume, including templates and examples.

Related: How to Write a Resume Employers Will Notice

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When to include internships on your resume

Internships can be valuable on your resume when there are specific circumstances that allow for it. Here are situations that make including your internship on your resume worthwhile:

• After you have completed college and you have no other work experience related to the job you are applying for

• If you are currently attending college and want to show you have gained some skills and experience

• When you are making a career change and you completed a relevant internship for your new career

• If you have limited job experience related to the job you are applying for

Related: 6 Universal Rules for Resume Writing

When to leave internships out of your resume

Internships are not required to remain on your resume for a long period of time. Here are situations when you may leave internships out of your resume:

• When you have developed enough work experience in your career field. For instance, 5 years of experience or more.

• If your internship is unrelated to the job you are applying for

How to add internships to your resume

1. Include the internship title.

2. Include the company name.

3. List dates by the season or year.

4. List 2-4 bullet points about responsibilities and achievements.

1. Include the internship title

Make sure to include the internship title rather than just the generic title, "internship." For example, if you completed an internship at a law firm, you may write your title as "Legal Intern." This way, it is apparent to the hiring manager that you have previous experience working in the legal field. It also helps you to appear more detailed and credible.

2. Include the company name

Add the internship company name and location to your resume to make sure the hiring manager can search the company and review its credibility. This is especially important if you have worked with a well-known company that has received praise for their work or another aspect of their business. Listing highly credible companies that you interned for helps you to appear more desirable as a potential employee.

3. List dates by the season or year

Most internships do not take place year-round like typical jobs. It is best to list dates by month and year or season. For example, you may list your dates as "Summer 2018" or "August 2018."

4. List 2-4 bullet points about responsibilities and achievements

List responsibilities that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. Make sure to highlight any special projects you worked on during your internship.

Tips for adding internships to your resume

Here are some tips for you to consider when you add your internships to your resume:

• Make sure your resume format is consistent. Use consistent formatting throughout your resume and refrain from changing the font style or size for your internship experience.
  

• Highlight responsibilities. Include only your most noteworthy responsibilities as an intern.
  

• Write short sentences with action verbs. Your experience should be explained using action verbs in clear and concise sentences.
  

• Quantify achievements if you can. If you achieved something important such as exceeding quarter for sales goals, then you should add it to your internship experiences.
  

• List internship in the correct place. Your internship should be listed under work experience or in its own subheading if the internship experience is more recent and valuable than your paid work experience.

Related: Action Verbs to Make Your Resume Stand Out

Internship resume template

Here is an internship resume template that can help you to format and list your own internship experience:

[Your Name]
[Address]
[Your Location]
[Phone Number]
[Email]

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

[Description of professional experience]

EDUCATION

[Degree level/ Graduation year]

[GPA]
[School Name]

INTERNSHIPS

[Company Name, Location]
[Intern Title, Date]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

[Company Name, Location]
[Intern Title, Date]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

• [Responsibilities/Achievements]

Examples

Below are a few examples of the internship work experience listed in resume format:

Example #1

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Big Business Consulting, Houston, TX
Management Consultant Intern, Summer 2019

• Assisted with the analysis of financial data for a company including revenue, employment reports and expenditure using complex math models

• Recommended new organizational changes that decreased Q4 turnover by 3%

• Gathered information about management problems that required immediate solutions

• Presented information to senior leaders

MAXED OUT MARKETING CO, Houston, TX
Marketing Intern, Spring 2018

• Developed a social media marketing campaign for new products

• Developed expertise with marketing analytics and identified target markets

• Converted 75% of prospects into qualified leads

• Worked closely with the sales team and other employees to identify marketing needs

Example #2

WORK EXPERIENCE

Teach Each Program
New York, NY
Teaching Intern

Dec 2018-May 2019

• Developed lesson plans and activities for children ages 10-15

• Researched adolescent learning styles and presented findings to the local education department

• Assisted teachers with leading classroom discussions

• Graded essays, homework and tests

• Developed creative projects for efficient learning and development

New York English Society
New York, NY
Education Intern
Summer 2018

• Taught children how to read and write with the use of study aids

• Researched how illiteracy affects children and maintains poverty

• Created presentations about illiteracy in inner-city youth

• Assisted with the development of a literacy program that provided free books to children in at-risk areas

Example #3

Sheep Law Firm
Toms River, NJ
Legal Intern

Winter 2018

• Assisted with writing case briefs

• Conducted legal research on complex cases

• Aided lawyers with courtroom preparation and paperwork

• Interviewed witnesses in criminal cases