How to list internships on your resume (with examples)
Looking for advice on how to put an internship on resumes? Find out how you can highlight early career accomplishments to increase job search success.
Internships are often seen as the first rung on the ladder of career success. Still, you may wonder whether hiring managers see them the same way. Is there any real value in listing them on a resume?
The truth is that, when done properly, incorporating internships into your professional history will not only demonstrate your practical experience in your field but also position you as a go-getter eager to make an impact on the organization.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- How to put an internship on resumes
- How to decide when to include internships on your resume
- Where to list your relevant internships
- How to format the information to make maximum impact
- How remote internships should be handled differently
We’ll even provide examples of how to describe an internship on a resume to help you cut through the confusion and create an effective document that enables you to land the role you’re after.
When to list internships on your resume
When learning how to write about an internship in resumes, it can be unclear whether it’s even a good idea to include them on your resume or cover letter. The following best practices can help you discern whether adding this experience will help (or hurt) your chance at the position:
Do list your internships if:
- You’re a student or recent graduate and need to showcase transferable skills
- You’ve worked at the same company for a few years and need to fill the space
- You’re making a career change and want to highlight your practical experience in your target field
Don’t list your internships if:
- You have at least five years of professional work experience
- You’re an experienced professional whose internships are completely unrelated to your field
- Adding the information would make your resume too long
As Jobseeker’s resume articles recommend, ensure all internships you include are relevant to the role you seek.
Expert Tip
If you scored a highly prestigious internship (at the White House, for instance), you may wish to keep that information on your resume long-term to show potential employers that you have experience working for high-profile companies or organizations.
How to put an internship on your resume (step by step)
If it makes sense for you to include internships on your resume, here’s how to do so:
1. Add internships to your work experience section
Even an unpaid internship still counts as work since it’s in a professional environment, so internships should generally always be listed in your work experience section. You likely gained practical, real-world experience in your internship, so outline that in the bullet points below your internship details. If you’ve completed several internships that are relevant to your career goals, you can also create a separate resume section for your internships.
In either case, list your most relevant work experience and internships first, then list the others in reverse chronological order.
2. Information to include
When listing your internship, include the formal title of your position, the company name, the location of the internship, and the dates you worked there. Then include a short description of the position in bullet points, just as you would for any other item in your work experience section.
3. Add responsibilities, achievements, and accomplishments
In that description, briefly outline your responsibilities, achievements, and accomplishments for the internship. Use resume action words to bring your experience to life, and include quantified data to support your accomplishments whenever possible (e.g., you ‘placed an average of 100 outgoing calls each day to boost sales by 15%’).
Target your resume to each job that you apply for, including the information that you include about your internship; mirror keywords and phrases from the job description to show that you are qualified for the job.
Since internships are short-term and more of a learning experience, you may not be able to think of any massive achievements that you had over the course of your internship. However, you can still share what you learned and what business functions you were exposed to, indicating your potential for future achievements.
4. Use a consistent format
Use the same format to present your internship information as you use for the rest of your work experience. If you create a separate resume section, make sure it flows well with the rest of your resume. Use the same fonts, colors, and so forth. And, if you list more than one internship, use the same format for each entry.
Jobseeker’s resume builder helps candidates across the globe highlight their internship experience in a way that gets them noticed. Our robust resume templates enable you to format your internship details so they’re incorporated flawlessly into your work history, making it a perfect solution regardless of your experience level.
How to list virtual/remote internships?
In today’s business environment, remote work has become the norm.
According to Gallup data, 28% of U.S. employees in remote-capable jobs currently work remotely. Another 51% are engaged in hybrid work where they’re away from the office during a portion of the workweek.(1) Internships are no different, with 61.3% of employers providing hybrid experiences.(2)
Clearly, being present in the office to participate in internships is becoming less mandatory as evolving technology continues to facilitate virtual attendance. Consequently, it’s critical to know how to put an internship on resumes when the work is done remotely. Here’s how to do so successfully:
- Provide the name of the role and company
- Specify your internship’s start and end dates
- Include a note that your internship was hybrid or remote
For example:
Digital Marketing Intern | Campbell and Associates | Las Vegas, NV (Remote)
January–July 2023
- Collaborated with the senior marketing manager on four major projects for $100,000+ accounts that increased revenue by 12%
- Completed 97% of delegated tasks within given deadlines
If the company has a headquarters or a nearby office location, you may wish to include it. Learning how to describe an internship on a resume in this way can help lend credibility to your experience. This is especially important if your internship was a hybrid position, as it allows you to specify the location where you spent time in the office.
Examples of listing an internship on a resume
If you’re wondering, “Where do internships go on a resume,” you’re not alone. When looking to incorporate internships into a job application, concrete resume examples can serve as a helpful guide. Here’s what listing internships on your resume should look like for various sections of the document:
Work experience section
If your recent search history includes the query, “Can I put internships under work experience,” the answer is a resounding “yes.” These examples can help you incorporate internship information into the work experience section:
Work Experience
UX Design Summer Intern | May–August 2020
Google | Seattle, WA
- Collaborated with a team of 6 interns
- Defined the overall design and UX of the project to exceed specs
- Delivered the final product after 10 weeks of team effort
User Research Intern | August–December 2019
QuantCode | Tacoma, WA
- Worked with a team of 12 interns on a website for a major account
- Collected user behavior data through server logs and benchmark studies
- Helped client decrease user bounce rate by 51%
Separate internship-specific section
For those asking, “Where do internships go on a resume?”, here’s how you can create a separate section to highlight the true value of your internship experiences.
Internships
Summer Property Management Intern | July–September 2023
Sanguine Management Co. | Westbury, NY
Worked on several projects designed to maximize occupancy by scheduling appointments, generating interest and traffic, and providing exceptional customer service to retain residents.
- Collaborated with the property manager to refine marketing materials and identify opportunities for distribution
- Verified qualifications and prepared move-in paperwork for 12 new residents
- Responded to 50+ resident inquiries per week within two hours of placing a call to the front office
Real Estate Intern | June–August 2022
Northern Star Property Group | Nyack, NY
- Conducted market background research to boost firm’s marketing results by 18%
- Prepared 18 properties for rental and sale to ensure complete client satisfaction
- Collaborated with vendors to stage properties to ensure a clean presentation
When learning how to write about an internship in resumes, it’s important to note that exemplary resume and cover letter templates can also help you incorporate elements of your internship experience into other sections of your application. For instance, you might use your professional summary to further emphasize how the skills you’ve gained can enhance your performance and benefit the organization.
Key takeaways
Learning how to put an internship on resumes can be useful for everyone, from college students to professionals with limited experience. If you want to make your experience shine through, you should be:
- Listing internships on resumes that are relevant to your desired role
- Adding internships to your work experience section or creating a separate section
- Including your title, the company you interned for, and the dates of your internship
- Outlining your responsibilities, achievements, and accomplishments using action words
- Specifying whether your internship was hybrid or remote
- Maintaining a consistent format for listing your internships
Need help creating a resume that highlights your internship experience? Consider using Jobseeker’s professional resume builder tool. You can enter your details, easily switch between resume layouts and design schemes, and then download your polished resume instantly and get started applying for your dream job!
FAQ
While it’s wise to focus on listing internships on resumes that represent past and current experiences, you can present upcoming internships by giving the name of the company, using “Incoming” as a qualifier on your job title, and emphasizing the proposed start and end date of your internship.
Absolutely. Putting your current internship on your resume will highlight your recent work experience and achievements.
If you’re a student, recent graduate, or someone with limited work experience, you should make use of resume examples and cover letter examples that provide space to list all internships that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.
If you’re wondering, “Can I put internships under work experience?”, you’ll be pleased to learn that this is a perfectly acceptable approach. However, you should ensure that each opportunity is clearly labeled to reflect your role and status.
As a general rule, you can stop putting internships on your resume once you have five years of professional experience.
Unpaid internships don’t generally look bad and can actually showcase your experience, especially if you’re a student or recent graduate with a limited work history. Just make sure your internships are relevant to the role and highlight transferable skills.
Sources:
(1) Gallup: Hybrid Work
(2) National Association of Colleges and Employers: Internship, Entry-Level Job Modality Corresponds With Students’ Job Preferences
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