How Your Students Should List an Internship on Their Resume

Including internships on a resume can help emphasize your work ethic and skills.
Applicants should only list internships relevant to a particular job.
Leave internships off a resume after establishing 2-5 years of professional experience.
Treat internships as work experience when listing them on a resume.

Why You Should Include Internships on Your Resume

Often, recent graduates lack professional experience to highlight on their resumes, making it difficult for hiring managers to ascertain their preparedness for a role. Internship experience can demonstrate to prospective employers that you are dedicated and eager to learn.

By participating in internships in college, recent grads can signal to employers that they used their time wisely and learned outside the classroom. Whether a student took on a paid or unpaid internship, they still had the opportunity to put their learning into action and gain skills that can transfer to future roles.

Writing a resume as a student or recent grad can feel frustrating — it can be a struggle to create a resume that looks robust. For those early in their careers, adding internships to a resume can demonstrate work ethic and highlight professional experience.

Examples of Internships on a Resume

The following internship resume examples provide guidance on how internships should be formatted on a resume.

Research Intern, American Heart Association
January-May 2019

Assisted research manager in compiling relevant data points for social media campaign
Formatted and updated existing research according to data management guidelines
Developed new system for organizing data submitted by supporters

Social Media Intern, Hays Auction and Appraisal
August-December 2019