Whether you are an undergraduate finishing your tertiary education, or a fresh graduate getting a foothold in your desired area and industry, an internship programme could just be the thing for you.
You will need to create an internship resume if you would like to apply for any internships out there. Fortunately, we have just the right internship resume guide for you. Need additional tips to create the best internship resume? You’re at the right place.
Best Internship Resume Tips
1. Strategising is key
Don’t rush the process and submit irrelevant internship resumes. Before you create an internship resume, always research the internship positions that you’re applying for.
Some of the things to look out for in the job ad:
- The academic requirements
- Repeated keywords
- The preferred intern traits they’re looking for
- The skills needed for that position
There are reasons why employers include these items in the job ad, and they will not hesitate to reject your application if your internship resume does not fulfil these criteria.
To ensure higher chances of getting hired, you must first understand the type of ideal candidates that they are looking for. Knowing is half the battle.
That way, you are able to strategise on how you are going to structure your resume and the things to include in order to portray yourself as the best candidate.
2. Start with a bang
Self-introduction has never been more important in your life. Competing with hundreds and maybe thousands of applicants nationwide, how do you introduce and pitch yourself to secure internship experiences in Malaysia’s best organisations?
The answer lies in the “above the fold” section of your resume. These are the sections you should master in your internship resume:
- Resume Contact Information section
- Resume Objective section
- Elevator Pitch section
These sections are crucial to help establish excellent first impressions with your potential employers. Your contact information should be clear and professional – just like your own business card.
Your resume objective and elevator pitch should be concise and relevant – think of it as having only 30 seconds to leave a positive, lasting first impression to secure the internship opportunity.
It’s okay to not have extensive work experience, employers understand that. However, it’s important then for you to sell yourself and the value you could bring to the organisation. Your elevator pitch does just that.
Messing up the “above the fold” section in your internship resume might be a ticket for your resume to enter the “Rejected” section.
3. Be different
Standing out from the crowd is not complicated. Here are some tips for you.
a. Quantify your job scopes
Impress companies with numbers. Have you “increased customer satisfaction by 20%”, or “designed UI for the top 10 companies in SEA”? Most undergraduates or fresh graduates do not put the effort to impress employers with numbers. It’s time for you to shine.
b. Highlight your achievements
Have you been praised by your lecturer? Committee members? For what reasons, and how did you do it? Most people do not bother including their achievements because they don’t know how to utilise them to their advantage.
Try to relate your achievements with the internship position, but ensure that they are truly relevant.
c. Extracurricular activities and volunteering experience
Aside from excelling in your studies, what else did you do or participate in for personal development? Are they related to the internship position? How can you bring value?
Always customise your resume with the “little things” that matter. However, do not include them for the sake of filling up your resume as working professionals can easily spot that.
4. Be professional
Ensure that your internship resume is easy to read and digest. Use clean & professional designs, the correct formatting and font sizes.
When it comes to readability, do note that there is no point in writing a 3-pages long resume since you have limited working experience. Try to fit everything nicely on a single page (2 pages maximum).
Another crucial tip to be professional – your internship resume must contain zero grammatical and spelling errors.
Always proofread your internship resume and get your friends and family to review it. They might be able to spot any careless mistakes you’ve made as a newbie.
The Bottom Line
Internship experience could be highly valuable if you participate for the right reasons, learning the right things, in the right organisations. But for you to gain the experience, you’d first need to fight for the opportunity shared amongst hundreds of other applicants.
We hope that our internship resume guide has provided you with the necessary material to craft your “golden key” into wonderful internship experiences. Once your internship resume is ready, it’s time to search for internship opportunities in Malaysia.
Internship interview coming up soon? Here are some of our interview guides for you.
