How to Include an Internship on Your Resume (with Examples)

In today’s competitive job market, relevant training can set you apart from other job applicants. This is especially true if you are a student or a recent graduate with limited work experience, or if you are changing your field of work.

When to Include Internships on Your Resume

You should include an internship on your resume when the training is relevant to the job you are applying for. This is especially the case when you are a student or a recent graduate with limited work experience. Internships provide you with crucial experience in a specific industry, so they should be included to showcase your skills and abilities.

Internships should also be included when you are changing your field of work. Even if you have many years of work experience, those jobs may not be relevant to your new field. Highlight any internships that have prepared you for work in your new industry.

When to Omit Internships

You can start omitting internships from your resume when you gain enough experience in your field. After about five years (or two or three jobs) in your industry, you can primarily focus on your work history rather than previous internship experience.

Note: If you have a particularly prestigious internship in your field, you may keep it on your resume for a longer time. For example, if you had an internship at Google or Facebook, or another significant internship in your industry, keep it on your resume.

Where to Place Internships

Internships can be included in the work history section of your resume. Alternatively, you can create a separate section that highlights the internships you have completed.

Work history section: Since internships provide important work experience, you can include internships in the “Work History” or “Previous Work History” section of your resume, alongside other jobs you have had.

Internships section: If you have multiple internships, you might include a separate section for “Internships” on your resume. Place this section at the top of your resume. Put the “Internships” section above the “Work History” section if the internships are particularly relevant to the job you are applying for.

Note: Whatever you do, do not place internships at the bottom of your resume or in the “Education” section. Internships are real-world experiences and should be treated with the same professional weight as a job.

How to Include Internships

When you include an internship on your resume, you should include the same information as any other job:

Include the internship title. If possible, do not just say “Intern” – ask your supervisor if you had a more detailed title like “Marketing Intern” or “Sales Assistant Intern.”
Include details. Also include the company name, location, and internship dates. You can record dates by month and year, or by semester (like “Summer 2021” or “Spring 2022”).
Include your responsibilities. Under this information, include 2-4 bullet points that showcase your responsibilities and achievements during the internship.

Focus on the responsibilities that relate to the job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a writing job, mention how you wrote and published five articles during the internship. You do not need to mention less relevant tasks, such as answering phones or making copies.

If you have difficulty identifying which responsibilities and achievements to include, start by making a long list of everything you did during each internship. Then look at the job posting for the position you are applying for. Circle anything from your list that matches the skills or abilities required for the job. Highlight those particular experiences.

Ask

Your supervisor’s advice during the internship on how to include the internship period in your resume can help you highlight the greater importance of skills and experiences in the industry, and he can tell you the key terms in your field that should be included.

Note: Make sure to format internship periods consistently with the format of other work experiences in your resume. Again, internships are just as important in your career path as jobs, so you do not need to format them differently. This is especially true if you include internships in the “Work History” section. For example, if you highlight your job titles, do the same for your internship titles.

Example of Internships in the “Work History” Section

Here is an example of a “Work History” section in a resume that includes two internships:

Work History

New York History Museum

New York, New York

Academic Programs Intern

January 2021 – May 2021

Developed and organized activities for museum visitors aged 5 to 15 for school break programs in February and April
Wrote five articles for the monthly newsletter with a readership of 5,000
Conducted research on the latest educational standards and presented findings in a presentation to the education department

Albany History Association

Albany, New York

Education Intern

Summer 2020

Developed and implemented activities for museum visitors aged 4 to 10 related to a new exhibit on transportation history
Collaborated with the education department to develop and organize a full-day historical workshop for elementary school students
Received the Outstanding Summer Intern Award from the association president

Example of a Resume with a “Internships” Section

Here is an example of a complete resume that highlights internship experience in the “Internships” section. You can download the template (compatible with Google Docs and Microsoft Word), or read the text version below.

Download the Resume Template

Sample Resume with “Internships” Section (Text Version)

Sarah Jones

Dallas, Texas 75001

(555) 456-7890

sarah.jones@email.com

Qualifications Summary

Creative and emerging professional well-informed about trends in the fast-paced digital marketing field. Proficient in developing SEO strategies, keyword research, and site optimization. Talented in writing and graphic design with the ability to easily build relationships on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. Hands-on internship experience in developing segmented email campaigns and managing social media. Technical skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, Campaign Builder, Google AdWords, Google Analytics, and Facebook Analytics; advanced proficiency in HTML and CSS.

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing (2021); GPA 3.7

Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas

Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society; Golden Key

Internships

Major Marketing Company, Dallas, Texas

Marketing Intern, April 2021 – June 2021

Tasked with creating and launching daily email blasts and invitations for high-speed email campaigns. Identify target audiences, track unsubscribes, and monitor spam complaints.
Gained experience in template design, deploying A/B tests, market analysis, and lead management.
Recognized by upper management for achieving 89% lead conversion success.

Western Gear Company, Dallas, Texas

Social Media Intern, September 2020 – December 2020

As a social media intern for a luxury clothing store, wrote and scheduled posts on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Captured and edited digital images of items for sale; created and analyzed social media performance reports using Google Analytics and Facebook Analytics. Increased Facebook audience by over 2,000 “Likes” by managing user conversations and encouraging repeat engagement. Launched and built the company’s first Pinterest and Instagram pages.

Work Experience

Sales Assistant, Dallas, Texas

June
2019 – June 2021

In conjunction with my studies, I provided excellent customer service to customers at the family clothing store. Showcasing products and assisting customers with their selections. Operating the point-of-sale system.
I used WordPress to create a new digital sales website for the store.

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Sources

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editing process to learn more about how we verify facts and maintain the accuracy, reliability, and quality of our content.

NACE. “What Employers Seek on a Resume,” Accessed Feb. 15, 2022.

Vault. “100 Best Internships for 2020,” Accessed Feb. 15, 2022.