Internship CV Example & Writing Guide

Personal Statements: pursuing a path of purpose 

Internships can help you gain valuable work experience and explore different career options. If you’re currently pursuing an intern role, it’s essential to focus on crafting an impressive CV that will catch the attention of potential employers. One of the most important parts of your CV is your personal statement, which offers employers a quick glimpse into your professional profile. In a few sentences, you’ll want to include relevant information about your professional background, career achievements, and aspirations. Highlight any key facts or experiences that set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the internship role. We’ve got a ton of CV examples for you to browse and career advice on our cvapp.nz website for Kiwis keen to boost their job prospects! Here’s a great example of a CV personal statement for interns below:

Employment History: your career highlights 

Your work history section should contain details about any previous jobs you’ve had in order of most recent to least recent. You’ll always want to include keywords from the job description where possible, as these keywords will help you stand out to employers and any applicant tracking systems (ATS) they have installed in their application software. These tracking systems ‘rate’ your CV using a series of algorithms. Top-rated CVs will feature keywords from the job description, so be sure to read over the job description a few times. 

 Don’t be intimidated if you lack extensive work experiences! Instead, focus on highlighting any relevant experiences, such as volunteer work, extracurricular activities or group projects that might showcase relevant skills for the internship role. You should also include your job title, the name of the company or organisation you previously worked for, the location and any key achievements or responsibilities you managed during your time in your role. We have some great examples of work history sections across our CV templates – check out our example below:

Education: a snapshot of your academic success

Including your educational experience in your CV is important, as it provides employers with important information about your academic background and any necessary qualifications. If you possess educational experience that aligns with the internship role you're applying for, that's great! However, if you don't, there's no need to worry. You'll want to include your highest level of education in this section. Your education section provides you with an opportunity to explain how your education makes you an excellent candidate for the internship you’re applying for. By leveraging your educational experiences effectively, you can showcase your qualifications and stand out as a strong candidate for the internship. Your education section should look a little something like this: 

CV skills: sharing your strengths 

When creating the skills section of your CV, it's important to consider the employer, the specific job role and the industry you’re applying to. The skills you include as an intern will vary depending on the type of internship you're pursuing. Therefore, it's important to carefully review the job description and identify the skills that employers value.

We always recommend including a combination of hard and soft skills. Hard skills encompass technical capabilities, such as CAD software proficiency, sound engineering abilities, or language skills. On the other hand, soft skills encompass interpersonal abilities like communication and time management. By considering these factors and tailoring your skills section accordingly, you can effectively demonstrate your suitability for the internship position.