
18+ Simple & Basic CV Templates with Easy to Use Layout
You've got no time for complications. You need an easy to use simple & basic CV template that’ll get you hired. We’ve got 18 expert designs that’ll do just that.
Being an intern isn’t just about buying foamy lattes for the boss. It’s serious business and you need a serious internship CV. Learn to write it here.
A good degree is important but employers want more. You need practical experience to match your academic achievements and the best way to get that is with an internship.
Landing a top internship is one the best ways to make a strong start to your career. And the stats prove it. According to statistics, 85% of companies use internships to recruit for full-time roles, with former interns estimated to fill 37% of graduate vacancies.
If you want a piece of the action, you’ll need a standout internship CV.
Read on and you’ll see a professional internship CV example you can adjust and make yours. Plus, you’ll learn an easy formula for writing a CV for internships that will land you 10x more interviews than any other CV you’ve written before.
Here’s an internship CV sample made with our builder.
Want to save time and have your CV ready in 5 minutes? Try our CV builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ CV templates and create your CV here.
Sample CV made with our builder—See more CV samples here.
Already got an internship and ready to apply for a permanent role? Check out our guides:
Lucy Clarke
Ph: 0777 777 7777
Email: lclarke_zety@gmail.com
Final year engineering student at University College London and STEM evangelist. Have just completed dissertation on the optimisation of metallic alloys used in industrial equipment and seeking to apply that knowledge in practice. Looking to make a strong start to my career in materials engineering by making an active contribution as an intern at Vinci Metal’s cutting edge materials science and engineering consultancy.
Education
Engineering (Mechanical) BEng, September 2017–June 2020
University College London
Work Experience
Work Experience Placement
Metalcore Operations, Hemel Hempstead
June 2019–September 2019
Skills
Hobbies & Interests
Now here’s the job-winning internship CV formula.
An internship is an opportunity offered by employers to students and graduates to gain work experience for a fixed period of time. Your internship CV needs to be carefully researched and focus on the needs of the employer. It also needs to highlight a strong set of soft skills to show you can thrive and make a valuable contribution to the workplace.
Speaking of skills, think of your CV for an internship as a test of your written communication skills, which consistently feature at the top of the list for recruitment ‘must-haves’. Here’s how to get it right.
So where do we begin? With your education section. At this stage of your career, it’s the most important section on your CV. And don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about your personal statement, we’ll cover that later.
Read more: CV Format: Best Examples for Career Success
As your career progresses, this section will swap place with your work experience. But if you’re still studying, or a recent graduate, it should come first. Here’s what you need to include.
But that’s not all, you won’t have much work experience to draw on, if any, so you need to add more detail to your academic achievements. Add 1–2 bullet points listing relevant modules, academic achievements and extracurricular activities. Here’s how it should look.
Engineering (Mechanical) BEng, September 2017–June 2020
University College London
As you can see, it just doesn’t just list the candidate’s education, it gives specific detail that’s directly relevant to the internship they’re targetting. Now let’s move on to your work experience section.
Read more: Best CV Structure: How to Set out a Perfect CV
If you have no work experience at all then you can skip this section. But if you do have any experience, paid or unpaid, make the most of it. Here’s what you need to do.
Here’s an example so you can see what I mean.
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Wrong |
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They look completely different, right? But the truth is, they’re both from the same candidate. The first example uses the PAR technique to add structure. Problem, action and result, a great way of not just saying what you did, but proving how well you did it.
There are numbers too and action verbs starting each sentence. Compare it to the second example which is just a shopping list of what the candidate was ‘responsible for’. Not exactly a great sales pitch.
And even if it’s not industry-specific experience you should still include it. For example, if you’ve done part-time retail work while studying, emphasise the soft skills you gained like teamwork and communication. They’ll still add weight to your application.
Pro Tip: Think you don’t have any experience? Think again. Volunteering, part-time work and work experience placements all count.
Next, we’ll move on to your skills section.
Read more: What to Include in a Work Experience CV Section
When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Internships exist in many different industries. There’s no set list of skills that’s applicable to everyone. So how do you choose which skills are best to put on your Internship CV?
There’s no one size fits all approach to internship skills, but this list contains skills that are considered valuable by every employer.
Read more: Key Skills to Put on a CV: Best List of Top Skills
Your CV for an internship is going to have a lot of competition. The Institute of Student Employers estimates there are 75+ candidates for each vacancy. A great way to make yourself stand out is to add extra sections that round out your skills and experience.
Read more: Best Hobbies and Interests to Put on a CV
Back to the beginning now. The rest of your CV is written so you’ve got everything you need to write your personal statement or CV profile.
As the first section of your CV it needs to be compelling. In just 3–4 sentences you need to convince the hiring manager your CV is worth reading. That sounds tough I know, but all you need to do is answer three questions.
And here’s how to answer them:
Here are some examples:
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Final year engineering student at University College London and STEM evangelist. Have just completed dissertation on the optimisation of metallic alloys used in industrial equipment and seeking to apply that knowledge in practice. Looking to make a strong start to my career in materials engineering by making an active contribution as an intern at a cutting edge materials science and engineering consultancy. |
Wrong |
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Final year engineering student at University College London. Looking to complete an internship to gain valuable hands-on experience for my future career in engineering. Due to graduate with 2:1 honours and particularly interested in the field of materials engineering. |
Once again, it’s the same candidate. But just look at the difference. The first example is brimming with energy and passion. It’s highly focussed too and lets the employer know the candidate has specialist knowledge in their field.
The second? Well, it’s yawn-inducing. Nice enough, but it’s hardly likely to grab the recruiter’s attention.
And that’s your CV for an internship complete. Also, try to avoid badly designed free CV templates, stick with expert designed examples like Zety's instead. But there’s one more thing you need to consider.
Read more: How to Write a CV Personal Statement
I know what you’re thinking. Nobody writes letters anymore. And you’ve got a point, but let me assure you that in the world of recruiting they’re still essential. In fact, more than half of hiring managers consider them a must-have.
Here’s how to write a cover letter for an internship in no time.
And one last tip. Follow up. If you haven’t heard back about the internship within a week of the closing date, contact the employer by email or phone about the status of your application. It’s a great way of improving your chances of getting an interview.
Read more: What to Include in a Cover Letter for a Job [15+ Examples]
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Here’s a recap of what we’ve covered:
Thanks for reading. Internships cover a broad range of job sectors so if you’ve got specific questions, please ask. Would you like to know about a CV for a summer internship or perhaps a CV for a finance internship? Ask me in the comments section and I’ll be happy to help.
You've got no time for complications. You need an easy to use simple & basic CV template that’ll get you hired. We’ve got 18 expert designs that’ll do just that.
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