How To Spice Up Your CV For Internship!

Summer internships are the most exciting and adrenalizing piece of a student’s degree program. Not only do they validate what you learn, but they also prepare you for the real world you will step into, once you graduate. It is then that you can break free from the bounds of your books and stop sulking about how many case studies you need to solve. It's about being in the front seat, doing hands-on work, and solving life problems with very real consequences. But landing a summer or your dream internship needs a little more than just enthusiasm. It has a lot to do with what you do apart from your academics and how you package yourself while nailing a CV format for internship.

Here are a few pro tips and tricks on how to write a CV for internship.

1. Pursuing Certifications

While pursuing a degree, it doesn’t even cross the minds of many to simultaneously pursue a certification program to add value to their CV. To stand out from the lot and have a shiny resume, make sure to do at least two certifications that are relevant to the area in which you want to pursue your summer internship. However, don’t just get that certificate for the sake of it. Interviewers are clever and might ask you pointed questions about the chosen field of the certification, or even ask you to explain what you learned to double-check your intent. Make sure you pick up genuine skills so that you can answer related questions correctly.

2. Active Participation in Corporate Competitions

The second thing that can add great value to your CV for a summer internship is active participation in corporate competitions. Since such competitions are conducted by the industry giants themselves and provide great exposure in terms of peer learning and critical thinking through solving live case simulations. They give an extra star to your CV. So, identify the competitions that sync with the area you want to pursue your internship in and register yourself. For example, if you want to pursue your summer internship in the field of finance, then the FLIP National Challenge is the one to register for and if it's in the field of Marketing, then HUL’s LIME would be one of the best to flaunt in your CV.

3. Doing Live and Short-Term Projects

Doing live projects and SIPs simultaneously with your academic engagements is a great way to practically apply all that you learn and add value to your CV. It might be a bit tough to be great at both, seeing the amount of hard work it takes to maintain good grades. But take it as a challenge. Such projects can become the soul of your CV by highlighting your experience and initiative and thus, tell the interviewer how driven you are. However, it is not easy to land live projects so early in the degree program and that’s where your professors, immediate alumni and social media come into the picture. Maintaining a good rapport with the people around will always come useful. Just ensure that you are mentored well and the project you do is relevant to your area of interest.

4. Good knowledge of Operational Tools

Doing professional certification in Powerpoint and Excel can add a dozen points to your CV for internship. The knowledge of these tools is a must for any student or graduate. Excel is used not just for calculations but also for making various business decisions through its many functions and macros. Knowing functions like the ‘vlookup’ and ‘whatif’, and mentioning them in your interview for your dream internship can work wonders. In addition, this helps you get more efficient with time. Being hands-on with PowerPoint and presentation skills can give you extra plus points in your interview for your dream internship. Pursuing advanced certification for such software will not only add value to your skill set but will also spice up your CV greatly. Today, tools like Canva, too, can help you design a great resume that can help you stand out.

5. Being Active in College Committees

Being an active part of your college executive and alumni committees will expand your network and experience. It will also reflect professionalism in you, showing a person who is outgoing and takes initiative. Companies like professionals who are active and extroverted, who go beyond the tasks assigned to them. So, leave no chance to showcase your zeal to learn and lead which will help in improving your CV for the summer internship. Additionally, being a part of such committees will also help you maintain a healthy network and get more visibility among your peers.

6. Maintain great academics and check other hygiene factors

The key point to keep in mind while drafting your CV is that you don’t want to make it too information-heavy. Getting a quick read of concepts like infographics can help you present your achievements and skills in an effective yet catchy manner.

Make one page CV talking about your objective to pursue your dream internship and all that you have done beyond academics. Make sure to include keywords that will help your CV get shortlisted because lots of companies do a keyword search.
Making a small section for your soft skills is an important part. Don’t forget to mention your learning from live projects and competitions and the impact that it created for the stakeholders.
Quantifying these points in your CV will create, all together, a different impact on the recruiters and will help you stand out from your peers.

Good luck with your dream summer internship!