369 shares SHARE TWEET SMS SEND EMAIL is a big part of summer for college students. We are in the day and age where just having a college degree will not guarantee you a job. Consequently, students have to do extra when it comes to preparing for the real world. That is where an internship comes in. But even before that, comes the application. A key part in applying for internships is the presence of a resume. This piece of paper will make you stand apart from other applicants. And, yes, there will be a lot of them. Where do you even start? . The format. What information to put on it. The process can be overwhelming. Relevant Experience The first thing that comes to mind when building a resume is: job experience. However, most college students have had little to none. This is where you have to get creative. For example, you may be applying to a banking internship, but have never set foot inside a bank. Think back to the past. Handling money at a concession stand or balancing a cashdrawer at a former job counts as experience. . In addition, suppose you apply to intern for a graphic design company. It would be useful to mention your partaking in designing shirts for a club, or an art award you won. Whatever internship you apply for, add info about your experience that is relevant to the job. The Department of Justice does not care about your participation in a fashion show. Keep it appropriate to the title. Work Experience Not only should you mention relevant experience, but also any actual jobs you have ever had. Even though professionalism is not expected, it is an added bonus if you have held down one or more jobs in your life. It is okay if these have nothing to do with the internship —. The point of an internship is to learn new skills that will help you in the future in achieving a successful career. Do not fret if any of your experience is not “professional” enough. Recruiters are not looking for professionally qualified candidates. It is important to themthat applicants have transferable skills as well. Credentials/Skills Initiative, leadership, problem-solving ability, and communication proficiency are also credentials you should put on your resume. These kinds of skills can contribute to any work environment. The ability to multitask and willingness to work hard is also admirable to reading your resume. Furthermore, proficiency on the computer is attractive to employers. Competence with programs such as Microsoft Word, Office, PowerPoint and Excel can be useful in any work setting. So you have your work skills and job experience. Unfortunately, you are nowhere near finished; a resume needs a lot more. Education, relevant coursework, and any honors/activities should also be on it. Education/Relevant Coursework/Honors Start the ‘education’ section with stating what degree you are currently working towards and at what school. It is important to include your major and minor as well. Only include any high school information if the schoolhas an outstanding academic reputation or its location is significant to the internship. Under ‘relevant coursework’ reference which courses you have participated in that boost your qualifications. For example, if you are applying for an internship in the journalism industry, mention your studies in sports writing and public speaking. Resumes can also include class projects that pertain to the . Finally, list any honors you have received or activities you have participated in. Highlight specific awards, volunteer work and club affiliations. For example, comment what years you made Dean’s list. Between the experience, skills, education, coursework, and honors/activities, it can get cluttered. That is why there are endless resume templates online. Organizing all of these components is almost as important as the information itself. Contact Information/Objective Start off the resume with your contact information. Your name, email address, and phone number should be prominent overeverything else. As a side note, make sure your voicemail sounds appropriate. Underneath, list your mailing address. As a bonus, if you have one, include the URL to your LinkedIn profile to end the contact information section. Below your personal info, most resumes include an objective. First, make it clear that you are seeking an explicit position. Resumes are not for “whatever you have;” it is professional to seek a specific job title. But, what is an objective? It is simply a statement telling the company how you will benefit them. You could also call it your career goal. Nevertheless, the goal or objective, it has to be designed to the internship you are applying for. It is not a one size fits all. A personalized objective gives your resume credibility and show the employer you care about the position. For example, one would read, “Competitive tennis player seeks project manager job at Moe’s Sports Company.” Following your objective would be education, coursework, skills, relevantexperience, professional experience, then honors and activities. On an end note, keep your resume one page in length and error-free. Also, the employer should be able to make the position you are seeking instantly clear. An easy-to-read resume will leave the recruiter happy. Internship recruiters typically read a resume in less than 10 seconds. You have nothing but that short amount of time to stand out. So how will you? Gretchen Kernbach writes for , a leading college news and college classifieds resource for student housing, , roommates and sublets, tutors and scholarships, study abroad, test prep, and local services for college students. This article comes from The USA TODAY College partner network. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of USA TODAY. 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