How to Write an HR Intern Resume

Not sure how to write a job-winning human resources intern resume?

Look no further.

Many companies advertise job openings for summer interns in the HR department. If you prove your worth to the company, you may get a permanent job offer with benefits and perks.

You will gain experience in human resource management and learn how to resolve common workplace issues. To write an effective HR intern resume, it is important to highlight your administrative skills and list relevant experiences.

This is a complete guide that aims to help you in writing a great resume. Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• Best job-winning human resources intern resume sample.

• List the correct set of relevant skills.

• Mention your qualifications, certifications, and experiences relevant to each job.

• Use the Applicant Tracking System to land job interviews.

• Learn to differentiate yourself from others.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Write an HR Intern Resume?

An HR intern is responsible for assisting the HR department with various tasks. These may include conducting research, planning and organizing events, managing data and records, and providing administrative support.

An HR intern also assists with special projects or initiatives. The specific job responsibilities of an HR intern will vary depending on the department’s needs. However, all interns may take on a variety of tasks to contribute to the department’s success.

Take into account the following steps before writing an HR intern job resume:

1. Invest time in researching the company you’re applying to. What have been the hiring trends? How soon do they hire? What are the requirements for applying for any job at the company?
2. Jot down all points, and start writing the resume with the same tile you’re applying to.
3. Do not miss out on any details and make a 1-pager HR intern resume.
4. Write a cover letter that addresses the hiring person with their full name.

Now that you have crafted the HR intern resume, here are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

1. Do you have basic computer skills to maintain personnel files?
2. Do you have any experience volunteering with an NGO or a company during your semester break?
3. Does your experience (if any) resonate well with the requirements of an HR intern?
4. Is the company looking for someone with experience in handling employee relations issues?
5. Are you good at compiling reports and creating presentations to help the HR department?

Despite having previous experience, the HR intern position assumes you are starting your career in this field from scratch.

Many HR interns do not have any experience writing resumes. For the vast majority, this will be the first time creating HR intern resumes and applying to different companies. You must exclude any details from your HR intern resume irrelevant to the job.

By gaining hands-on experience in all aspects of the recruitment process, HR interns can develop the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career in human resources.

How to Make Your HR Intern Resume ATS-Friendly?

In today’s job market, making your resume ATS-friendly is more important than ever. For those not familiar, Applicant Tracking Systems are software programs that employers use to scan and store resumes. With so many applications to sort through, these systems are often the first line of defense in hiring.

98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS to scan, parse, and store resumes. If the ATS doesn’t pick your resume, it will never reach the hiring manager.

That’s why it’s crucial to format your resume to allow the ATS to parse your information. Here are a few tips:

• Use simple, straightforward language and avoid using creative or technical jargon.
• Use clear headings and subheadings to organize your information.
• Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial.
• Avoid using symbols or images, as ATS can often misinterpret them.

Following these guidelines will help ensure that your resume makes it past the ATS and into the hands of a human recruiter. You can improve your chances of landing that dream job with a little effort.

Including phrases such as “leadership skills,” “good organizational skills,” or “hr intern” will help to ensure that the ATS picks up your resume.

What Sections Should You Put on Your HR Intern Resume?

There are many sections of a human resources intern resume, but you need to include the following ones:

HR Intern Resume Professional Header

The hiring managers will glance at your professional header when they receive the application.

Make sure to include the following details:

• Full name and contact information, including phone number and email address.

• Job title.

• A portfolio, if you have one.

• City without a residential address.

• Educational institutes with names of degrees and graduation years.

• Relevant skills, tools, and certifications.

Other than the essentials, you must include the most relevant experiences when applying to different jobs. Weigh in on the following factors before finalizing everything:

• Does your resume have relevant keywords?

• Can you justify the skills and results?

• Does it fit one page?

• Do the job responsibilities define your roles?
• Is your resume formatted for ATS?
• Does your resume reflect your personality?

It’s your resume, don’t take it for granted.

Here is one example of the human resources intern resume example and format.

Did you notice it is ATS-compliant? There are no tables, graphs, or columns. Yet, it appeals to the hiring manager.

The most important keywords are in bold, and the resume has no headshot.

HR Intern Resume Experience Example

A human resources intern’s responsibilities include recruiting employees, compiling employee data, conducting background checks, answering employees’ queries, helping with recruitment efforts and HR programs, and working with HR business partners.

Here are some of the most important job responsibilities as a human resource intern:

• Assist HR department in workers’ compensation claims
• Support the hiring managers in talent acquisition
• Perform administrative tasks such as managing personnel files
• Provide relevant data to the HR department on time
• Advanced Excel skills to data
• Perform data entry tasks to update employee records and personnel files
• Schedule exit interviews of employees leaving the company
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Conduct initial interviews
• Research potential candidates
• Create job descriptions
• Attending job fairs and job-seeking workshops
• Provide administrative support to the HR team

Take into account the following when writing experiences in your human resources intern resume:

• Remain relevant and list work history specific to the job title.
• Take assistance from a resume builder.
• What HR tools are you proficient in?
• Why are you the best fit for this job?
• What makes you different than others?

Prospective employers will also want to see you have some experience working in human resources. Therefore, an HR intern’s resume should include a section detailing any relevant work experience.

This could include full-time, part-time, seasonal, or internships. Each entry should consist of the job title, employer name and location, dates of employment, and a brief description of duties and responsibilities. For example:

• HR Internship, ABC Company, Boston, MA (June – August 20xx)
  • Assisted with recruitment initiatives by conducting initial phone screens and scheduling interviews
  • Conducted data entry and maintained employee records

Listing Skills

As an HR intern, you must include keywords on your resume to show employers that you have the skills and qualifications they seek. Above all, adding these keywords will help the ATS to parse your resume and shortlist you for the interview.

Some of the most relevant skills for an HR intern include:

• Strong communication skills
• Critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Strong MS Office skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written communication skills and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent at creating reports and documentation using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Office management skills, including employee file handling and maintaining confidential employee documents in a secure database.
• Helping the HR Department verify employment for new employees.
• Helping the senior management with meeting minutes.
• Creating and managing new hire paperwork.
• Assisting the HR manager in various HR projects.
• Assisting the HR department in the performance review process of all employees.

By including these keywords on your resume, you demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in an HR role.

By highlighting your skills and qualifications, you can show yourself as a capable candidate ready to take on the challenges of an HR internship. You must also have strong communication skills to work in the HR department.

Listing Education

The minimum education requirement for an HR intern is a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a related field.

Include any coursework or training related to human resources management. A resume for an HR intern position should highlight the applicants’ relevant coursework, prior experience, and skills.

Your professional resume should also include a section listing your educational background. The education section should list the institution’s name, location, degree type, and field of study. For example:

• Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management, XYZ University, Boston, MA
• Master of Science in Human Resources Management, XYZ University, Boston, MA
  • Relevant coursework: Employee Relations, Organizational Behavior, Training and Development

Internships are unpaid but provide valuable experience that can lead to a full-time job after graduation. Interns work with senior HR staff and learn about various aspects of the HR field, including employee recruitment, benefits administration, and training and development.

Interns often have the opportunity to shadow HR professionals and learn about their day-to-day duties.

Listing Certifications

Landing an internship in the human resources field can be competitive. Many students pursuing a career in HR will obtain one or more professional certifications to make their resumes stand out.

These certifications demonstrate that an intern has the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in an HR role. Many employers prefer candidates with certifications, as it shows a commitment to professional development. As a result, obtaining certification can give interns a significant advantage when competing for HR roles.

Here are some relevant HR certifications to get ahead of others as a human resources intern:

• Senior Professional in Human Resources – SPHR

• Certified Professional in Human Resources – IPMA CP

Listing Achievements

As a human resources intern, you may or may not have enough prior experience to list your achievements in the resume. But there are many ways you can add it. Here are some factors you take into account while listing achievements:

• Do you have a proven ability to work in a team?
• Have you conducted enough research to study human resources policies?
• What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
• What are your career goals?
• Have you provided suggestions in previous companies on improving the recruitment processes?
• Is this the first time you’re applying for an internship program?
• Do you plan to continue this internship and move to a full-time job?

Many HR interns will write:

“Created PowerPoint presentations for the HR Department.”

As an HR intern, this is obvious. It doesn’t prove any results.

Here are some great examples of human resources intern achievements:

• Created 5 PowerPoint presentations covering HR laws and company policies, helping the HR department to share the information with the employees.
• Proven ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Strong organizational skills to create reports and contribute to the team environment.

Listing Interests

Hiring managers have no time to review your interests. Moreover, listing interests does not increase your job prospects. It’s better to leave them out.

Listing Languages

Most companies in the US require strong communication skills in the English language. As an HR intern, listing the English language on your resume is good enough.

HR Intern Resume Example

After going through many human resources resume samples, here is one format you can copy:

This is an excellent HR Intern resume format that fits one page and lists all skills, certifications, and experiences in a well-organized manner.

My HR Intern Experience as a Job Applicant

Here are two approaches to submitting your resume:

• The shotgun approach – Applying on all jobs without customizing your cover letter and resume.

• The sniper approach – Applying for relevant jobs with a customized cover letter and resume.

The shotgun approach works like this:

• 75 job applications submitted

• 3 responses received
• 0 interview offers

The laser-focused sniper approach works like this:

• 50 job applications submitted

• 9 responses to interviews

• 5 last round interview

• 2 job offers

The difference is self-explanatory—quality over quantity.

How Many Pages should your HR Intern Resume be?

Employers skim and scan your resume, so it should never exceed one page. This should be the standard. Keep it simple.

Five HR Intern Resume Tips

With little to zero prior experience in creating an HR intern resume, here are five tips on how you can create an ever-lasting first impression:

1. Write a personal cover letter for each role

“Hello, hiring manager. My name is ________. I am applying to your company as an HR intern. Please consider me for this role.

Thank you.”

This is not a cover letter. It shows you haven’t read the job description and aren’t addressing the hiring manager with their first name. You must prove why you are applying for the job and how you can add value to the organization.

To remain relevant and increase your chances of landing the job, it is important to personalize your cover letter. Here are some tips:

• Mention the company name.
• Explain why you are the best person for the role of a human resources intern.
• What motivates you to apply for the job?
• Use active voice.
• Do not exceed more than 350 words.
• Use bullet points wherever necessary.
• Do not include long paragraphs.

The above tips will help you get a call from the hiring manager for an interview.

2. Highlight achievements

As a human resources intern, you need to include achievements. Most job applicants applying as HR interns may not have enough experience and achievements to list on their resumes. If this is your situation, too, consider adding your achievements during your studies. List any project you have completed relevant to HR that may help you get a competitive edge over other candidates.

3. Use 1-inch margins

Your resume should have single spaces between the text, with a 1-inch margin across all sides. Anything more may make it difficult for ATS to scan your resume.

4. Proofread your resume before applying

Haste is waste. Do not rush while making your human resources intern resume. Proofread it to ensure no grammatical and spelling mistakes.

5. List your Linkedin profile

LinkedIn is the most popular social media network for professionals to connect. It is an excellent source for making new connections and staying updated about job market trends and openings. In a competitive market, a LinkedIn profile may be an added advantage when applying to companies.

HR Intern Job Resume Don’ts

Here are a few other don’ts.

Resume objective and summary

Hiring managers do not have the time all day to review each candidate’s objectives and summaries. They need short, precise, and to-the-point relevant details. Exclude objectives and summaries from your resume.

Headshot

Headshots are excellent for LinkedIn but do not fit your HR intern resume. The ATS cannot scan and parse your resume without a headshot. Other than this, it will also not increase your chances of landing the job interview.

Old experience

As an HR intern, you may or may not have more than two years of previous work experience. We suggest including old experience if possible, but ensure your resume does not exceed one page.

Where Can You Apply with Your HR Intern Resume?

Gone were the days when you’d submit the hard copy of your HR intern resume. Today, companies shortlist candidates who’ve submitted their resumes online. The following job boards are great in helping you find the right jobs as an HR intern.

• Linkedin
• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Monster
• Ziprecruiter
• Upwork

 FAQs

Here are the most frequently asked questions about the HR intern resume.

What are the key responsibilities in a human resources intern role?

A human resources intern typically assists with various HR functions, such as recruitment, onboarding, and administrative support. This role often includes responsibilities like coordinating interviews, helping with employee satisfaction surveys, managing records, and updating HR databases. As an HR intern, you may also help implement training sessions and support performance management tasks, exposing you to essential HR processes and insights into employee relations.

Which skills should I highlight on my HR intern resume?

For an HR intern role, focus on both soft and technical skills. Communication and organizational skills are essential, as HR requires working closely with different teams and managing multiple tasks. Familiarity with HR software is valuable, as many companies rely on these tools for managing employee information and tracking performance. Additionally, emphasize any experience in handling sensitive data, knowledge of recruitment processes, and understanding of employee satisfaction metrics, as these are all key aspects of HR work.

Why is knowledge of HR software beneficial for an HR intern?

Proficiency in HR software is highly beneficial as it demonstrates your ability to work efficiently with digital HR tools commonly used to streamline HR tasks. Familiarity with HR software shows that you can manage records, monitor employee performance, and maintain accurate documentation, which are essential functions in any HR department. Listing experience with specific HR tools can make your resume stand out and reflect your readiness for modern HR practices.

How can HR interns contribute to performance management?

HR interns support performance management by helping organize performance reviews, tracking goals, and gathering feedback. Assisting with performance management gives interns valuable experience in understanding how employee progress and productivity are measured. This involvement also provides exposure to the methods used to improve employee satisfaction, a critical aspect of HR aimed at building a motivated workforce.

What can I include in my resume to show my interest in employee satisfaction?

Highlight any coursework, projects, or previous experience in understanding workplace culture, employee engagement, or satisfaction surveys. Mentioning specific tasks, such as helping with onboarding or administering employee satisfaction questionnaires, demonstrates your interest in improving workplace morale. Employers value candidates who are mindful of the employee experience, so showcasing these interests can strengthen your resume.

Josh Fechter

Josh Fechter is the founder of HR.University. He's a certified HR professional and has managed global teams across 5 different continents including their benefits and payroll. You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.