2024

How to Write an HR Intern Resume

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

Look no further.

Human Resources Interns are entry-level professionals who support the daily operations of HR departments. This position is ideal for those looking to gain experience in the field of human resources. The average salary of an HR intern is $38,684 per year, according to Glassdoor.

Many companies advertise job openings for summer interns to work in the HR department. If you prove your worth to the company, you may end up getting 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 right 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 a variety of tasks. These may include conducting research, planning and organizing events, managing data and records, and providing administrative support.

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

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

  1. Invest time in researching about the company you’re applying to. What has been the hiring trends? How soon do they hire? What are the requirements to apply for any job at the company?
  2. Jot down all points, and start writing the resume with the same tile that 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 to 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 knowledge of computer skills to maintain personnel files?
  2. Do you have any experience of voluntary working with an NGO or a company during your semester break?
  3. Does your past 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 position of HR intern assumes you are starting your career in this field from scratch.

Many HR interns do not have any experience in writing their resumes. For the vast majority, this will be the first time creating HR intern resumes and applying to different companies. It is important you exclude any details from your HR intern resume that are not relevant 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, it’s more important than ever to make your resume ATS-friendly. 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 the hiring process.

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

That’s why it’s crucial to format your resume in a way that will 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. With a little effort, you can improve your chances of landing that dream job.

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 degree, and graduation year.
  • Relevant skills, tools, and certifications.

Other than the essentials, you also need to 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 there is no headshot in the resume.

HR Intern Resume Experience Example

The responsibilities of a human resources intern include employee recruitment, compiling employee data, conducting background checks, answering employees’ queries, helping in 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 in a timely manner
  • 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
  • Conduct research on 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 do you have proficiency 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 the field of human resources. An HR intern resume should therefore include a section detailing any relevant work experience.

This could include full-time positions, part-time jobs, seasonal work, or internships. Each entry should include 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, it is important to include keywords on your resume that will show employers that you have the skills and qualifications they are looking for. 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 in creating reports and documentation from 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 in employment verifications of new employees.
  • Helping the senior management in 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 right skills and knowledge necessary to be successful 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 also need to 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 dedicated to listing your educational background. The education section should list the name of the institution, 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 positions, 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 give preference to 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:

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 through which you can add it. Here are some factors you to 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 the previous companies to improve the recruitment processes?
  • Is this the first time you’re applying for an internship program?
  • Do you plan to continue this internship 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 go through your interests. Adding to this, listing interests does not increase your job prospects. Better you 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

Just like everyone else, when I also first started applying as an HR intern, I would write a detailed resume and apply to all jobs. For weeks and months, I never heard back from employers. I realized I must be doing something wrong and have to change my strategy or else my efforts will bear no fruit.

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

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 triumphs over quantity.

How Many Pages should your HR Intern Resume be?

Employers skim and scan your resume, which is why 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 5 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 need to 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 of the job applicants applying as an HR intern, may not have enough experience and achievements to list on their resumes. If this is your situation too, consider adding the achievements during your studies. List any project you have completed relevant to HR that may help you in getting a competitive edge amongst 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, and it 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. It is important to proofread it to ensure there are no grammatical and spelling mistakes.

5. List your Linkedin profile

LinkedIn is the most popular social media network for professionals to connect with each other. It is an excellent source of making new connections and staying updated about the job market trends, and new job openings. In a competitive market, having a LinkedIn profile may serve as 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 go through reading objectives and summaries of each candidate. 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 if it contains 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 previous work experience of more than 2 years. We’d 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.

Key Takeaways and Summary

Writing an HR intern resume can be daunting for someone whose doing it for the first time. Here are some key takeaways that you need to take into account while applying. Consider these points as a summary of this guide:

  • Use a reverse chronological order to list the most recent work experience at the top.
  • Exclude irrelevant details from your resume.
  • Build an HR intern resume that an ATS can scan and parse.
  • Do not exceed more than 1 page.
  • Do not use complicated language and technical jargon.
  • Always proofread before applying for the job.
  • Write a cover letter and justify why you are the best person for this job.
  • Highlight relevant achievements.
  • Objectives, summaries, and headshots are not important.

HR intern is an exciting job to start your career in the HR Department. Based on your performance, you may also get a permanent job at the company with better perks and benefits. Now that you’ve gone through this guide, go ahead and start applying.

Good luck internee.

 

author-image
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.