Alycia B.
Group Talent Acquisition Manager
Alycia B. started her career with Enterprise Mobility as a Management Trainee. From there, she set her sights high and made real progress. After succeeding as an Assistant Branch Manager at multiple locations, she moved on to become a Human Resources Coordinator. Alycia’s next promotion made her a Talent Acquisition Specialist, where she was a consistent top performer. Her experience and dedication have led to her current role as Group Talent Acquisition Manager, where she has been creating a positive impact for several years and bringing success to the company.
So, you’ve found the perfect internship but you’re not sure if your current resume can get you through the door. Our Group Talent Acquisition Manager, Alycia B., shares her insights to set you up for success and help you secure your next role.
When you’re applying for an internship and your professional experience is limited to a summer job, campus leadership role, or volunteering, it’s easy to worry that your resume might not stand out. But here’s the truth: you don’t need years of work history to make a strong impression. What you do need is strategy, self-awareness, and the ability to connect your unique experiences to the internship opportunity!
Whether you’re a recent grad or still navigating your undergraduate years, here are some tips to highlight your strengths and show that you’re internship-ready — even without a long professional track record.
1. Transform Your Small Experiences into Big Accomplishments
Did you have a summer job waiting tables? When you look at the skills involved, a job like this teaches time management, customer service, and problem-solving under pressure.
Your role in a campus organization, sports, or Greek life? That’s a great way to build upon leadership, teamwork, and event planning experience. Employers want to see how you think and what skills you’ve learned — not just where you’ve worked.
For example, to highlight your part in an on-campus fundraising event, you could say: “Coordinated a fundraising event for XYZ campus organization resulting in $3,000 raised for local charities.”
Or, when describing your role as a cashier, you could say: “Ranked #1 out of 32 front-end employees in credit card sales while managing the cash register at XYZ retail store.”
2. Use Metrics and Results Wherever Possible
Numbers speak louder than adjectives. They make your achievement tangible and showcase the direct impact.
Instead of saying you “helped organize an event,” you could instead say: “Led a team of 6 to organize a campus event attended by over 200 students, increasing club membership by 30%.”
3. Highlight Transferable Skills
Internships are about potential. You want to show that you’ve built relevant skills, but you’re also ready to grow.
Employers love to see capabilities like communication, teamwork, customer service, initiative, time management, adaptability, and analytical thinking. All of these skills can be learned in many ways while in college and applied to your next resume.
4. Emphasize Education
If you’ve taken classes that are directly relevant to the internship, include them! This is especially useful for technical or industry-specific roles like finance, computer science, and communications. You can add a “Projects” or “Campus Involvement” section to your resume to highlight academic achievements.
5. Don’t Underestimate Volunteering
Volunteering often demands initiative, communication, and time management — just like a job. Whether you’ve organized a campus blood drive or tutored local high school students, those are meaningful, resume-worthy experiences. Make sure to include any tangible outcomes, like the number of participants you supported or a challenge you overcame.
6. Prepare a Strong Elevator Pitch
Kick-off your interview in a strong way — with your elevator pitch! An elevator pitch tells the most important parts of your professional story in about 30 seconds. Your pitch should introduce who you are, your professional background, and what you’re aiming for.
Here’s an example of an effective elevator pitch for a college student: "I'm an enthusiastic business student with hands-on experience in customer service, event planning, and team leadership through Greek life. I’m hoping to bring my strong communication skills and a proactive mindset to a summer internship in marketing.”
This summary tells an employer what you’re studying, what you’ve done, and what you bring to the table all in one simple, conversational statement.
7. Final Thoughts: Confidence is Key!
Internship recruiters know they’re not hiring a CEO. They’re looking for someone who’s adaptable and eager to learn with a solid foundation to contribute to the team. That could be you — if your resume tells the right story.
Don’t hide your history just because it’s not traditional. Frame your experience in a way that speaks to your potential, your initiative, and your enthusiasm. That’s how you’ll go from “just a student” to “a strong candidate.”
Need inspiration? Talk to a mentor, visit your campus career center, or even reach out to someone currently interning where you want to apply. A little insight can help you present your strengths in the best light.
You’ve done more than you think. Now it’s time to show it off!
