The best way to boost your resume is to showcase the relevant experience in the field you are looking for a job. Freshers who do not possess experience yet are often at a disadvantage. Externships are a way to gain some experience after completing your education and prepare yourself for the career of your choice.
Many candidates invest their time and energies into externships only to find that their resume does not reflect this valuable experience. If you have completed an externship and are wondering how to put it on your resume, we will be here to assist you.
Remember, you must never leave a chance to highlight your achievements and find the right way to incorporate them into your resume. Externships require hard work, and anyone who has committed themselves to an externship would tell you how much effort it took them to get through the program.
What is The Difference Between An Internship And An Externship?
While both the terms internship and externship are used to describe a position in which a student or recent graduate can gain experience in their desired field, there are some key differences.
An internship is typically a paid position, while an externship is usually unpaid. Internships are also usually shorter in duration, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, while externships can last up to a year. Additionally, internships are typically more focused on on-the-job training, while externships provide the opportunity to shadow and observe professionals in the field.
Both opportunities are a way for students to grow and learn something in their respective fields by gaining practical knowledge. Externships are difficult to get through, and on completion, these are the best way to boost your resume to compensate for the lack of work experience.
What All Needs to Go Into the Resume?
A resume must have everything that helps you stay ahead in the competition, and rightly so. Therefore, there should be no shame in mentioning anything and everything that you have achieved in your academic life, including co-curricular activities. No matter how insignificant it may appear to you initially, it is always better to add these details to your resume.
You never know which skill or achievement mentioned by you in the resume might strike a chord with the interviewer and lead to a fruitful discussion.
You need to ensure that you are thorough with the contents of your resume and can reply to their concerns as and when they appear through the course of the interview.
Degrees and certifications are important, but along with that, you can also mention your interests and hobbies that you feel are relevant to the job. Such mentions allow the employer to understand your strengths and will give you responsibilities accordingly.
Where to List Your Externship Experience in Your Resume?
The purpose of mentioning the externship in your resume, as mentioned before, is to showcase the relevant experience you have in your field. As a fresher, if you have gained an externship, it becomes essential to place the experience in the right place so that the concerned person can spot it easily.
When skimming through numerous resumes, managers look for relevancy. Therefore, the job seekers who have placed their externship experience under the right section have higher chances of being called for an interview.
The most appropriate section is the “work experience.” You may not have the work experience, per se, but an externship comes the closest to the one for freshers. The concerned person can easily spot your externship, and your resume has a high probability of being shortlisted right away.
Example of How to List Externships on Your Resume
It is mandatory to mention the important details about your externship experience, including the following here is an example for you:
HastaLaVista Group, Portland, Maine
Worked as a content developer, following included my job responsibilities:
January 2019- June 2019
• Research social media for content that was appropriate for a wide audience
• Edit and revise content to be appropriate for the brand
• Worked with a team to create a promotional video for a new product
• Wrote blog posts for various social media platforms to increase brand awareness
• Learned how to work on LMS and Social calendars
Mention all the responsibilities you were assigned during the externship and highlight the skills you developed. This is your opportunity to analyze and pinpoint your learnings. This way, you allow the person going through your resume to gain insight into your growth.
The idea is to ensure that you mention every little contribution you made to the organization or the project that you were involved in. This will allow your employers to know what you are capable of and where they can engage your skillset within their work profile.
It gives the employer an idea of the different responsibilities you undertook as part of your externship. When looked closely, it briefly mentions how the candidate’s work responsibilities involved not just writing and developing content but also doing everything involved in the process, from doing the initial research to the final edits.
Add Extra Details
Don’t be afraid to mention all you have learned during your externship program. You may not be able to produce any documentation to show that you learned what you claim to learn but always have the confidence that you can make the best use of the externship experience.
The goal is to show potential employers that you are capable and willing to learn new things, so don’t hold back!
There must always be a scope for improvement as an externship does not guarantee expertise in the field. It would help if you showed the employer that you are eager to learn all the things that you were exposed to through the externship. At times, students downplay their externship experiences because they feel like they didn’t do anything significant. However, even the smallest tasks can be valuable learning experiences. Be sure to list everything you did to show that you made the most of your time and are always looking to learn more.
Sometimes companies are looking for candidates who can bring something new to the table. Don’t hesitate to showcase your creative side and the new ideas you generated during your externship. This will give you an added advantage as an applicant.
Bonus Read: In-demand Digital Marketing Skills in 2022
Additional Tips on How to Put Externship on Resume
You can take care of many things while mentioning your externship on your resume. However, these basic and foundational details need to be considered before putting an externship on the resume.
- Start by mentioning the name of the company you did your externship with.
- Mention the duration of your externship.
- Highlight the key responsibilities you were entrusted with during your externship
- If possible, use numbers and data to showcase your achievements during the externship period
- Mention the skills you acquired or sharpened during your externship
- Use positive words and phrases to describe your experience.
- Don’t hesitate to mention the little details on your achievements and learnings
Summary
Externships are a great way of showcasing your skills and gaining experience. A decent externship is bound to provide candidates with the relevant experience. It is essential to mention these in the work section to gain the attention of the employers.
Don’t forget to mention the skills you imbibed through this externship to keep the employer’s focus on your skills. This can highly increase the chances of you getting the right opportunity and launching yourself into the career of your choice.
