At Les Roches, internships play an important part in all of our programs. We ensure that by the time you graduate, you have built up considerable real-world experience with a leading hospitality organization. The time you spend on your internships will immerse you in the day-to-day life of the industry, developing your hard and soft skills, and enhancing your abilities.
Everyone has a particular business or sector they would love to work in, so when it comes to applying for your dream internship, you want to ensure you stand out from the crowd. To help you, here are six handy tips for crafting the application employers are always looking for.
1. Make it readable
Your resume should be easy to read, and not be messy or busy looking. Make sure that your name is centered at the top, and done in a font that is large enough to stand out, but not too large. Beneath your name, add your home address (just the country and city is fine), email address and contact numbers. Then, go into the body of the resume and add your working experience, which can include any volunteer projects you may have worked on, both in and out of Les Roches.
2. Target your resume
Obviously, you are looking for an internship that goes along with what you are studying. So, make sure that you target your resume in that area. For example, if you are a hospitality student interested in working in event management, your resume should reflect this. When you have a targeted resume, you stand a much better chance of getting the internship that you want. Employers will see that you know exactly what you want, and that you have the skills that they are looking for.
3. Highlight your skills
If you have any special skills that would help you with the internship you are applying for, make sure that they are included on your internship resume. For instance, if you are looking at an internship where you would be working with people from many different countries, and you know how to speak more than one language, you need to add this. Make sure you always use your skills to your advantage.
4. Discuss your education
Since this is an internship, it is going to be based around your education. Create a section called ‘Academic Experience’, and within it discuss what program you’re studying at Les Roches, when you started and when you expect to graduate, and any special honors that you’ve achieved.
Also mention any extracurricular duties you’ve performed or roles you’ve held during your time at the school. This could be as a Student Ambassador or working with a campus committee or club to host an event. If you’ve completed any Professional Development short courses, include details in this section.
5. List your hobbies
It is always good to list some of your outside interests. By doing this, employers can see you’re a well-rounded person. Not only that, but they can gauge if your interests chime with other employees in their team, and whether or not these hobbies can translate to relevant workplace skills. For instance, if you’re passionate about marketing, and you’re applying to work in that particular department at a hotel or hospitality organization, they may be more interested in your application because of this interest.
6. Proofread
Whether you’re applying for an internship, a part-time role or a full-time job, it’s always vital you give your resume or application one final, thorough proofread. It is your last chance to make sure that there are absolutely no mistakes before it’s sent to your potential future employer. However, don’t just look at spelling – make sure you double check grammar and punctuation, too.
A good technique is to do the ‘overnight test’. Give yourself plenty of time before the deadline to write your application, proofread it, and then sleep on it. You will come back the next day with a clear mind, allowing you to see your application through the eyes of the employer.
Jane Hurst is a content manager from San Francisco and a freelance writer for Sell Macbook service. Find Jane on Twitter!
