How to prepare for your

API Internship

Do you need help standing out in the global marketplace? Want to perfect your resume and nail that internship interview? Then you’re in the right place! API offers Career Support options that include interview coaching, resume review services, recommendations and tips!  

 

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Intern Abroad with API

What the Right Resume and Interview Can do for You!

Let us help you buff and polish your resume and interview skills to help you get that coveted international internship. Then, showcase all that you learn after you return to get a leg-up in your career!

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Open the Door to Global Opportunities

Showcase global experience to future employers with your work with international clients, multi-national companies and organizations, and demonstrate your ability to work alongside a diverse workforce made up of people from many different cultures.

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Build Your Work Experience

Get ready to differentiate your resume and expand your future professional opportunities. Show future employers the top skills they’re looking for including problem solving, communication, taking initiative, self-confidence, and adaptability!

How to Build a Better Resume

Resume Guidelines

Create your resume to best communicate the unique skills and abilities you will bring as an intern. Doing these things will help API and future employers find a quality internship placement for you!

Crafting your résumé should take time and reflection. It may take a few drafts before you have a suitable version to submit. Keep in mind that all final drafts should be submitted in PDF format. Click here to see a sample resume.

To the right, review the five key sections that you will want to have in your résumé, as well as information on your cover letter or Statement of Purpose. 

Education

Some key considerations for the education section are: 

  • List your educational background, starting with your college.  You can add your high school education, especially if you have not enrolled in college yet. 
  • Your college education should include the degree you are seeking, the name of the institution you currently attend, and the expected graduation date. 
  • For your Grade Point Average (GPA), you should indicate the letter grade equivalent instead of utilizing a number, as the GPA system may not be relevant to your destination choice. 
  • List all of the courses you have completed that are specific to the internship that you are seeking. 
  • Share any previous study abroad programs completed. 
  • Detail any academic awards. 
  • List your educational background, starting with your college.  You can add your high school education, especially if you have not enrolled in college yet. 
  • Your college education should include the degree you are seeking, the name of the institution you currently attend, and the expected graduation date. 
  • For your Grade Point Average (GPA), you should indicate the letter grade equivalent instead of utilizing a number, as the GPA system may not be relevant to your destination choice. 
  • List all of the courses you have completed that are specific to the internship that you are seeking. 
  • Share any previous study abroad programs completed. 
  • Detail any academic awards. 
Work Experience

Work experience is the most important section of your résumé since most employers value previous work experience the most.

Key considerations for the work experience section: 

  • List any relevant work experience In reverse chronological order.  This can include paid work, paid or unpaid internships, volunteer work, and campus activities. 
  • Include the position title, the name of the employer, the location of the job (e.g., city, state), the dates of employment (be sure to include both the month and years for the start and end dates). 
  • Describe your work tasks as clearly as possible, using action verbs for current positions, and past tense for part positions. Follow a parallel structure (pattern) when listing your tasks.
  • Give specific examples of accomplishments. It is always best to qualify them with numbers and percentages.
Projects

These are projects that you completed as part of courses taken at your college. This section can be very valuable to applicants with limited work experience. 

  • List any team, academic, laboratory work, and research projects that you completed as part of a course that would demonstrate knowledge and experience within the field of study or type of internship that you are seeking. 
  • Indicate all of the same information that you would within the work experience section: the name of the project or class, the subject area of the project, dates of the project. 
Skills

Showcase your skills to stand out to employers:

  • List any computer skills and include your proficiency level. 
  • List any technical skills relevant to the internship. 
  • List any soft skills that you have developed: e.g., problem-solving, communication, teamwork, leadership, takes initiative, etc. 
  • List any foreign language skills; make sure to indicate your written and spoken proficiency levels (i.e., Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, or Fluent). 

 

Interests

This is the perfect section to add uniqueness to your résumé.  Employers want to know a little about your personal interests as this might fit in well with their organization.  

  • List any activities that you enjoy in your free time. Just remember this is a professional document. 
  • If you are a member of a church or religious group and want to add that information to your résumé, please keep in mind that many countries are more secular societies and individuals may be more private about their religious affiliations. 
Statement of Purpose (Cover Letter)

API is already advocating for you with potential employers, a strong Statement of Purpose will make it easy for us to get you into employer interviews, paving the way for you to get the internship that is right for you! The Statement of Purpose replaces a standard cover letter and serves two important objectives:

  • It should communicate the type of internship you are seeking.
  • It should showcase your skills and experience, detailing why you would be a good candidate.

Read these tips for creating a great Statement of Purpose!

Resume Formatting 101

Your resume should tell the story of your experiences as they relate to a your future career path or a specific job/internship description. Researching sample resumes from your targeted industry can be a helpful starting place as resume best practices may vary industry to industry. No matter what, the goal of your resume should be allow employers to scan and quickly understand why you’re a good fit for their internship.

Don’t forget to utilize other resources the career resource office at your institution for additional information on creating a strong résumé!

  •  Try to keep your résumé to one to two pages. 
  • Use a standard font like Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman in 10- or 12- point font.
  • Use bullet points. It will make your résumé easier to read.

  • List dates in month and year format instead of numerical format. Numerical months and dates are commonly ordered differently in other countries, so writing out the month will alleviate any confusion (e.g. January 2014).
    • Make sure you check your résumé for grammar and spelling errors. We recommend giving your résumé to another person to proofread.
    • Be clear and concise.
    • Eliminate any personal pronouns (I, My, or Me) or full sentences in your résumé.
    • Remove the objective section. Don’t waste valuable space on your resume and this is what the cover letter can cover.
    • Don’t overexaggerate skills or abilities. This can make for a very uncomfortable situation for you, API, and the internship site if you don’t arrive with the skills or knowledge indicated on your résumé.
    • Avoid using an unprofessional email address in your résumé or cover letter. If you have an email address that involves anything more than your name and numbers, we highly recommend you create one to use for professional purposes.
    • No need to list your references on your resume. We will utilize your two letters of reference for the internship placement process.

        Resume Formatting 101

        Your resume should tell the story of your experiences as they relate to a your future career path or a specific job/internship description. Researching sample resumes from your targeted industry can be a helpful starting place as resume best practices may vary industry to industry. No matter what, the goal of your resume should be allow employers to scan and quickly understand why you’re a good fit for their internship.

        Don’t forget to utilize other resources the career resource office at your institution for additional information on creating a strong résumé!

        Brush Up Your Interview Skills

        The fine of of interviewing well can be practiced and learned! You can start with a collection of great pieces of advice that are sure to help you make an amazing first impression!

        INTERVIEW TIPS >

        Dress the Part! What is Business Casual?

        Sometimes referred to as Smart Casual, business casual does not required you to wear a suit and tie, or dress with heels. In order to make the best impression, it is important to remember that as an intern you are expected to dress at a higher level than your temporary co-workers. Therefore, you may see that your colleagues are dressed more casually than you might be expecting. You are representing your country, home university, and API, so we want to make sure that you put your best foot forward. Keep in mind you’ll also want appropriate clothes for when you’re relaxing at your housing accommodations, exercising, traveling, etc. API interns receive additional information after receiving their internship placement.

        Students in Polaroid

        Dress the Part! What is Business Casual?

        Sometimes referred to as Smart Casual, business casual does not required you to wear a suit and tie, or dress with heels. In order to make the best impression, it is important to remember that as an intern you are expected to dress at a higher level than your temporary co-workers. Therefore, you may see that your colleagues are dressed more casually than you might be expecting. You are representing your country, home university, and API, so we want to make sure that you put your best foot forward. Keep in mind you’ll also want appropriate clothes for when you’re relaxing at your housing accommodations, exercising, traveling, etc. API interns receive additional information after receiving their internship placement.

        Get Inspired by

        API Intern Alumni

        Marketing Internship

        “I’ve gotten so much out of this experience! From the work I’m doing for the company to the work environment I’m in, I’m learning so much about the culture of Dublin, Ireland. I think I’ve been able to learn a lot about different aspects of marketing in addition to the difference in culture as well.”

        Robotics Internship

        “On a typical day, I come to work and focus on the internship-long project I was given responsibility for. The project is to design and build a 5-axis mechanical arm that programmers will use for research and testing for future projects. Once I finish designing the project with 3D CAD software, I will begin to manufacture it using both a 3-D printer and CNC machine.”

        Technology Internship

        “For my 8 weeks, I worked closely with the chief technology officer of the company as well as the two co-founders, gaining incredible experience with SQL, Excel, Amazon Quicksight, Google Analytics, and other data analytics software. The hands-on work and projects I completed directly tied with the CS coursework I had just done in the spring semester. This would not have been possible without the incredible staff at API who worked diligently to secure an internship in my specific field and area of computer information systems.”

        Sports Internship

        I got to intern within the Gaelic Athletic Association which is the national league for the two Irish sports: Gaelic Football and Hurling. Since I want to go into a career in the sports industry learning about what types of sports a country plays is one of my biggest interest in a country’s culture.”

        Engineering in Australia

        This student interned with an industry leader in the commercial air conditioning and mechanical services space. Their projects included: learn price sourcing, assist with project management and progress claims, conduct take offs from drawings, procurement meetings and analysis.

        Theatre in London

        Immerse yourself in the theatre life by taking part in an internship at one of London’s most well-known theatres! Interning in London  is a perfect opportunity for performing arts majors who want to dedicate their craft and learn more about the business side of putting on plays, musicals and educational events. Internships may include assisting with marketing, script development and more!

        Culinary Arts in Spain

        Spain is one of the food capitals of the world, so what better place to learn the craft? Our API intern Brady loved his experience learning to cook Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine and also learning the in’s & out’s of running a restaurant.

        Brady shared more about what he learned in his experience: “I’ve learned a lot from my time interning as a chef… I’m most certainly invested in making a career in being a chef. There’s the obvious things like classic Spanish recipes, classic techniques, and products. The more meaningful things I have learned are the details, care, and consideration it takes to run a small restaurant like a family, and successfully I might add.”

        Read more about Internships on our blog:

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        Have a few questions? Explore our Internships FAQs.