An internship CV has to persuade an employer to invest weeks of training in someone with little professional experience. That means your education, societies, part-time jobs and projects need to do the work. The strongest internship CVs are one page, lead with your degree and grades, and show specific achievements rather than lists of duties, tailored to the sector you are applying to.
This guide covers UK internships and placements across finance, law vacation schemes, technology, marketing, engineering placement years and charity or policy work. Choose one of the internship CV templates above for the layout, then use the example, personal statements and tips below to fill it with evidence employers actually look for. Every template is ATS-friendly, so it reads correctly in the screening systems most large UK graduate recruiters use.
A complete example you can use as a starting point. Pick a template above and the builder will pre-fill similar content for you to edit.
Freya Hollingsworth
Geography Student – Sustainability Internships
Nottingham, UK · freya.hollingsworth@example.com · 07700 900932
Personal statement
Second-year BA Geography student at the University of Nottingham, predicted a 2:1, applying for summer 2027 internships in sustainability consulting and environmental policy. Uses GIS and Excel to analyse environmental data, leads a 30-member campus sustainability society and works part-time in a busy cafe. Organised, curious and confident presenting findings to non-specialists.
Experience
President, Sustainability Society, University of Nottingham
May 2026 – Present
- Lead a committee of six running campus campaigns, talks and volunteering for more than 300 members.
- Ran a halls energy-saving challenge across four residences, with meter data showing a 9% reduction over a term.
- Secured £1,800 from the students' union and a local business to fund a sustainability careers evening.
Barista (Part-time), Lace Market Coffee, Nottingham
Oct 2025 – Present
- Work 12 hours a week alongside full-time study, serving up to 250 customers on busy Saturdays.
- Introduced a reusable cup discount display that increased reusable cup use, tracked weekly at the till.
Education
BA (Hons) Geography, predicted 2:1 (Year 1 average 67%), University of Nottingham
2025 – 2028
A levels: Geography A, Biology A, Mathematics B, Beeston Sixth Form College
2023 – 2025
Key skills
GIS (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) · Excel data analysis · Report writing · Presenting · Event planning · Stakeholder communication
Education with grades and modules
Put education first. Include your degree, university, expected graduation year and predicted or current classification, plus your best module marks if they are strong. Add A level grades (or equivalent) because many internship employers still screen on them, especially in finance, law and consulting.
Relevant experience, however small
Previous internships, spring weeks, insight days, virtual work experience, research assistant work and freelance projects all belong here. Describe what you produced and the result, not just what you attended.
Societies, leadership and projects
Committee roles, sports captaincy, hackathons, student investment funds, moots, student media and personal projects show initiative. Quantify them: members led, money raised, events run, users reached or competitions won.
Part-time jobs
Retail, hospitality and call centre jobs show reliability, customer service and time management, and employers value students who have balanced work with study. Keep each job to one or two strong bullets.
Skills tailored to the sector
List the tools and skills the internship advert asks for, such as Excel and financial modelling for finance, Python or JavaScript for software, Canva and Google Analytics for marketing, or Westlaw for law. Add languages and certifications where they are genuinely useful.
Technical and analytical
- Excel (pivot tables, lookups)
- Data analysis
- Python or SQL
- Research and referencing
- PowerPoint presentations
- Sector software (e.g. Bloomberg, SolidWorks, GA4)
Communication
- Report and essay writing
- Presenting
- Client or customer communication
- Social media and content
- Teamwork
Professional
- Commercial awareness
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Taking initiative
- Balancing study and work
- Learning quickly
First-year student
First-year BSc Business Management student at the University of Birmingham, applying for spring insight programmes and first-year internships. Works part-time in a supermarket, volunteers as a society events officer and achieved A*, A, A at A level. Keen to explore careers in consulting and finance and to build strong Excel and presentation skills.
Penultimate-year student
Penultimate-year Computer Science student, predicted a First, applying for summer software engineering internships. Built a full-stack timetable app used by 400 students, helps run the university hackathon and completed a spring week at a fintech. Confident in Python, TypeScript and SQL, with strong testing and teamwork habits.
Placement year or postgraduate
MSc Marketing student with a 2:1 in English and a year of experience running social media for an independent retailer, growing Instagram followers by 150%. Applying for a six-month marketing internship to build campaign planning and analytics experience. Confident with Meta Ads Manager, GA4 and copywriting for different audiences.
- Tailor it to each sector. A finance internship CV should foreground modelling, numbers and commercial awareness; a marketing CV should show campaigns and content. Reorder bullets and skills for each application rather than sending one generic CV.
- Quantify student achievements. Numbers make student experience credible. Members, money raised, followers gained, users, marks and deadlines all help a recruiter picture what you did.
- Keep it to one page. One page is the standard for UK internship CVs. Cut school-level detail such as GCSEs if you need space, unless the employer specifically asks for them.
- Apply early. Many summer internships, spring weeks and vacation schemes open in the autumn and close before or soon after Christmas, and some review applications on a rolling basis. Have your CV ready at the start of term.
- Use an ATS-friendly layout. Large employers screen applications with applicant tracking systems. Use clear headings, standard fonts and no text inside images so your CV is read correctly.
How long should an internship CV be?+
One A4 page. Internship recruiters review large volumes of applications and expect students to summarise their education, experience and skills concisely. If you are struggling to fit everything, remove GCSE detail, shorten older part-time jobs and keep only the most relevant society roles.
How do I write an internship CV with no experience?+
Lead with your degree, modules and grades, then use societies, part-time jobs, volunteering, academic projects and virtual work experience programmes as evidence. Focus on what you achieved and the skills each one shows, such as teamwork, analysis or leadership. Every student starts somewhere, and recruiters judge you against other students.
Should I include predicted grades on my CV?+
Yes. Write your current or predicted degree classification, for example "2:1 (predicted)", and add your year average or best module marks if they are strong. Be honest: employers may ask for transcripts, and offers can depend on your final result.
Should I put A levels and GCSEs on an internship CV?+
Include A levels or equivalent qualifications with grades, as many graduate employers in finance, law and consulting still consider them. GCSEs can usually be summarised in one line, such as "9 GCSEs at 9-6 including Maths and English", or removed if you need the space.
Should I include a photo on my internship CV?+
No. A photo is not expected on a UK CV and many employers prefer not to receive one to reduce the risk of bias. Leave out your date of birth, nationality and marital status too, and use the space for achievements instead.
Do I need a cover letter for an internship?+
If the employer asks for one, yes, and some application forms include motivational questions instead. A short cover letter explaining why you want that firm and that internship, with one or two specific examples from your CV, helps when you are applying directly to smaller organisations.
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