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How to Find Tech Internships with No Experience

Many students have expressed concerns about finding tech internships with no prior experience. It’s common to feel that your resume looks empty when you’re just starting out. This guide, along with our resume templates, will help you create a compelling application despite having no work experience.

Final Resume Example

Final Result: A clean, professional resume with substantial content

These templates can be modified for various tech roles. This guide should be read in conjunction with our main How to Create a Standout Tech Resume series, as it provides specific details for students and entry-level positions.

Recommended reading order: Main Resume Guide -> This Guide.

Styling

Follow our general resume styling guidelines available here: Resume Styling

Content

Basic Information

Follow our main guide’s recommendations for basic information: Basic Information

Professional Summary

Unlike experienced resumes, student resumes should begin with a professional summary. This brief introduction is your chance to make a strong first impression.

Key points for your summary:

  • Mention your education level and major
  • Add a positive adjective to describe yourself
  • Outline your current technical skills
  • Highlight 2-3 key achievements, with numbers if possible

Example:

Computer Science student at University of California, Berkeley, passionate about software development and seeking an internship opportunity. Proficient in Java programming and related technologies. Winner of the 2023 UC Berkeley Hackathon and active contributor to 10+ GitHub repositories.

Education

For students, education should follow the summary section. Since you don’t have work experience, your education is a crucial credential.

Include:

  • Basic information: university name, location, degree, major
  • Highlights of your academic career
  • Relevant coursework (focus on computer science courses where you excelled)
  • Related extracurricular activities and organizations

Example:

Bachelor of Science

University of California, Berkeley - Computer Science

2020/07 - Present

  • GPA 4.0 (if outstanding)
  • Dean’s List for two consecutive years
  • First place in 2023 Campus Hackathon
  • Vice President of Computer Science Club, managing campus forum development
  • Key coursework: Data Structures & Algorithms, Operating Systems, Computer Architecture, Computer Networks, Network Programming, C Programming, Database Systems

Technical Skills

Technical skills are crucial for any developer. Follow our main guide’s section on Technical Skills.

For students, start with computer science fundamentals. Include your coding practice achievements:

Example:

Strong computer science foundation:

  • Proficient in data structures and algorithms, completed 200+ LeetCode problems
  • Solid understanding of computer architecture, networks, and operating systems

Projects

Projects replace work experience for students. If you have internship experience, you can substitute that for projects.

Key points for project descriptions:

  • Use reverse chronological order (most recent first)
  • Include project description and duration
  • List your specific contributions (development responsibilities, tech stack, etc.)

Example:

University Course Registration System

Project Description: Rebuilt the university’s course registration system for student use, led by the Computer Science Club.

Duration: 2023/04 - 2023/12

My Contributions:

  • Developed backend services using Spring Boot and TypeScript
  • Implemented database solutions using PostgreSQL and Redis
  • Managed daily development, maintenance, and performance optimization
  • Deployed using Docker and GitHub Actions for CI/CD

For more detailed guidance, refer to our main guide’s Work Experience section.

Additional Content

Beyond standard sections, consider adding these elements to demonstrate your capabilities, especially if you’ve been working on personal projects:

Personal Projects

Highlight your most impressive GitHub projects:

Project Name Brief description including purpose, tech stack, and impact metrics.

Technical Writing

If you blog or publish technical content:

Speaking

If you’ve presented at meetups or conferences:

This framework should help you create a compelling resume despite having no work experience. Customize it based on your specific situation and target roles. Remember, everyone starts somewhere, and a well-crafted resume can help you land that crucial first internship.