Can I apply for an internship with no work experience?

Yes. Internships suit people early in their careers, so use projects, society roles, volunteering and coursework as your experience.

Should I put my degree first or my experience first?

If you are still studying, put education first. Move experience higher once it is more relevant than your course.

How long should an intern CV be?

One page is enough. Keep each point short and specific.

Do I need a cover letter for an internship?

Often yes, and it helps. A short letter linking one project to the role shows you read the advert. Ceev's paid packages include a cover letter written from your CV and the job advert.

Intern CV example

A strong intern CV shows what you are studying, the skills you have used in projects or volunteering, and a real interest in the work. Employers know interns are early in their careers, so they look for initiative, steady effort and clear examples.

Grace Turner

Intern

grace@example.com07700 900192Manchester

Profile

Second-year Business and Marketing student looking for a summer internship in a charity or small business communications team. Has run social media for a university society, written short posts and newsletters, and volunteered at a local charity shop. Organised, curious and quick to learn new tools.

Experience

Social Media Officer (volunteer)

a university film society

Planned and posted three times a week on Instagram and TikTok for a society with around 400 members

Designed posters and story graphics in Canva for screenings and the freshers' fair

Checked which posts got the most likes and shares each month and planned more like them

Wrote the monthly email newsletter and sent it through Mailchimp

Worked with the committee to plan screenings and promote them

Volunteer

a local charity shop

Served customers and handled donations, sorting clothes and bric-a-brac for sale

Photographed items for the shop's online listings and wrote short descriptions

Changed the window display each fortnight around a simple theme

Worked one weekend shift a week alongside term-time study

Example · fictional candidate · Horizon design · Use this design

Tips for a intern CV

Lead with your course, university and expected finish date, plus any modules that match the internship
Use society roles, projects and volunteering as real experience, and describe what you did rather than just the title
Say when you are free to start and for how long, such as the summer break
Name the tools you can use, such as Canva, Mailchimp, Excel or Google Analytics, but only ones you have really used
Link to a short portfolio or shared folder with two or three pieces of your work

Applying with a cover letter? See our intern cover letter example.