Application and Resume Tips for Tech-Focused Internships.

You’ve likely heard the saying “you never get a second chance at a first impression.” While this statement has reached the point of being cliché in many circumstances, it’s still true in the world of career development. Your resume is often your only chance to make an impression on a recruiter or hiring team. An effective resume communicates your unique qualifications, experience, and skills to help you stand out in the applicant pool. If you’re a current student, make sure to take advantage of resources offered by your college or university – most career centers offer a resume-review service for students or alumni. In the meantime, check out the tips below to ensure your resume will help you make a great first impression.

DO:

• Read the job description thoroughly. Ensure you are highlighting skills that are required in the job description and including them if relevant to your experience.
• Showcase your specific skills/experiences (e.g., a software engineer applicant might include an application they created).
• Be clear, concise, and specific in bullet points.
• Design your resume with your end goal in mind (research the company you’re applying to and showcase their values. E.g, applicants to PayPal may garner more attention when showing experiences related to PayPal’s values).
• Show your well-rounded experience (volunteering, student leadership, work study, etc.) and think about the unique aspects of each experience you decide to list.
• If you don’t have directly applicable work/internship experience, that’s ok.
• Be sure to include other examples that showcase your skills like class projects, Hackathons, TA/tutoring experience.

DON’T:

• Include superfluous detail. Space is at a premium, so convey your experience in a clear but concise manner.
• Repeat yourself. If you used the same skillset at multiple jobs, think about ways to express that skillset that highlight the nuance of each position.
• Add extensive course lists with no detail (“Intro to Computer Science” means something different at every university).
• Include high school/secondary education (or high school sports/clubs).
• Include outdated or irrelevant work experience. Your high school barista job may not be relevant to a coding role. Instead, include detail on, for example, class projects or hackathons where you showcase your specifically relevant skills.
• Make your resume longer than one page (unless you have 5+ years of non-internship professional experience).
• Cover letters are welcome but not required. If you choose to include a cover letter, make sure it includes specific and relevant examples of why you’re a good fit for the role. Be sure to tailor your cover letter based on the job description provided for the role you’re applying to.

Four Application Tips for Aspiring Interns

PayPal’s award-winning internship program draws thousands of applicants worldwide. Here are some tips to set yourself up for success when you apply:

• Submit a strong resume. Your resume represents you to recruiters and interviewers. This is often your only chance to showcase your skills. Make sure to include relevant skills and experiences. Have your resume reviewed by your university’s career center, a mentor, or another third party you trust. Demonstrate that you’re a well-rounded candidate by including leadership experience, campus involvement and/or volunteer work.
• Practice online coding challenges. PayPal often asks applicants to complete an online assessment early in the application process. If you are applying to a coding position, it’s a great idea to practice these challenges and be familiar with the format using sites like HackerRank, TopCoder, CoderByte, etc.
• Learn the STAR method. Most intern applicants will be asked to complete a technical interview and a behavioral interview. For behavioral interview questions, the STAR method is an effective way to respond. This acronym stands for “Situation, Task, Action, Result” and is a great way to guide your storytelling in response to behavioral questions. Think of a specific example and tell the story to your interviewer, highlighting each of the points. Interviewers are not assessing what happened but focusing on your actions and the subsequent results. Be thorough but not long-winded.
• Showcase your most professional self. Use professional, appropriate communication when emailing with recruiters, coordinators, and interviewers. Be reasonably available for communication – recruiters may communicate via text, phone call, or email. Ensure your voicemail is set up with a professional greeting. Check your email often (including spam folders). Return calls or emails promptly (within 48 hours is a great general guideline).

Meet the author

As a University Recruiter, Katie Knowles focuses on helping students build a strong foundation for their careers. She is excited to see interns and recent graduates grow with PayPal year over year. After starting her career in sales, Katie transitioned to talent acquisition and has been a University Recruiter for four years. She lives in Michigan with her husband.