International Students’ Guide to Creating an Internship Resume in Malaysia: With Tips from Recruiters!

Are you an international undergraduate student looking for internship positions as part of your degree in Malaysia? Are you worried your internship resume doesn’t look good enough? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!  

Here at FIND, screening through resumes is part of our job. In this article, we’ll be sharing some useful tips to make your resume as eye-catching as possible!  

Resume Basics 

An internship resume can look slightly different compared to one you’d prepare for a full-time position. 

Here is a checklist of all the necessary sections to include in your resume, in order:  

• Name 
• Contact information and address  
• Career/Internship objective 
• Education 
• Experience (put experience first if you have prior working experience) 
• Skills 
• Achievements 

3 Things to Keep in Mind, According to Our Recruiters 

Completed your internship resume? Before using it to apply for internship opportunities, here are three things to keep in mind, according to the recruiters at FIND:  

1. Design 

Use ATS-friendly resume builders!  

In recent years, companies have turned to applicant tracking systems (ATS)—services that scan and pull data out from resumes to help HR identify candidates that match a job position. That’s why you should build your resume to be ATS-friendly, so that the system can accurately retrieve your information.  

Though Canva is a popular platform to build resumes because of their pretty templates, unfortunately their resumes are not ATS-friendly. 

Here are some ATS-friendly resume builders you can consider: 

• • Resume.com  
  • Jobscan.com 
  • Microsoft Word 
  • Google Docs  

If you’re applying through a job portal or website, make use of the ATS-friendly resume. Even if you’re applying for design-related positions, it is best to stick to a standardized design like the example above as they are easier for both people and ATS to read.  

2. Keywords 

Specific terms that are relevant to the job—also known as keywords—should be included in your internship resume so that it tells your potential employer that you are relevantly equipped for the position you’re applying for. How exactly do you know which keywords to use? Look at the job description of the position you’re applying for and identify specific qualities, qualifications, and experiences you resonate with to put in your resume. Remember to also be concise with your descriptions. 

For example, say you’re applying for this social media marketing internship position with the following job description: 

Responsibilities:  

• • Reaching out and managing influencers/digital publishers 
  • Creating/managing/publishing content across various social media platforms 
  • Collaborating with the marketing team to ensure implementation of a cohesive marketing strategy 
  • Preparing PowerPoint presentation proposals 
  • Brainstorming and ideating social media campaigns

Requirements:  

• • Currently pursuing a Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Advertising, Marketing, or a related field 
  • Good written and communication skills in English
  • Familiarity with popular social media platforms (Instagram, X, TikTok)
  • Experience with design and editing software
  • Attention to detail, creative, and collaborative
  • Open to constructive criticism 
  • Passionate about marketing

By referring to the job description above, your objective can look like this:  

I am a creative and detail-oriented communications undergraduate with experience in content creation, graphic design, and social media management. I am looking to apply for a social media internship position at (company name) to learn more about influencers and marketing.  

Though including keywords is important, remember to be concise! If you try to include too many keywords into your objective, you can sound long-winded and even a little sus:  

I would describe myself as a passionate, detail-oriented, and creative team leader that is currently studying communications. I hope to serve my design and editing skills and experience with social media to your company during my internship. I am seeking an opportunity at (company name) that will help me further develop my knowledge in marketing, influencer management, and social media marketing. 

Remember to include keywords not only in your objective but also under your completed tasks, relevant skills, and languages you speak or write (this is especially important if you’re applying for something language-related, like translating or customer service). Not to mention, with the rise of ATS usage, it’s become even more important to include keywords in your resume so that the system is able to identify you as a suitable candidate for the job. 

3. Uniqueness  

Your next potential employer cares about you as a person, and your internship resume gives your potential employers a snapshot of your personality.  You probably want them to think you are friendly and approachable rather than intimidating and closed off. Here are some areas of your resume you can use to showcase your personality: 

• • Career objective: Include descriptors to paint a picture of yourself (e.g., detail-oriented, positive). 
  • Overall structure: Keeping your resume neat and tidy can imply to your potential employers that you are a meticulous and organized person. 

As an intern, companies are going to look at your character more than your work experience. They value how well you can fit into the role you’re applying for as well as to their culture, so don’t stress about not having enough work experience to put on your resume 😊 

In Conclusion

Your internship resume is your first step in getting noticed by an employer, so making sure you actually get in front of them with an ATS-friendly and keyword-relevant resume is paramount. It also serves as a good first impression before an employer decides whether to interview you. And of course, constructing your internship resume is also great practice that can serve you in your future career development.  

Hope our tips helped you refine your resume!  

If you're currently looking for jobs, check out our job portal here.