When you're a student sending resumes for internships, missteps that would seem minor can cost you big time. Recruiters spend just 6 to 8 seconds scanning resumes, and ATS systems filter many out before they reach human eyes. Your resume must be clean, tailored, and powerful enough to pass automated filters and impress fast. Here are the top seven mistakes I see students make and exactly how to fix them.
1. Submitting the Same Resume for Every Internship
The Mistake
Using one generic resume without tailoring to each internship. Many students hope "one size fits all" saves effort, but it hurts results. Employers spot generic resumes immediately; ATS systems flag them for missing keywords.
Why It Matters
- Recruiters want to see that your resume reflects the exact job requirements
- ATS systems look for precise keywords and roles from the job description
How to Fix It
- For each application, copy the internship JD and highlight key terms, role titles, and skills.
- Mirror those exact phrases like "social media campaigns," "Python data pipelines," "UX research" in your skills and project bullets.
- Adjust your summary or objective to reflect the role and company.
Example: If JD says "Tableau dashboards" and "SQL queries," ensure those terms appear exactly in your bullets or skills section.
2. Focusing on Duties Instead of Achievements
The Mistake
Listing responsibilities like "Assisted in organizing clubs" instead of outcomes. This makes your resume feel flat and generic.
Why It Matters
Employers look for impact. Even if you haven't held an internship before, you can show learning and real outcomes through measurable results.
How to Fix It
Use action-based statements with quantifiable outcomes. Format: Verb + context + result.
Before:
- Managed social media for campus events
After:
- Increased student attendance by 25% through targeted Instagram posts and event campaigns
3. Poor Formatting and Inconsistent Styles
The Mistake
Using multiple fonts, inconsistent bullets, cramped layout, or unclear headings. This distracts recruiters and can break ATS parsing.
Why It Matters
ATS systems read in strict single-column order. Cluttered formatting may cause important sections to be skipped entirely.
How to Fix It
- Use a single-column layout
- Stick to one font family (Arial, Calibri, Verdana), consistent sizes
- Use clear headings: Education, Skills, Projects, Experience
- Keep margins uniform and leave whitespace for readability
4. Leaving Out Contact Details or Using Unprofessional Information
The Mistake
Failing to include email or phone, or using unprofessional email IDs like "xoxo.babe@...". It's surprisingly common among freshers.
Why It Matters
If the recruiter can't contact you, your resume becomes irrelevant. Plus, silly email IDs make you look careless or unprofessional.
How to Fix It
- Place contact info at top, in main body (not header/footer)
- Use firstname.lastname@gmail.com or similar professional format
- Include city, country (not full street address); LinkedIn URL if clean and active
5. Including Irrelevant Information That Clutters Your Resume
The Mistake
Listing outdated or irrelevant jobs (like high-school lifeguard), hobbies, or personal details (e.g., political affiliations or social media handles) that distract from relevant qualifications.
Why It Matters
Clutter distracts readers and may reduce the impact of your relevant experience. ATS and recruiters want to find key skills fast.
How to Fix It
- Only include roles or activities that highlight transferable skills related to the internship
- Remove unrelated hobbies or outdated jobs unless they teach leadership or teamwork
- Avoid personal identifiers like date of birth, photos, or religion
6. Spelling, Grammar or Typos
The Mistake
Typos, grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes often due to rushing or overrelying on spell-checkers.
Why It Matters
Errors immediately signal lack of attention to detail, making recruiters question your seriousness.
How to Fix It
- Proofread multiple times
- Read aloud for tone and flow
- Use Grammarly or similar tools, but always have someone else review
7. No Keywords or Role Alignment for ATS
The Mistake
Many student resumes lack the right keywords from the internship JD like skills, tools, or role names so ATS drops them early. Keywords like "Excel," "Python," "data visualization" must appear exactly.
Why It Matters
ATS parsing usually checks for verbatim matches. Synonyms often don't count. Absence of key phrases lowers your rank or excludes your resume entirely.
How to Fix It
- Copy JD keywords into resume sections: Summary, Skills bullet list, Experience bullets
- Use ATS scoring tools like Jobscan, SpeedUpHire, ResumeMatch to check match score
- Aim for 90% or higher match, then refine wording while keeping honesty
Structure and Flow for a Mistake-Free Student Internship Resume
Let's map a well-crafted student resume structure that avoids these errors:
Name • City, Country • Email • Phone • LinkedIn (clean)
Summary or Objective – tailored to each internship
Skills – 5–7 relevant tools and soft skills mirroring JD terms
Education – degree, GPA, relevant coursework or awards
Projects – 2–3 clear examples with tools, context, results
Experience/Volunteering – volunteer or part-time work tied to skills
Certifications/Awards – relevant to field or role
Optional (Languages, Interests) – brief and aligned with role
Real Examples of Mistake vs Fixed
a. Generic summary
Mistake: Seeking a challenging internship to gain experience
Better: Final-year CS student with Python and SQL experience; built campus energy-monitoring tool reducing waste by 15%; eager to apply data analysis skills at GreenEnergy Labs
b. Duty-based bullet
Mistake: Assisted with campus events
Better: Coordinated seven guest lectures for a technical symposium attended by 300+ students; managed speaker logistics and live Q&A sessions
c. Formatting issues
Mistake: Two-column layout, different fonts, compressed summary
Better: One-column Arial 11pt, consistent bullets, summary right under header, clear spacing
Additional Context and Facts
- According to career advisors, using a summary instead of objective boosts recruiter perception of professionalism for early career applicants.
- Indeed's June 2025 update flagged not tailoring the resume and listing irrelevant work as top mistakes for students.
- Vault's late-2024 guidance confirms lack of specific achievements and generic content weaken resumes even more so for students.
Final Checklist Before You Submit
- Adjusted resume for the specific internship (tailored summary, keywords)
- Bullets focus on achievements, not duties (with measurable outcomes)
- Formatting checks: single column, consistent font, clear headings
- Professional contact info included accurately
- Irrelevant content removed, focus on transferable skills
- No typos or grammar errors (double-proofread, peer reviewed)
- ATS-compatible keywords included via match testing tools
Wrap-Up
These top seven mistakes are surprisingly common among students, but they are also among the easiest to fix. When you:
- Customize your resume for each internship
- Show real outcomes instead of duties
- Use clean formatting and error-free language
- Include correct contact and ATS keywords
You move from "student resume" to "candidate who can deliver." That's how you win interviews, not just catches recruiter attention.