Resumes and Resilience

January 13, 2025

This blog post is a sort of one-stop shop for all the advice I have for students looking for internships. From how to build out a resume early in college to landing that first role to targeting larger companies, I'll be sharing my own experiences, and I as I do I'll share the resources I used, and the more specific advice and tips I have for you. That said...

Quick disclaimer: I am far from the first person to offer this sort of advice, and you should take what I have to say with a grain of salt. This is all from my own perspective as a student at NEU, and I can only share what worked for me. I know the market is competitive, and it's easy to feel discouraged, but I want to remind you that everyone's journey is different. You are not alone in this process, you are not doing anything wrong, and you will get there. That said, if I give any advice you haven't heard before, I hope you give it a try. It might just work for you too :)

The truth is, you don't need a packed resume the moment you get into college, that's the point of all the events and resources universities provide outside of basic coursework. Grades are important, but a 4.0 alone won't get you a job, you have to show real interest in what you're learning and apply it. Projects, hackathons, clubs — when you don't have experience yet, these are the things that show you're serious.

Looking back, one of my biggest regrets was focusing only on grades at first instead of getting involved earlier. If you're just starting out, go to that workshop. Enter that hackathon. You don't need to know everything — you just need to start. Experience comes faster than you think once you put yourself out there.

For me, my first resume had a part-time job at Chipotle, some volunteer experience at a local hospital, and a few seasonal roles. I emphasized some of the more unique experiences on my resume, and I think that helped me stand out. I coached at a local tennis club, I ballboyed at the U.S. Open, and I wrote about some unique experiences I had, like attending the presidential inauguration in D.C. and traveling a lot as a kid. The key is to show that you're a well-rounded person with interests outside of school. No company is expecting you to have a packed resume right out of high school, but they want to see that you're more than just a student.

Getting involved on campus builds your skills, but internships are where you really start to bridge the gap between school and industry. The hard part is getting that first one when your resume still feels empty. Here's the good news: externships, research assistant roles, even freelance projects — they all count. What matters is showing that you can take what you’re learning and apply it to something real.

My advice? Don’t wait for the "perfect" role. Apply early. Apply wide. Apply to places you’ve never even heard of. Smaller companies, startups, even unpaid roles (if you're willing) can be stepping stones. That said, if getting an internship was as easy as applying, I wouldn't be writing this blog. So let's go back to that resume. Now that you have some more experience, it's time to make it shine. And that's where the first roadblock comes in.

The ATS System

When applying as a student from a non-target school, an ATS is your personal op. It's the system that filters out resumes before they even reach a human. And it's brutal. If your resume doesn't have experience to match the job description or a school they like, it's going straight to the trash. On top of that, you need it to be ATS-friendly (meaning the system can easily read it to get that info in the first place). That means no fancy formatting, no images, and no unnecessary sections. Just a clean, simple layout with the right keywords. I spent hours on my resume and have nearly 20 versions, so let me save you some time.

First, if you have a resume that's already working for you, stick with it. If you're starting from scratch, I recommend using Overleaf. You'll hear a lot of people say Microsoft Word or Google Docs do the job, but LaTeX is the way 🙏. You can find plenty of templates online, but I recommend one called Jake's Resume . Simply download the template, fill in your info, and you'll already have a solid base. It's simple, clean, and ATS-friendly — I use it to this day. From there, you can focus on wording, layout, and making it your own. I recommend using Tech Interview Handbook's Resume Guide for general do's and don'ts as well as websites like resumes.fyi for inspiration on wording (though you may also notice the template many of the resumes on there have in common).

Now that you have some club experience and projects to show for yourself along with a resume to deliver them, it's time to start applying. The first role is always the hardest, but once you get it, the rest will come easier.

Again, don't wait for the perfect role. When you're starting out, it's all about getting your foot in the door. And remember, it's not just about the big names. Smaller companies give you more responsibility and a chance to learn faster. They're often more flexible with requirements too. On top of that, with the current AI race, startups like Mercor or Glean and countless others present incredible opportunities. That said, it's still a numbers game, just like applying to college. Keep improving your resume, keep applying, and keep your head up. It's a process, and

you'll get there