Having no previous full-time job is not a reason to send an empty internship application. University projects, laboratory work, volunteering and personal work samples can demonstrate skills. Explain your actual contribution clearly and describe honestly how you meet the advertised requirements.
This guide is for first applications to internships and junior roles. Its purpose is to make your existing preparation clear, without artificially inflating your CV.
Check whether the programme suits you
Read the whole advertisement. Note the field of study, languages, workplace, schedule and start date. “For students” does not necessarily mean that hours fit around classes. Look for payment information and programme duration. If missing, keep these as questions for the first contact.
Make a simple table with the requirement, your evidence and a question to clarify. For Excel, you might write: “Cleaned data and prepared a pivot report for a university project.” This is more informative than “good knowledge”.
What can replace employment experience on a CV?
Organise contact information, a short objective, education, projects, skills and languages. Order sections by their relevance to the vacancy. With no formal employment history, relevant education and projects can appear first.
For each project, describe its objective, your role, the tool used and the outcome. Do not claim a whole team's achievement as your own. Use only figures you can verify. Replace “I work well in a team” with “In a four-person course project, I was responsible for collecting data and preparing the final table.” The second version supports a discussion of specific behaviour.
Prepare one small work sample
A large portfolio is not necessary for every application. Choose a relevant example: an explained engineering project, a sample financial report, a short content plan or design sketches. Clearly identify academic exercises as such.
Do not share actual company information, internal workplace spreadsheets or personal data without permission. Create sample data yourself or use material authorised for public use. Test portfolio access in another browser window before sending a link.
Keep motivation short and personal
Instead of repeating the company's history, explain which programme you are applying for, what relevant preparation you have and what you want to learn. Add a connection that is not already obvious from the CV.
For example: “I am applying for your engineering internship. In an academic project, I helped prepare a technical drawing and present the results. I would like to learn how technical documentation is used in production. My CV and a short project description are attached.”
Adapt this to your actual education and work. If the advertisement specifies an email subject, reproduce it accurately.
Run a five-minute check before sending
Confirm the company and programme names, working phone and email, and a readable CV file. Include your name and the role in the filename. Check the source's application method and deadline, and ensure the portfolio link opens without an additional access request.
One advertisement may require email and another a dedicated platform. Use the channel specified in the source. When reviewing current Workly vacancies, read each listing's application instructions separately.
Prepare examples for the first meeting
Choose examples of a difficult topic you learned, teamwork and a mistake you corrected. Briefly describe the situation, your role and what you learned. Remembering the facts may be easier than memorising an answer.
Ask who gives feedback, what daily tasks involve and how progress is assessed. You may ask about permanent employment, but do not treat it as guaranteed without a written offer.
Track your applications
Keep the company, programme, submission date, source link and next step in one list. Follow stated deadlines and contact instructions. A missing response alone does not mean you lack ability; reassess the evidence and relevance of your CV for the next application.
Start with Workly vacancies, select opportunities matching your education and existing skills, and tailor each application.
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