How to Write a Job Description for an Intern

Last Updated: September 6, 2019

Internships provide on-the-job experience for those looking to develop a career in a particular area. Many companies and organizations hire interns because they work for free, or for low salaries, in exchange for the experience and contacts they can develop. Internships can be part-time or full-time, and take place over the summers or during the school year. Write a job description for an intern that will take into account the needs of your company, and the valuable work experience that can be provided for the intern.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Detailing Key Tasks and Responsibilities

1
Start with the title. The first thing on the job description for an internship should be the title of the position. Try to be specific to ensure that you attract people with the appropriate skills and interests. For example, you may be looking for a Marketing Intern, a Research Intern, or an Administrative Intern.
- In most instances you will not need to be more specific than this, as an intern is likely to work across a department.
- Try to give some detail in the title, rather than just advertising for an Intern.
- When people scans websites or sign up for email alerts they will often focus their search to their field of interest, so having this focus can improve the response.
2
Introduce your company. Under the title you should include a few sentences that give a picture of your company. Briefly outline your company's purpose and aims in a way which will draw in potential applicants.^{[1]
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Research source} Summarise what your company does on a day-to-day basis. For example, you might write:
- “Our company has a proud tradition of developing new technologies in renewable energy. We are an innovative firm looking to create new solutions to our energy needs. We have customers across the world and are keen to help develop young talent.”
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3
Describe the role. Next you need to give a brief description of the role you are advertising. This should just be a short paragraph that summarizes the sort of tasks the intern will be working on. This need only be a few sentences, but should cover the primary functions and give an idea of the general purpose of the internship.
- For example, a description for a marketing intern might say you are seeking “a dynamic individual able to work on their own initiative across a small marketing department. The intern will assist in the production and distribution of promotional material and increase our presence on social media.”
- A photography intern description might say “photography intern sought to assist staff covering numerous events. The intern will work alongside senior staff in the office and on location.”
4
Outline the intern's responsibilities. The section on the specific tasks and responsibilities of the intern is the most important part of the job description. Here you will precisely detail what the intern will be doing. Write a list of tasks in bullet points. It is common to put the most important, or the thing the intern will spend most of her time doing, at the top. Use active language and be as clear and concise as possible. The responsibilities for a marketing intern might include:
- Monitor an update social media accounts, including posting on Facebook and Twitter.
- Assist in writing e-mail newsletters for partners and clients.
- Minute departmental meetings.
- Assist Marketing Officer in departmental administration.
- Update client database and contact information.
- Help in other departments as appropriate.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Outlining the Required Skills

1
State any necessary qualifications. You should start the second section by stating if there are any specific qualifications required for the internship. This will vary by the field you are in and the type of internship you are looking to fill. Bear in mind that internships are often a way to gain work experience while studying for a particular career, so you may wish to specify that the applicants should be working towards a particular qualification.
- For example, an internship at a law firm might be aimed at somebody who is studying law and intends to become a lawyer.
- An internship at a newspaper or media organisation might be aimed at someone studying journalism, or a humanities or social science degree, who hopes to become a journalist.
2
Describe the required skills. After detailing any specific qualifications, you should have a section in which you can describe the kind of candidate you are looking for. Concentrate on the specific skills, but also mention personal characteristics that you think are important to work in your company. For example, it may be important to be a good communicator, but it is also important to be flexible and adaptable. The skills required for a marketing intern could be:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Detailed knowledge and experience of social media.
- Competence in Microsoft Office products, especially Word, Powerpoint and Excel.
- Be able to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Be able to work evenings or weekends if required.
3
Highlight any required experience. In some instances you may be looking for an intern who already has some experience working in your field. This might be the case if you are working in a technical business or a potentially dangerous environment, where knowledge of machinery or safe working practices are essential.
- You can state that experience is a bonus, but is not an essential requirement for the position.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Attracting Interns

1
Provide essential information. You should provide all the essential information the applicant should know in a clear list at somewhere on the job description. It's important to be transparent from the start so the applicant fully understands what they are applying for. Be sure to outline the following:
- Whether or not the position is paid.
- How many hours the intern will work each week.
- Who the intern's line manager or supervisor will be.
- What the duration of the internship will be.
2
Sell your company. Interns often do a lot of work for little or no money, so it's important that you demonstrate that you are interested in the intern's professional development and your company has a history of successful internships. Include a section at the end in which you can highlight the benefits to the intern. Start it with a brief summary of the history of your intern programme.
- If you have an established internship programme, state how many years it has been going, and highlight the success that previous interns have gone on to achieve.
- Use any statistics you have that show the career paths of previous interns.
- If you have gone on to employ interns on permanent contracts, you should point this out.
3
Explain the benefits for the intern. After expressing how seriously your company takes internships, you should specify the benefits to the potential interns. Write out a list which presents what the intern will learn through the experience. This should be related to the list of tasks and responsibilities. The specific benefits will depend on your company, but some examples could include:
- Gaining experience communicating directly with clients.
- Participating in departmental meetings.
- Learning to create compelling content on a website.
- Learning to track web analytics.
- Gaining experience working in a team and on your own initiative.
4
Outline the application and selection procedure. At the end of your document you should include all necessary information on the application procedure and schedule. State how you wish candidates to apply, if you have an application form or would like resumes and cover letters. Make it clear if you want any further documents, such as a writing sample, letter of recommendation, or portfolio.
- Highlight the deadline for applications, and the place where applications should be sent.
- Specify whether applications by email are acceptable.
- If possible, give an idea about when the applicants can expect to receive a response.
- State that you are an Equal Opportunities Employer.