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Step-by-Step Guide on How to Post Internships Online

Brown_arrow_21 Written by Nathan Parcells on May 11, 2010

How to Attract Applicants to your Internship Posting: Writing a Great Internship Description

Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. The Parts of a Great Internship Description
A. The Internship Description
B. The InternMatch Template
III. Internship Title
IV. General Description
A. Briefly Introduce Your Organization
B. List the Intern’s Responsibilities and Tasks
C. Describe What the Intern Will Learn
D. List Qualifications and Characteristics

E. Terms of the Commitment

V.

VI.

Gold Standard Sample

Summary and Checklist

Downloadable Content

I. Introduction

The successful online recruitment of interns usually begins with the posting of a great internship description.  For many organizations, this process may appear daunting.  After all, for many, this posting is the first opportunity to clearly communicate to your targeted audience: the well-qualified internship candidate.  Others may lack a human resources department.  Even then, there are many reasons to recruit interns online.  It is helpful to keep in mind when you post online the ways a great internship description will serve your organization:

  • Online, your posting can easily become the primary method of introducing potential candidates to your organization;
  • Your posting will allow you to easily recruit from a larger pool of candidates beyond traditional recruiting practices;
  • By specifying skill requirements and defining the project scope, you can target interns with the right qualifications and thereby add significant value to your team or project;
  • Equally important, the internship description clarifies work expectations for the applicant, which will assist you in conducting future performance reviews, guide you on intern supervision, and help you measure project deliverables.
In the short run, a good posting will attract more, better qualified applicants.  In the long run, a good descriptive posting will add structure to your current internship program.  This strategy is especially helpful if your organization does not have a human resources department.

On the applicant side, a good online internship posting will spark enough interest for certain applicants to click on your posting for more information.  After this initial click, only a great description, however, will find a way to associate and align a desired applicant’s values and professional interests with your own.  A great internship description helps candidates assess and make informed decisions about internships, increasing the chances of a strong match.

So, do not fear writing the internship description.  Our primary goal is to help you write a great description.  Our secondary goal is to help you understand how to connect to your target candidate pool.  How to Attract Applicants to your Internship Posting: Writing a Great Internship Description will address the six parts of a great internship description and along the way, will provide you with tips and examples.  

II. The Parts of a Great Internship Description

Although an internship description may be structured similarly to that of a regular job description, there are important differences.  A basic job description articulates the objectives of the job and the main responsibilities required of the employee.  It describes the qualifications and the desired personal characteristics.  It also provides some background on the organization.  It finally sets forth the commitment level, the compensation terms, and other pertinent details.

When writing an internship description, you may include all these major elements; however, before you upload your internship posting, you should also include an important section: “What the intern will learn from the internship.”  This section is important because whether the internship is paid or unpaid, the internship needs to benefit the intern.  For this reason, the internship description must be written in an entry-level style with the target audience in mind: students or candidates who seek to learn something from the internship.

A. The Internship Description

To break it down for you, there are six parts of an internship description:

  1. Internship Title;
  2. A short overview of your organization;
  3. Internship Details, including commitment terms and compensation details;
  4. A list of the Intern’s essential responsibilities and tasks;
  5. A section describing what the intern will learn from the experience; and
  6. A list of the desired qualifications and characteristics;

B. The InternMatch Template

On InternMatch.com, we have created an easy-to-use template that will help you make sure to include these sections and acts as a step-by-step guide through this process (the InternMatch.com template, as well as the gold standard sample included in this guide, are perfect for when your ready to build your own position no matter where you want to post your internships).

III. Internship Title

What’s in a name?  Perhaps a lot if you consider the fact that your future intern is out there scanning many internship positions online in a matter of seconds. With this in mind, we suggest that the title of an internship aims to catch the intern’s eye.

A general rule of thumb is to make sure that the title of an internship position is descriptive and relevant.

A descriptive and relevant title tells the candidate three pieces of information.  First, it informs the candidate that it is an internship.  Second, it draws in candidates who have an interest in working in your industry or project.  Third and optionally, your posting may include a specific time period if you want to target seasonal applicants, such as summer interns.

Example One:

Too General:  “Technology Intern”

Good:  “Software Development Intern”

Specific to Commitment Terms:  “2010 Summer Software Development Intern”

Who you will target and attract:  The last two examples may attract candidates who have or who are looking for industry experience.  Additionally, adding a seasonal description will pull in candidates who are looking for summer positions.

Example Two:

Too General:   “United Nations Intern”

Good: “United Nations Social Media Intern” Specific to Project:  “United Nations Social Media Campaign Strategy Intern”

Who you will target and attract:  The last two examples may attract candidates interested in your organization.  The final example details an applicant’s responsibilities and distinguishes the position from more general titles.

However, creating a title that is too specific may be confusing, especially if irrelevant information is used:

Example Three:

Too Specific:  “Intern to the Director of Development at ABCDE, Inc.”

Better working title:  “Market Research Intern at ABCDE Inc.”

Who you will target and attract: The last example describes the industry and the organization, attracting candidates who value both.  The first example does not say enough about the role of the intern: will he or she be a mere assistant?

Keep the title of your internship descriptive and relevant and catch the eyes of your target candidates.

IV. General Description

This part of your internship description is also otherwise known as the “job summary” or “internship summary”.  Writing the summary allows you to highlight exciting projects and essential tasks to be delegated or managed by the intern.  On InternMatch, the “Description” field gives you the opportunity to include this piece by inserting the following information:

  • Briefly introduce your organization;
  • List the essential internship responsibilities and tasks; and
  • Include any relevant qualifications and characteristics desired in an intern.
After reading this section, a candidate should be able to identify the scope and level of responsibily expected of an intern in your organization.  Additionally, a well-written section should assist you in structuring your internship program; you can refer back to this description when evaluating intern supervision and when conducting performance reviews.

A. Briefly Introduce Your Organization

As previously mentioned, potential internship applicants are scanning for certain key words, values, and interesting projects during their search.  So when you start the summary section by introducing your organization, you may want to start off with a catchy first line or a first paragraph describing your organization, department, division, office or project.

You can create a catchy first couple of lines with one or all of the following:
  1. Describe your mission statement;
  2. Ask a question: speak directly to the candidate’s interests by tying it to yours;
  3. Briefly explain the internship project
Here are some examples:

“At ABCD, we believe…”

“ABCD is a non-profit organization dedicated to…”

“Do you have marketing or sales experience?  At ABCD, we provide…”

“Our organization does….for Seattle.”

“Interested in Seattle indie music? ABCD’s Musician’s Project is…”

B. List the Intern’s Responsibilities and Tasks

Now that you’ve got the candidate’s attention, list the essential internship’s responsibilities and tasks.  What is the intern required to do?  What projects will the intern work on?  What tools will the intern be using?  Who will be supervising the intern on this project?  Some good openers include:

“Our 2010 summer intern will conduct….”

“We are seeking an intern to….”

“At ABCD, we are looking for….”

Continue to list the essential tasks and responsibilities by beginning each sentence with action verbs in the present tense.  A good list includes, but is not limited to, 5-8 responsibilities or tasks relevant to the position. Keep in mind that a list of responsibilities and tasks that are too general may not adequately inform the candidate of what is expected of him or her.  On the other hand, a description that is too inflexible may overwhelm a potential applicant and deter your target candidate.

A great way to present your list is by using bullet points.  Another way is to write a paragraph describing the internship duties.  Either way, consider these general guidelines:

  • List the most important responsibility or duty first. This task will usually take up most of the intern’s time.  For instance, a main responsibility could be “Event Planning” and an essential task could be “Research and compile an advertising brochure for organization”.
  • Use action verbs in the present tense: As previously mentioned, begin each task or responsibility with an action verb.  Brainstorm a list of action words that may describe this task or responsibility.
  • Group like tasks together.
  • You may want to include areas of Supervision.  You also want to include the level of authority or supervision over certain project or over the intern in general.
  • Include any tools the intern will be using. An example: “You will master the institutional sales process and be trained on how to manage clients using Salesforce for Customer Relationship Management (CRM).”
  • Add some flexibility for additional intern involvement as long as it falls within the scope of the internship: An example: “Assists the Director in other marketing duties related to the summer marketing project.”

C.   Describe What the Intern Will Learn

This is a very important element of your posting because internships are out-of-the-classroom learning opportunities for the intern.  An internship provides insight and experience into the intern’s field of professional or academic interest.  Gaining professional experience in one’s academic field is a big reason why students and other potential candidates apply for an internship in the first place.  Interns seek to work under industry leaders, to participate in an organization’s overall mission, and/or to receive specific industry training.  Interns may also be seeking school credit and hands-on experience in certain communities.

For all these reasons, InternMatch recommends you include a section to describe the benefits gained by the intern in the internship.  This section should answer “why” the intern candidate should apply to your program, perhaps providing extra incentive for students to apply.

The following are language and examples could be used to help you draft this section:

  • Training received: “This internship is a great opportunity to learn…to receive training…”
  • Industry or field of interest explored: “This internship will provide you with a place to gain…to explore social entrepreneurship…”
  • Hands-on experience related to the field of study or professional interests: “This is an analytical position, with opportunity to gain hands-on experience in community outreach/budget formation/article drafting…”
  • Participation in organization’s mission or strategic planning: “As a key member of the marketing team, you will be…”
  • Values align with the duties asked of the intern: “If you are interested/passionate/excited about….then consider an internship with ABCD”
  • Tools learned or projects completed: “Use InDesign to create marketing collateral that will be distributed at our annual Auction event.”
  • Opportunity to work and learn from a person in a managerial position: “Under the supervision of our International Aid Research Director at ABCD, you will be able to observe and work on…”
  • Any perks or benefits: “Intern will have opportunity to attend…”

D.  List Qualifications and Characteristics

Typically, after an employer writes out the responsibilities and tasks section, another section is devoted to listing the essential and specific skills, knowledge and abilities needed to be successful in the internship.  This part of the internship description also describes special requirements, provides information about work environment or location, and/or lists any physical demands.

While this part focuses on an applicant’s competencies, employers must remember that an internship could be the first “official” job for many applicants.  Thus, employers should stay open-minded when formulating this part so that potential candidates with transferable skills can apply.  Consider these general qualifications and characteristics:
  • Desired educational background or experience: An example, you may want to seek an intern that fits this description: “Background in International Relations, Economics or related field.”
  • Desired Special educational training or technical training:If the intern needs certain skills for the internship (HTML or computer programming), then you should certainly include it.  Indicate a specific skill (“Microsoft Suite”) rather than a general one (“Computer skills”).  Moreover, if you prefer a skilled intern, but are also open to training an unskilled applicant seeking those skills, also indicate that here (“Front Page skills preferred, but will train…”).  Staying flexible allows you to attract more applicants.
  • Work Location: Is the intern going to be commuting between various offices or community centers?  Will you allow the intern to work in different communities? Remotely?
  • List Desired characteristics: Think about what type of intern would be successful in your position and the words to describe their personality or work ethic.  Examples include, but are not limited to: “organized,” “detail oriented,” “ability to work in fast-paced environments,” or “excellent communication and writing skills.”

E. Terms of the Commitment

  • Length of Commitment - Start Date and End Date: A typical internship position is 3 – 6 months coinciding with a student's semester.  Additionally, the length of commitment should try to coincide with the scope of the project the intern is being brought on board to complete.
  • Application Deadline: We strongly urge you to include an application deadline so your candidate pool can plan the application process with an end date in mind.  We also suggest setting a deadline that will give you enough time to screen applicants before the internship start date.  Additionally, many interns will apply the week of a given deadline.  This means that you should choose a deadline at least 2 weeks prior to the date you start interviewing, so you have sufficient time to screen and select interns.
  • Level of Commitment – Hours expected of the intern. This section can be fixed or flexible.  The hours may also be structured to reflect the target applicant’s school schedule or school requirements.
  • Compensation: Wage attracts better interns and helps in retention.  Additionally, school credit is sometimes offered.
V.  Gold Standard Sample

Social Media Campaign Strategy Intern

Want to gain experience in digital marketing and non-profit outreach?  LearnSomething was founded in 2006 and now connects over 20,000 Seattle area high schoolers with extracurricular learning experiences.  Our growth has been a result of strategically combining our business partnerships with grassroots outreach and marketing; we hope to improve results with your input and implementation of a creative online media campaign.

We are looking for an outgoing, people person who seeks out-of-the-classroom experience in marketing and outreach.  Our ideal candidate is someone who walks into a room of people and can’t leave without making a few friends.  This is a great opportunity to work directly with an Executive Director of a leading nonprofit.  Additionally, interns will have the opportunity to interact with different department heads on projects that will help develop the intern’s office portfolios.

Responsibilities Include:

  • Help create a long term social media plan and marketing calendar.
  • Relationship building with our online community by maintaining Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other media accounts.
  • Track social media analytics using Hoot Suite or similar service and deliver weekly report noting successful strategies
  • Update content on our organization’s blog.
  • Sync Facebook Page, twitter, and blog accounts to create positive feedback loops
  • Assist our Director of Social Media Marketing in building and presenting social media strategy.  Opportunity for other related projects.

Qualifications

  • Background in Marketing, Communication, non-profit management or other related discipline.
  • Strong communication skills.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Suite Office.
  • Organized, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments.
  • Creative and Flexible.
  • Familiarity with social networking sites desired, but we will also train.
  • Interested in the issues equal access to learning resources and generally socially conscious individual
  • Interest in nonprofit management and community development.
We value all of our interns and go the extra mile to make sure you receive a learning experience that fits your career goals.  You will become extremely knowledgeable in online communication, a master of twitter (and Hoot Suite social media manager), and develop an understanding of the right tactics to combine online marketing with overarching outreach goals in a professional setting.  You will also learn how to work in a professional environment and have ample opportunity to network with department leaders and other professionals in the non-profit and marketing field.

Details:

The position begins May 1st and ends August 31st.  You are expected to work 15 hours a week and will be paid $9/hour.

To apply please submit your application to John Doe using the apply button below

VI. Summary and Checklist

Writing a great internship description takes some time to think about and draft, but the rewards are well worth the time as an online description targets qualified candidates who can provide a long lasting impact and may even end up joining your team in the future.  Our hope is that this resource guide has given you some starting points.  Your applicant pool is filled with students, entry-level applicants, and other candidates seeking to learn from your internship program.  The internship description must therefore not only cover the details of the internship and work expected of the intern, it must include the benefits gained by the intern.  With that said, good luck and we hope to see your internship posting on InternMatch!

Below we have provided a downloadable copy of this entire document, as well as a hard copy checklist that you can go through after making your new internship description.
Downloads
Full Guide

Checklist

About the Author

Nathan Parcells
CMO
Since Nov 08, 2011
internmatch
nathan@internmatch.com

Nathan Parcells is the founder and Chief Marketing Officer at InternMatch. Read more about Nathan Parcells

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