Crelate Resources
Internship Job Description Template
The Anatomy of a Great Internship Job Description with Template
An internship job description is a bit different from your standard full-time job description because there’s more flexibility required for the employer and intern. An internship is the start of someone’s career trajectory, sometimes opening doors for the intern that weren’t originally anticipated.
When you write an internship internship job description, it’s extremely important to keep in mind that future employment opportunity is a major incentive for interns. Obviously, compensation is another major benefit since many internships are unpaid.
Before your jump right to the internship job description template, we provided a list of four best practices to consider when writing internship job postings. A thorough job description will help you get more applications and more promising candidates for the position.
But making interns more employable after they’ve finished their internship is the main benefit of both paid and unpaid internships. So, you need to make skill-building opportunities the center of your internship job description.
Best Practices for Internship Job Descriptions
1. Grab the Attention of Interns with an Opportunity for Growth
As we already mentioned, better employability is your main selling point. But if your internship is paid, that puts you ahead of any unpaid internships. If you’re offering a paid internship, use “paid internship” as part of the job title, that way job seekers can see it immediately as they scroll through internship listings.
Then, describe the skills that your intern can learn during the opportunity which will help the intern get a job afterwards. If the internship may lead to employment with your company, include that in the opening paragraphs as well (but never guarantee employment).
2. Be Unique to Stand Out in a Sea of Job Descriptions
If you want to separate your internship job description from the pack, you have to say things differently. According to the current pack of job descriptions, every job is “fast-paced” and “inspiring.” But if everything is fast-paced and inspiring, then nothing is fast-paced and inspiring. And not every candidate wants a fast-paced job.
The best way to make your internship job description stand out is to be honest about the opportunity. If the job is methodical and precise, say it’s methodical and precise. It may feel counter-intuitive. But, there are plenty of people who enjoy methodical, precise work. Those are the ones you want to apply for the job.
The best way to get the people who like the type of work you’re offering is to say exactly the type of work you’re offering. Just make sure you’re presenting the qualities of the job as benefits, even if you wouldn’t be interested in that type of work.
3. Accurately Describe the Requirements of the Role
This might seem like a no-brainer and it’s an extension of the previous piece of advice.
But it’s important that you’re accurate in your description of what the job requires and what the intern will be doing. This is especially important for internships. You really put the intern in a tough spot if they don’t develop the skills the job description claimed they would.
Talking to a current or previous intern, or interviewing the person who will be supervising the intern will help you write a job description that’s appealing, without being incomplete or misleading.
4. Check the Legal Boxes
You don’t need a lawyer to review your job descriptions. But, your job description does need to be complete enough that an applicant can truthfully answer the question, “Can you perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation?”
That’s a mandatory application question. So, make sure that your job application provides enough information for applicants to answer it correctly, and that there won’t be problems with employers asking employees to do things that weren’t in the job description.
Also, even though it’s technically not part of the job description, remember the requirements for unpaid internships:
- The internship is similar to training that would be given in an educational environment.
- The experience benefits the intern.
- The intern works under supervision of existing staff and does not displace regular employees.
- The internship provider derives no immediate benefits from the internship and operations may actually be occasionally impeded.
- There is no guarantee of a job once the internship is concluded.
- It is clear to both the intern and the employer that the intern is not entitled to wages for the internship.
Internship Job Description Template
Just copy and paste this template into a document and replace the italicized text with your own information.
Don’t be afraid to add as much information as you need to paint a complete picture of the internship. Or, shorten this job description if the internship is less intensive.
[Paid, or if unpaid, use only the position title] [Position] Internship
The [position] internship is perfect for a [recent college graduate, current student/junior/senior/etc.]. You’ll gain valuable resume experience and build [relevant skill that makes the intern more employable, i.e. proficiency working with a remote software development team] and [second relevant skill].
Our [position] intern will be part of our [relevant team/department] and responsible for helping [create/produce/manage] our [product/product type, relevant deliverable, intangible benefit, i.e. customer experience]. Ultimately, the [position] intern will will help [company] [achieve/accomplish relevant goal associated with the internship, i.e. design and produce the quality products customers have come to expect from ABC Company].
[Position] Intern Duties and Responsibilities
- [Specific day-to-day task or responsibility]
- [Specific day-to-day task or responsibility]
- [Specific day-to-day task or responsibility]
- [Add additional bullets as necessary. Try to keep overall job description length to about a page]
[Position] Intern Requirements
- [Required hard or soft skill, i.e. Proficiency debugging C++ code, Enrolled in marketing or marketing-related degree program, College junior or senior, etc.]
- [Required hard or soft skill]
- [Required hard or soft skill
- [Required hard or soft skill]
- [Add additional bullets as necessary. Try to keep overall job description length to about a page]
Please provide a resume and a cover letter to [link/location] to apply for this internship.
