Use an Internship Offer Letter Template to confirm the acceptance of an intern who is suitable for your business.
Updated August 16, 2023
Written by Josh Sainsbury | Reviewed by Brooke Davis
An Internship Offer Letter is written correspondence sent to an intern from an employer offering an internship position. Interns differ from employees in that the intern often agrees to work for little or no pay for the duration of the program.
While some internships lead to long-term employment, such positions are taken with the understanding that a future job with the company is not guaranteed.
To ensure a mutually beneficial internship experience, a clear, concise internship letter is crucial. Follow these steps, starting with an internship offer letter template:
Enter the recipient’s full name and double-check the spelling. Accuracy is critical since the internship offer letter can be considered legal.
You will provide a full scope of work with your formal internship agreement, so a detailed list of work obligations is unnecessary. Your offer letter should provide details about the company and how the intern will fit. Outline the general requirements for the position and explain any critical tasks and projects.
One of the primary legal requirements is that an internship works with the student’s academic schedule. Be clear about the internship’s start and end date. Outline the scheduling method and how it will accommodate the student’s needs.
Use this section to provide insight into the company’s expectations of the intern. Include information about confidentiality, dress code, professional etiquette, and other important policies and procedures.
Give the potential intern a specific date by which to reply. Ensure enough time to consider your offer and respond thoughtfully and seriously. If you want to hire another if this intern declines, allow yourself enough time to contact other applicants.
Although the internship offer letter is not a contract, it does serve as legal documentation of the basic terms of the internship. Use this opportunity to include any additional legal disclosures about paid and unpaid internships, academic credit, networking opportunities, and professional development resources.
If needed, advise the intern of the next steps in the internship hiring process. For example, once they accept the position, the candidate may need details about where to report on their first day.
You may also provide their supervisor’s contact information so they can call and coordinate.
Internships allow students and new graduates to gain training and hands-on experience in their desired careers. Employers who hire interns have greater access to new talent as people enter the workforce from colleges and universities.
At the same time, interns gain critical experience that can help them hone their career goals and pursue future employment opportunities.
An internship offer letter is a formal document outlining the terms of the internship offer. It explains the opportunity and highlights the benefits of working with your company. It provides sufficient information for the intern to decide whether the position is right for them.
Your offer letter for the internship should include the following details:
Clarifying that the letter overrides any prior discussions about the internship terms ensures transparency regarding the scope of work and benefits, which is significant if negotiations are prolonged.
Since internships are often unpaid, the Fair Labor Standards Act has established seven rules to test whether a position qualifies. This primary beneficiary test ensures employers do not take advantage of interns by treating them like employees without paying them minimum wage.
The seven factors of the primary beneficiary test are:
Not all these rules apply to every internship. While federal laws exist for unpaid internships, some states and localities require that interns receive pay for their work, regardless of whether the internship is part of an academic program. Before you send an unpaid internship offer letter, be sure to review applicable laws and statutes.
Streamline your internship contract process by downloading this fillable internship offer letter in PDF or Word format.
