Internship Offer Letter Template and What to Include

An internship offer letter template should state the role, the start and end dates, the hours, whether the internship is paid and how much, who supervises the intern, what the intern will learn or do, any conditions, and a reply by date. Keep it short and clear, and check local rules on pay and status.

Why interns need a clear offer

Interns are often students or early career candidates who have never received a formal offer before. They may be comparing several options, juggling exams, or waiting on a visa or a university form. A vague message that says we would love to have you for the summer leaves too many questions open: how long, how many hours, paid or not, where, and who is in charge. A clear internship offer letter solves that. It lets the intern say yes with confidence, lets their university or parents see the basics if needed, and protects your business from misunderstandings about expectations. It also sets the tone for your employer brand, because the way you treat a first time worker stays with them. This guide gives you a template you can adapt, a list of what to include, and notes on the points that most often cause trouble, such as pay, working hours, intellectual property and the end of the placement. The aim is a letter that is friendly, specific and honest. If you want a more general template for permanent roles, see /offer-letter-template. Rules about interns differ widely by country, and in some places an unpaid or low paid internship is restricted or even unlawful, so check local law before you decide the terms.

What to include, in plain terms

A good internship offer covers ten things. First, the title and the team, so the intern knows where they sit. Second, the start and end dates, because an internship is normally for a fixed period. Third, the hours and the working pattern, including whether the intern works on site, remotely or a mix. Fourth, pay or stipend, stated clearly, including how and when it is paid, or an explicit statement that the placement is unpaid if that is lawful where you operate. Fifth, the supervisor or mentor. Sixth, a short description of the work and the learning goals. Seventh, any conditions, such as proof of the right to work, enrolment confirmation or a signed confidentiality agreement. Eighth, practical details such as expenses, equipment, dress and the first day arrangements. Ninth, what happens at the end, such as a review conversation, a reference, or a possible path to a longer role without a promise you cannot keep. Tenth, a reply by date and a contact person. If any of these items is missing, the intern will probably email to ask, which costs both sides time.

A word for word template

Replace every item in brackets before sending. This is a general sample, not legal advice.

Dear [Intern name],

Thank you for interviewing with us. We are pleased to offer you an internship as [Role title] in the [Team] team at [Company], supervised by [Supervisor name].

Dates and hours: The internship runs from [Start date] to [End date]. You will work [hours] a week, [days], at [location or remote arrangement].

Pay: [You will be paid a stipend of amount and currency per period, paid on date by method] or [This is an unpaid placement arranged for educational credit with your institution, if lawful where we operate].

What you will do: You will [two or three sentences about the projects and what the intern will learn].

Conditions: This offer depends on [proof of right to work, confirmation of enrolment, any checks you need, and a signed confidentiality agreement].

At the end of the internship we will hold a feedback conversation with you and, if you ask, provide a reference. This letter does not promise a job after the internship.

Please reply to confirm by [Reply by date]. If you have questions, contact [Name] at [Email].

We are looking forward to working with you.

[Name, title]

This wording is short on purpose. Each paragraph answers one question the intern will have, and the last sentence about no promise of a job protects both sides from a misunderstanding.

Paid or unpaid: points to check

Pay is the sensitive part of an internship offer, and the rules are different almost everywhere. Some countries require interns who do real work for a business to be paid at least a minimum amount. Some allow unpaid placements only when they are part of a recognised education programme and mainly serve the learner. Some treat interns as employees with full rights, and some treat them as a separate category with their own rules. Taxes, insurance, working hours limits for young people, and visa rules may apply as well. We cannot tell you which of these applies to you, and the wrong choice can be expensive. So the safe approach is simple: decide whether the work is real work that benefits your business, find out what the law says about that in the place where the intern will work, and write the pay clause to match. If you offer a stipend, say the amount, the currency, the schedule and whether tax is deducted. If you offer course credit, name the institution and the arrangement. Do not leave pay blank or vague. Rules differ by country, so check local law or ask an adviser before you publish your terms.

A clause checklist you can score

Use this scoring table on your draft. Give two points where the clause is clear, one point where it is partly there, and zero where it is missing. A score of 16 or more out of 20 suggests the letter is ready. The points are an example method.

If a clause scores zero, add it. If two or more score one, tighten the wording before you send the letter, because partial clauses are often where later arguments start.

A worked example

Here is a worked example with invented figures. A twelve person marketing agency wants a summer intern for ten weeks. The owner decides on a stipend of 1,800 a month, a thirty hour week, a hybrid pattern of three days in the office, and a supervisor who is the content lead. The first draft of the letter says only we would like you to join us this summer at a small stipend. The owner then reads the checklist above and finds four gaps: no dates, no exact stipend, no mention of confidentiality, and no reply date. The revised letter states a start of the first Monday in June and an end ten weeks later, a stipend of 1,800 a month paid on the last working day, a confidentiality agreement to sign on day one, and a reply by date of two weeks before the start. The agency also adds a sentence that the placement does not promise a job. The intern replies in a day. The numbers are examples only, and the right figures for you depend on your country, your budget and the law. The lesson is that a clear letter is not longer, it is just more complete, and completeness saves a lot of later email.

Handling the end of the internship

Many interns hope the placement will lead to a longer role, and many employers also hope to convert a strong intern. Be honest about that from the start. Write that the letter does not promise a job, and plan a mid point and an end review. At the mid point, tell the intern how they are doing and what to improve. At the end, give written or spoken feedback and offer a reference if you can honestly give a good one. If you do want to extend or convert, use a new letter with new terms rather than a casual message, so that title, pay, notice and probation are clear. A conversion offer is a different document from an internship offer, and it should follow the same care as any other job offer letter. Keep notes during the placement so that your feedback is specific. Interns who feel they were treated fairly are far more likely to recommend your company to classmates, apply again after graduation, or at least speak well of you, which is valuable for a small employer with no big brand.

Common mistakes

The common mistakes are easy to avoid once you know them. Leaving out the end date turns a fixed placement into an open ended one by accident. Leaving pay out of the letter invites disputes and may break the law. Giving the intern a long list of vague duties makes it unclear whether they are learning or just doing admin. Asking an intern to work full time hours for a part time stipend creates resentment. Sending the letter without a reply date lets it sit for weeks. Forgetting to ask for confidentiality and ownership of work product leaves your business exposed, especially for design, code and writing roles. Using an adult employee template without changes may include clauses about notice and probation that do not suit a short placement. Promising a job in the letter creates expectations that may be impossible to meet. And failing to check the rules on minors, visas or student status can cause real problems. Read your draft once as the intern and once as a regulator, and fix anything that would confuse the first or worry the second.

Where Rezumz fits

Rezumz is a hiring workspace for small and mid-size hiring teams. You can use it to run the offer step for an intern the same way as for any candidate: open the candidate, create an offer letter draft with company, pay and dates, and edit the text so it reads like the template above. Anything left in [brackets] has to be filled in before the letter can be sent. You can ask the account owner or a teammate to approve it, and the candidate receives a private link to accept by typing their full name and ticking a confirmation, or to decline with an optional reason. The link works for up to 14 days or until the reply by date if that is sooner. Rezumz keeps a printable record of the approval and signature. It does not decide whether an internship should be paid, it does not give legal advice, and its electronic signature does not verify identity. It suits small and mid-size teams, and the Team plan is aimed at teams of four or more recruiters. It does not suit large enterprises needing deep HRIS or payroll connections, and it does not do one-click multiposting to job boards. Prices: a free plan with 2 free candidate analyses, $29 a month, $199 a year, or a limited $499 lifetime option. Team is $79 a month or $699 a year for up to 10 teammates. See /pricing and try the live demo at /demo.

Who this is not for

This article is not enough on its own if your internship is part of a formal university or government scheme, because those schemes often supply their own agreement and have their own rules about pay, supervision and reporting. It is not for you if you place interns in several countries and need local contracts that meet each country's rules, in which case take local advice. It is not for you if the intern will handle regulated work, such as financial advice or healthcare, where licensing and supervision rules apply. And it is not a substitute for a lawyer if you are unsure whether your placement counts as employment. If you only hire one or two interns a year, a well checked template and a simple process may be all you need. If you hire dozens and need automated onboarding into HR and payroll systems, you will want tools built for that scale. For the wider hiring process, see /applicant-tracking-system, /job-description-template and /recruitment-software.