Concise, detailed postings will lead to more interested and qualified applicants! Your internship position description should include the following information.
Organization Profile/Position Overview
Describe your organization and internship position with as much detail as possible. You want to depict the environment and illustrate the position as best you can to give the student an accurate idea of what they will be experiencing. This will also help the student to decide if they can picture themselves within your organization, industry and internship position.
Students are excited to work hard and create results, but they also want opportunities that will aid them in their long-term professional development. Students are attracted to companies that care about creating stellar internship experiences. Their perception of your organization and their enthusiasm about the opportunity starts with your description.
Please provide your location in this section, as well. This need not be an exact address; the name of a neighborhood or suburb (Lincoln Park, The Loop, Northbrook, etc.) will suffice. Even if the internship is remote, this helps give students a sense of your organization's home base.
Intern Responsibilities and Learning Objectives
- Day-to-day duties and tasks
- List specific responsibilities, especially those connected to the communication professions such as writing press releases, managing digital content, researching and creating media lists, etc.
- No more than 25% clerical work
- List two or three learning objectives that describe what the student should expect to learn through this internship. For example, “The ideal candidate will learn to write compelling online content,” or “Interns will gain experience in project and event management, public relations, and event logistics.”
Internship Benefits
- Describe the mentoring and training the intern will receive. Please note, ongoing mentoring and training are key elements of all internships.
- If the intern will participate in company meetings, networking events, or professional organizations, state that here. Students crave internships that will allow them to connect with professionals from whom they can learn!
- Whether the position is paid or unpaid. (If paid, note if this will be an hourly rate, stipend, commission, etc.).
- If you have specific internship timeline information, such as total length of the internship and desired hours, state that here.
Intern Requirements
- Be as specific as you need to be. However, if you’re open to different majors and backgrounds, state that as well.
- Degree or field of study you require/prefer.
- Years of experience. Many internships do not require (much) previous experience; if this is true for your organization, state that here. Some students will shy away from applying to internships that require experience, usually because it's unclear if/how their experience applies. If you can distinguish between requirements for the role and preferences that would be ideal, this would be helpful.
- Skills and abilities
- Computer/technology experience necessary
Application Procedure
- Please provide contact information (email address, website, etc.) along with the name and title of the person to whom students should submit their resumes. If you prefer that students apply directly via a website, please provide its address along with any further instructions that may be
needed (e.g., job number or title, category, etc.).
- List any additional materials you would like to receive along with resumes (a cover letter, writing sample, design project, etc.).
- Provide a
reasonable submission deadline—at least one month after posting date.
Your position description will be reviewed before it is placed on the internship website. Once your internship has been approved for posting, it will be placed on the website within 48-72 hours. All internship-related materials sent to us are kept for our records, as well as for prospective students to view.