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Great tips to write position descriptions from the RIC team to help your organization’s Internship opportunity stand out!
At the RIC, we receive many questions about writing internship position descriptions. Writing Internship position descriptions are entirely different than writing full-time or even a part time job description. Internship Jobs are temporary positions, and therefore, should reflect projects that can be completed in a specific amount of time.
Generally, internship position descriptions should, at minimum, contain the following:
* A blurb or short paragraph about your company. Students should know what kind of organization they are applying to!
* A synopsis of the internship
* A list of specific internship projects that can be completed in the internship time frame (i.e. create a new business plan, develop a media kit, seek out new sponsors, plan an event, etc.) We recommend no more than 2 or 3 projects to start with!
* A list of the intern’s daily responsibilities (i.e. updating the website, editing company newsletter, recruit volunteers, update social media, write blogs, etc.)
* A list of qualities your ideal intern would possess (Its best to think in terms of behaviors, but also consider other requirements such as age, school status, experience, GPA, etc.)
* A time frame for the durations of the program, whether it is a part-time fall internship or a full-time summer internship program (May-August, July- September, etc.)
* Hours per week the intern is to work (We recommend no more than 15 hours for an unpaid internship)
* Where the intern will be working (At your office? Remotely? If you have a home based office, we recommend having meetings with your intern at a neutral location, like a coffee shop. Where in southwestern PA is the site located?)
* Whether or not the internship is accessible by bus. Many internship seekers rely on the public transportation system to get to and from their internship. If you require that an intern must attend company events or visit clients off-site, Please include this in your position description.
* Lastly, but most importantly, a description of what the intern will learn. An Internship should provide the interns with a chance to network and expand their knowledge. What will they take away from this internship? The best interns don’t view an internship simply as a summer job for college students, but as an opportunity for career development.
Creating a win-win for you and your intern starts with a detailed internship position description that lets applicants know exactly what will be expected of them and makes your organization stand out amongst several internship opportunities!
For more information or advice on writing your position descriptions contact the RIC team, or visit www.theregionalinternshipcenter.org
