An internship offer letter is a company's official agreement to hire qualified interns for their business.

• It's a formal document that informs the candidate (primarily students in their final year of graduation or job seekers) that they’ve been selected for an internship position in your organization's particular department or project. 
• The internship offer letter provides candidates with details regarding the legalities, duration, job profile, and other basic information like start and end dates, compensation, and terms and conditions.
• It outlines the specifics of the internship.

It's the foundational step towards building a great professional relationship and may lead to converting an internship into a permanent and full-time role.

What are the key elements of an internship offer letter?

An internship offer letter must include the crucial details that help an intern understand and accept the position. Below are the key elements of an internship offer letter:

1. The intern's details

This section of the internship offer letter includes the recipient's name and address, the internship's location, and the date on which the company created this business letter.

2. Company information

In this section, provide information about the company or organization. Provide a brief description of your company profile in the internship offer letter, including its history, mission statement, and values. This helps the candidates understand the company's culture and values.

3. Job title and description

Add the intern's professional title here and a detailed description of the intern's role during the internship.

• Mention the duties and responsibilities of the intern to be fulfilled by them during the internship.
• Convey the organization's expectations from the intern as clearly as possible.
• The internship offer letter should include the start and end dates of the internship, as well as the number of working hours per week. This gives the interns complete clarity about the work schedule.

4. Compensation

An organization can offer paid or unpaid internships. This section provides information regarding the intern's stipend. If it's a paid internship, provide the exact compensation amount the intern would receive for their services to your company. 

5. Information about the reporting authority

In the letter, mention the name of the manager or supervisor to whom the intern would report during the internship period. 

• Provide the contact details of the person who can be reached if the candidate has any queries or needs important information about the position. 
• Include the name, designation, and phone number of the contact person.

6. Terms and conditions

Stating the legalities is one of the most critical sections of an internship offer letter. Thus, include all essential details of this offer in this letter. 

• Extent and validity: An internship offer letter must indicate the extent of the entire agreement and its validity. 
• Non-disclosure agreement: While the candidate serves the position of an intern at your organization, they may have access to trade secrets and other sensitive proprietary information. Some companies may prefer to include legal disclosures like non-compete and non-disclosure agreements in internship letters to protect their confidential information. Accepting this offer, the interns acknowledge in writing that this information shall remain confidential and won’t be disclosed elsewhere after completing the internship tenure at your organization.
• Not an employment offer: An internship offer letter must clearly state that it doesn’t guarantee employment opportunities with the organization. It holds no guaranteed potential for an employment offer in the company payroll, even after successfully completing the internship program.

7. Sender's details

Close the internship offer letter with a professional salutation following the name and designation of the person writing the letter.

8. Signatures

The signature section is the final section that symbolizes the acceptance of the above offer in its full agreement as specified in the internship offer letter. Here, the intern and the company sign the document to officiate the professional relationship. The deadline to sign the letter must be clearly stated along with the date and time (in case different time zones are involved).

Use LegalZoom's internship offer letter template 

A well-detailed and outlined internship offer letter is vital for the company and the candidate. It’s critical to ensure that candidates have all the information needed to decide whether to accept an internship offer. 

As managers or recruiters, writing and preparing internship offer letters for the internship position takes considerable time and effort. With LegalZoom's internship offer letter template, drafting internship offer letters is now easier than ever—there is no need to start writing them from scratch. By answering some guided questions, you can create an internship offer letter with your business requirements, download it for free as a .pdf file, and print it. To customize it further and sign the letter, you can use our rich editor and eSignature features at an affordable price. 

Minimize the chances of missing important details of onboarding new interns with our simple and full-fledged internship offer letter template.

Frequently asked questions

When to write an internship offer letter?

When organizations look forward to formally extending internship offers to potential candidates, they must prepare an internship offer letter.

What can I offer in an internship?

Depending on company policies, you can provide a paid or unpaid internship. A few perquisites (internship certificate, recommendation letter, or others) can be provided if the company offers unpaid internships. If the company offers paid internships, then the company can provide compensation as per the business policy. 

Why is hiring paid interns beneficial?

Providing paid internships motivates the employee. It demonstrates the value you place on the intern and makes them believe you appreciate their hard work. 

What is a good internship program?

A good internship program should give interns the correct exposure to their career fields, honing their skills by providing a learning platform and preparing them to be successful in their upcoming professional opportunities.

What are the benefits of conducting internship programs in your company?

Conducting internship programs helps you discover new talents that perfectly fit your business goals. It’s also a great way to test the skills and capabilities of interns before onboarding them as full-time employees.