An internship offer letter usually tells a candidate that they have been offered a job. It is one of the first documents they see as a newly selected soon-to-be-employee of your company. So the pressure to ensure it’s written well is on!
So how do you ensure that the offer letter you write is not only good but is so amazing that the candidate has no option but to say yes to the job?
In this blog, I have given a very detailed understanding of what goes into writing a job offer letter.
- Download the internship offer letter template for FREE!!
- What is an internship offer letter?
- Why is an internship offer letter important?
- What should you include in an offer letter for an intern?
- Dos and Don’ts of making an internship offer to a candidate
- Summary
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What is an Internship Offer Letter?
This is an official document that goes out to a candidate when they have been selected for an internship at your company. Firstly it starts with congratulating the candidate on getting the internship obviously. But it also tells the candidate things like the role they have been selected for, department name, date of joining, compensation etc.
Very often, employers or managers make an internship offer at the end of an interview itself, or over a phone call. In which case it is just a verbal offer. A written internship offer letter acts as a formal way of cementing the offer already made, and re-confirming details. It could be done either by mailing a piece of paper over to the candidate or sending them a soft copy via email.
Why is an internship offer letter important?
But what’s so important about this internship offer letter? Isn’t it just a regular HR letter?
Yes, it is, but it is extremely important for the following reasons.
- It tells the candidate that you have selected them for the job.
- This letter acts as formal communication between the employer and the candidate.
- It provides basic information about the job, such as job role, compensation, date of joining, location etc.
- This is usually followed by the candidate either accepting or rejecting the job offer. If the candidate chooses to accept, they are expected to send a signed copy back to HR or the employer. So, it’s also the next step in knowing if the candidate will accept the offer.
- If well-written, it sets the tone for the employee’s life in the company.
See also our blog on “Employee Onboarding“
You could also Click here to sign with Asanify for access to other HR letter templates & a completely automated experience!
Internship offer letter format (What should you include)
So after seeing why this letter so so important, let’s jump straight into what needs to be included in it.
The job role is an important part of the internship offer letter
Well, this one is a no brainer!
If you’re making a candidate an offer, it goes without saying that you have to tell them the role you are selecting them for. Also, many times, if there are multiple roles open, candidates might apply for more than one role. In such scenarios this step becomes imperative!
Say, for example, a candidate applying to the marketing department, for 2 roles- Content writing intern and Social media intern. You will select them for one of the above rights? Mentioning which one will provide clarity from the get-go.
Mention the Date of joining in the internship offer letter
Sometimes companies make internship offers well in advance, like 3 or 4 months prior to the employee’s joining. But on the other hand, sometimes, companies onboard the employee 2 days after they have made them an offer. In both cases, you need to mention the joining date in the letter.
If you haven’t finalized on a specific date, (especially if you’re making an offer months in advance) then at the bare minimum, you should mention at least the month of joining so that the candidate can be prepared.
Stipend (compensation) and other benefits
Mention the candidate’s stipend, frequency (monthly or at the end of the internship) of payment and mode of payment. If you are one of those companies that offer stock options, that too should be mentioned in the letter.
Relevant documents that need to submit must be mentioned at the end of the internship offer letter
A candidate must receive a list of documents that they must submit before they begin working for you. This could include college transcripts or recommendation letters from past internships.
Mention the conditions based on which you made the internhsip offer (if any)
Very often employers hire students from their college campuses. In such situations, employers have some basic requirements regarding grades that need to be fulfilled by the students. And also, to ensure that students don’t end up taking their grades for granted after they have been placed or receive offer letters, companies out basic, minimum grade related conditions. Meaning, put a condition stating that “The candidate must keep their grades above 60% for the offer letter to be valid“
Another example could be, if you are hiring an employee is has all the knowledge required for the job, but lacks the understanding of one tool, they must learn the tool in the time between receiving the offer and the date of joining.
Every offer comes with an expiry date. So does an offer letter for an intern
This is the date before which the candidate must accept or decline the offer before which it will expire.
Dos and Don’ts of an internship offer letter
Keep these Dos and Don’ts in mind to write a stellar internship offer letter!
Things to do while writing an internship offer letter
- Be as clear and precise as possible in the internship offer letter
- Ensure the tone of the letter is happy and excited
- Keep it brief and genuine
- Give the candidate sufficient time to decide if they want the job
Things to avoid in an internship offer letter
- Leaving out the necessary information
- Grammatical or linguistic errors
- Use language that makes it sound like a contract
Summary
So now that you know how to write an awesome internship offer letter, you can be sure to better convince candidates to say yes to the job offer!
- Include all the necessary information in the letter
- Maintain the right tone throughout
- Solve whatever queries the candidate might have
- Make the employee feel welcome in your organization!
- Wait for the employee to accept the offer
With these few things in mind, you are all set to go! And you’ve probably already downloaded the offer letter template, so you are all set to go!
Download the internship offer letter sample now!
Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant or Labour Law expert for specific guidance.
