Questions to Ask Before Accepting an Internship

The questions

Open any question to see why it works.

1. 1

   What is the pay, and is it hourly, a stipend, or unpaid?

   Get the structure, not just the figure. A stipend paid in two lumps and an hourly rate produce very different cash flow over a summer, and an hourly rate only matters once you know how many hours you will be given.

2. 2

   What are the start and end dates, and the expected hours each week?

   Ask whether the weekly hours are a floor or a ceiling, and what happens in a busy week. Programs that quote thirty-five hours and run fifty are common, and it is easier to raise before you accept than in week three.

3. 3

   Is there any flexibility around exams or a term that starts early?

   Ask now, in writing, even if the clash is months away. Managers can almost always accommodate a known date and almost never accommodate a surprise one, and interns are reluctant to raise it once they are on the team.

4. 4

   Where will I be working, and which days would I be expected on site?

   Hybrid arrangements are often decided by the team rather than the program, so the recruiter's answer may not be the one your manager applies. Ask who sets it, because it determines whether you need housing near the office.

5. 5

   What would I actually be doing in a normal week?

   Push for tasks rather than themes. If the answer stays at the level of exposure to the business or supporting the team, it usually means nobody has scoped the work yet, and unscoped internships fill up with whatever nobody else wanted.

6. 6

   Is there a defined project I would own, or is work assigned as it comes up?

   Both can be good, but they suit different people and produce different things to talk about afterwards. An owned project gives you something finishable; ad hoc work gives you range and sometimes very little to show.

7. 7

   Who would I report to, and have they supervised interns before?

   A first-time intern manager is not a problem in itself, but it predicts a slower start and less prepared work. Ask how many people they already manage, since an overloaded manager is the most common reason an internship drifts.

8. 8

   Would I have a mentor or buddy separate from my manager?

   The split matters because you will not ask your evaluator the questions you are embarrassed by. Somewhere with a named second person is a place that has thought about how interns actually learn.

9. 9

   How is my work reviewed, and will I get feedback partway through?

   A mid-point review is the mechanism that lets you fix something while it still counts. If the only assessment is at the end, any misunderstanding about expectations surfaces at the exact moment it can no longer be corrected.

10. 10

    What separates an intern you would hire from one you would not?

    Ask the hiring manager, not the recruiter. The answer is usually specific and surprising, and it is a description of the bar you will be measured against, delivered before you start rather than in an exit conversation.

11. 11

    What happened with last year's interns, and how many received return offers?

    A rough number is fine and hesitation is informative. Some companies run internships as a hiring pipeline and some run them as cheap seasonal labour, and the conversion rate is the cleanest way to tell them apart.

12. 12

    When would a return offer be decided, and how long would I have to answer?

    Timing is what traps people. A decision that arrives after other graduate deadlines have passed means the internship is not really an option in your wider plan, and you need to know that before you commit a summer.

13. 13

    When will I get the offer in writing, and what will it include?

    Verbal internship offers get withdrawn more often than people expect, usually because a budget moved. Ask for the letter to state pay, dates, location and the team, since a letter naming only the company allows a reassignment.

14. 14

    Is there any help with housing, relocation or a travel pass?

    Ask even where you doubt it exists, because these budgets often go unclaimed. Find out whether it is paid upfront or reimbursed later, since reimbursement after two months is unhelpful if you have to pay a deposit in advance.

15. 15

    What costs should I plan for: equipment, commuting, clothes?

    The gap between a stipend and what a summer actually costs is where unpaid and low-paid internships hide their real price. A dress code you have to buy for is a genuine expense and worth surfacing before you accept.

16. 16

    Will I be able to talk about this work afterwards, or show any of it?

    This decides whether the internship gives you a portfolio piece or only a line on a resume. Ask specifically for design, research, engineering and writing roles, where the work itself is the evidence.

17. 17

    Will I be asked to sign an NDA, IP assignment or anything restricting later work, and can I read it first?

    Reading it beforehand is reasonable and rarely refused. Pay attention to any clause covering work you do outside the internship, which can affect a side project or a thesis you were already working on.

18. 18

    Can this count for academic credit, and who at your end signs off?

    Credit usually requires a named supervisor, specific hours and paperwork submitted on a schedule. Confirm the company will do its part before your school locks in the requirement, because chasing signatures in August rarely works.

19. 19

    Is there a structured program around the internship, and who else is joining?

    Cohort programs come with training, talks and other interns to compare notes with. Being the only intern in a team is not worse, but it is a solitary experience and worth knowing about in advance.

20. 20

    If the team's priorities change over the summer, what happens to my project?

    Reorganisations, budget freezes and a manager leaving all land on interns first, because their work is the easiest to pause. Asking how they handled it last time tells you whether there is a fallback or improvisation.