Questions to Ask Before Accepting an Internship
54 questions to ask before accepting an internship offer, for students and recent graduates with a yes in hand and a few days to reply. They follow the order the decision usually takes when you get an internship offer: the offer itself and its deadline, pay and costs, hours and location, the work and who supervises it, what comes afterwards, and the paperwork you sign last.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The offer
When will I get the offer in writing, and what will it include?
Why ask it
Ask for the letter to state pay, dates, location and the team, since a letter that names only the company leaves room to move you somewhere else. Until it arrives, treat what was said on the phone as a plan and keep your other applications open.
What is the deadline for my answer, and is it firm?
Why ask it
Get a date, not a feeling of urgency. Some schools set a minimum decision window for employers that recruit on their campus, so if you are given a day or two, ask your career office whether a rule applies before you ask the recruiter for longer.
I am still waiting to hear from another employer. Could I have until a specific date?
Why ask it
Name what you are waiting for and the day you could reply, because a request with a date in it is easier to grant than an open one. If they say no, you are deciding on the deadline you already had, so little is lost by asking.
Is the offer conditional on anything, such as references, a transcript, proof of enrollment or a background check?
Why ask it
Find out what each condition needs from you and how long it runs, because a check that takes three weeks can collide with a start date four weeks away. If your grades for this term arrive after you have accepted, ask whether a poor result could reopen the offer.
Which team and manager is this offer for, and could that change before I start?
Why ask it
Large programs often make the offer first and match interns to teams later. If that is how it works here, ask when matching happens and whether your preferences count, since the team shapes most of what the placement is like.
How do I formally accept: by signing the letter, replying by email, or through a portal?
Why ask it
An enthusiastic reply to a recruiter can be read as a yes before you have seen the terms. Once you know the formal step, you can thank them warmly on the call and still take your days to decide.
Who is the right person for my questions before I decide: you, the hiring manager, or someone on the team?
Why ask it
Recruiters can answer on pay, dates and paperwork, while the work and the supervision are the manager's to describe. Twenty minutes with the manager after an offer is a normal thing to request, and how the request is received tells you something too.
Could I speak to someone who interned on this team last year?
Why ask it
A former intern can say whether the hours, the project and the manager matched what was promised. If the company cannot produce one, try your school's alumni network, where people who have since moved on tend to speak more openly.
Have you ever had to withdraw or postpone an internship offer after it was accepted, and what happened to those students?
Why ask it
A fair thing to raise when you have heard of offers being pulled elsewhere, and a straight answer is reassuring in itself. Listen for whether the students affected were given notice, some pay or a place in a later intake.
Pay and costs
What is the pay, and is it hourly, a stipend, or unpaid?
Why ask it
A stipend paid in two lumps and an hourly rate produce very different cash flow over a placement, so ask how the money is structured as well as how much it is. An hourly rate only means something once you know how many hours you will be given.
How often would I be paid, and when would the first payment reach me?
Why ask it
A first payment that lands three or four weeks in means covering a deposit, rent and travel from your own savings. Get the date, then work out how much you need in hand before the first morning.
If the pay is hourly, are extra hours paid, and does someone have to approve them first?
Why ask it
Overtime rules for interns differ by country, state and how the role is classified, so ask how it works at this employer. Where extra hours need sign-off in advance, find out who gives it, or the evenings you stay late may not be hours you are paid for.
Is the offer fixed, or is there any room on the pay or the start date?
Why ask it
Many programs pay every intern in a cohort the same and will tell you so, which is a perfectly good answer. Where the rate cannot move, a later start or a team preference sometimes can.
Would I be on the payroll as an employee, and would tax be taken out before I am paid?
Why ask it
How an intern is classified changes what arrives in your account and what you might owe later, and it varies by country and employer. Have them explain how it works there, and if a stipend is paid with nothing withheld, check with your school or the tax authority what that means for you.
Is there any help with housing, relocation or a travel pass?
Why ask it
Ask even if the posting said nothing, because support of this kind is not always advertised. Find out whether it is paid upfront or reimbursed later, since reimbursement after two months is little use when a deposit is due in advance.
What costs should I plan for that the pay will not cover: commuting, work clothes, lunches?
Why ask it
The gap between the pay and what the placement 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 better heard about now than on the first morning.
Do you provide a laptop and the software I would need, or would I use my own?
Why ask it
A personal machine used for work raises two issues: whether it can run what the team uses, and what the company installs on it. If they supply one, check whether it is shipped ahead of time or handed over on the first day.
If the internship is unpaid, are expenses covered, and is there a stipend or academic credit instead of a wage?
Why ask it
Whether an unpaid placement is allowed at all depends on the country, the kind of organisation and whether it is part of a course, so ask how this one is set up. Then price it honestly: travel, lunches and the earnings from the job you would otherwise have taken.
Do interns get paid holidays, sick days or health cover, or are those for permanent staff only?
Why ask it
The benefits page on a careers site is usually written for permanent employees. Ask what happens if you are ill for three days or a public holiday falls inside your term, because for an hourly intern either one can mean a smaller payment that month.
If I am given a signing bonus or relocation money, would I have to repay it if I withdrew or left early?
Why ask it
Repayment terms normally sit in the offer letter or a separate agreement, and they are easy to skim past when the news is good. Read what triggers them: some apply only if you leave during the internship, others if you never start.
Hours and location
What are the start and end dates, and the expected hours each week?
Why ask it
Ask whether the weekly hours are a floor or a ceiling, and what happens in a busy week. A program quoted at thirty-five hours that runs to fifty is a different job, and that is easier to raise before you accept than in week three.
Is there any flexibility around exams or a term that starts early?
Why ask it
Ask now, in writing, even if the clash is months away. A date the manager has known since the offer is easy to plan around, while the same date raised in week six lands as a surprise, and interns are often reluctant to bring it up once they are on the team.
Could the internship be extended if it goes well, and who would approve that?
Why ask it
An extension matters if you hope to stay on part-time during term or would need a few more weeks to finish a project. Find out how much notice they would want, and whether your school or your visa puts its own limit on the dates.
Where will I be working, and which days would I be expected on site?
Why ask it
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.
Are there busy periods when interns are expected to stay late or work weekends?
Why ask it
Month end, a product launch, tax season or a festival week can be seen coming long before you arrive. Knowing the dates keeps you from booking a trip across the one stretch the team needs you most.
I already have a few days booked during the internship. Can I take them, and would they be unpaid?
Why ask it
Give the exact dates before you accept and get the agreement in an email. Raised at the offer stage, a booked trip is a scheduling detail; raised in your second week, it reads as poor planning.
Could I keep a part-time job or a class alongside this, or is it meant to be my only commitment?
Why ask it
Some employers want outside work declared, and some roles have hours that shift too much to plan a second job around. If you rely on that income, say so now and ask which evenings and weekends are dependably yours.
If the role is remote, what hours would I need to be online, and in which time zone?
Why ask it
A remote internship three time zones away can mean a working day that starts at six or ends at nine. Ask when the team's regular meetings fall, and how an intern who is not in the room gets unstuck.
The work
What would I actually be doing in a normal week?
Why ask it
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.
Is there a defined project I would own, or is work assigned as it comes up?
Why ask it
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.
What would I have finished, or be able to point to, by the last day?
Why ask it
A report delivered, a feature shipped or an event run gives you a sentence for your resume before you have started. If nobody can name an end product, ask what last year's intern left behind.
Is this the same role I interviewed for, or has anything changed since the posting?
Why ask it
Internship descriptions are often written months before the placement begins, and teams move on in the meantime. Compare the offer with the advert you applied to, and raise any difference in team, location or duties while it can still be discussed.
Which skills or tools do you expect me to have already, and which would you teach?
Why ask it
The answer draws the line between what they train and what they assume. If a tool they name is new to you, say so before accepting, which gives them the chance to tell you it is fine or to tell you it is not.
How long does it usually take an intern here to get system access and a first real task?
Why ask it
On a ten-week placement, two weeks spent waiting for accounts and permissions is a fifth of the whole thing. See whether access is requested before you arrive, and what interns do in the meantime.
Who would I report to, and have they supervised interns before?
Why ask it
A first-time intern manager is not a problem in itself, but it can mean a slower start and less prepared work. Ask how many people they already manage, because a supervisor with no spare hours is how an internship drifts.
How often would my supervisor and I meet one to one?
Why ask it
A standing weekly slot is worth asking for by name, because an open door is not a schedule. Without one, an intern has to interrupt somebody every time a decision is needed, and most would sooner guess.
Would I have a mentor or buddy separate from my manager?
Why ask it
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.
How is my work reviewed, and will I get feedback partway through?
Why ask it
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.
Is there a structured program around the internship, and who else is joining?
Why ask it
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.
If the team's priorities change partway through, what happens to my project?
Why ask it
A reorganisation, a budget freeze or a manager leaving can stop an intern's project before anyone else's, because it is the easiest work to pause. Asking how they handled it last time tells you whether there is a fallback or improvisation.
Afterwards
What happened with last year's interns, and how many received return offers?
Why ask it
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.
When would a return offer be decided, and how long would I have to answer?
Why ask it
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.
Who decides on return offers: my manager, a committee, or next year's headcount?
Why ask it
A glowing review cannot create a job that has no budget behind it. If the number of places is set elsewhere, find out when, since that date is when an honest answer becomes possible.
What separates an intern you would hire from one you would not?
Why ask it
Put this to the hiring manager, since a recruiter can only describe the process. Whatever they name, whether it is asking for help early or finishing what you start, is the bar you will be measured against, and you are hearing it before the first day instead of in an exit conversation.
If I do well, what would the next step be: a second internship, a part-time role during term, or a graduate job?
Why ask it
What they can offer depends on your year of study as much as on the company. "Come back next summer" means one thing to a first-year and something much thinner to a finalist who needs a job by graduation.
Could my supervisor act as a reference for later applications, or is there a policy against it?
Why ask it
A reference from a named supervisor is often the most useful thing an internship leaves behind, and some companies restrict what managers may say. Learn the rule now, so you know whether to request a written recommendation before your last week.
Will I be able to talk about this work afterwards, or show any of it?
Why ask 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.
Paperwork
Will I be asked to sign an NDA, IP assignment or anything restricting later work, and can I read it first?
Why ask it
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.
How much notice applies if either of us needs to end the internship early?
Why ask it
Short placements often carry a notice period of a week or less, or none at all, and what is allowed varies by country and contract. The answer also tells you how much warning you would get if the project were cancelled.
Can this count for academic credit, and who at your end signs off?
Why ask it
Schools that give credit commonly want a named supervisor, a minimum number of hours and forms returned on a schedule, so read your own school's list first. Confirm the company will do its part before the school's deadline, because chasing signatures once the internship has ended rarely works.
Does my school need to sign a placement agreement, and have you done one with it before?
Why ask it
Some schools and some countries require a three-way agreement before an internship can begin, and it can take weeks to pass through two sets of offices. Get the name of whoever handles it at the company and pass it to your school the same day.
I am an international student. Have you hosted interns on my kind of visa, and who handles your side of the paperwork?
Why ask it
Work authorisation rules depend on the country, the visa and sometimes the course, so confirm the details with your school's international office and not only with the employer. From the company you need to know whether they have done it before and how long their part took.
What do you need from me between accepting and starting: ID, bank details, forms?
Why ask it
Proof of the right to work, a bank account in the right country and a tax form can each take longer to arrange than you would guess. A list with dates lets you begin the slow ones the day you say yes.
Once I sign, what happens next, and when should I expect to hear from you?
Why ask it
Between acceptance and the start date, laptops are ordered, checks are run and team matching is announced. A rough timeline tells you when silence is normal and when it means an email has gone astray.
Deciding on an internship offer
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
When you get the offer
Say thank you, then ask for it in writing
You do not have to answer on the call. Thank them, say you are pleased, and ask when the written offer will arrive and when they need a reply. Most of the first group on this page fits into that one conversation or a short email the same day.
Send each question to the person who knows
Pay, dates, deadlines and forms belong to the recruiter or program coordinator. The project, the supervision and the hours a team really keeps belong to the manager. Credit, placement agreements and visa rules start with your own school, which is often quicker to reach than the employer.
Ask for more time once, with a date
If another decision is pending, tell the recruiter what you are waiting for and the day you can answer. Then tell the other employer that you hold an internship offer with a deadline, which is a legitimate reason to ask them to move faster.
Treat a yes as final
Backing out after accepting can cost you with the employer and sometimes with your school, so ask your career office whether it has a policy on withdrawing from an accepted internship. If you are unsure, spend the days before the deadline on the questions here, and do not accept as a placeholder.
What to weigh, in order
The manager matters more than the brand
A recognisable company with an unprepared supervisor produces a summer of waiting for someone to have time for you. A smaller organisation where one person has scoped real work for you often leaves you with more to talk about later.
Ask what the work is until you get a task
Keep asking politely until the answer contains something you could describe to another person: a dataset, a report, a feature, a set of customer calls. If it never gets that concrete, plan for the work to be defined once you arrive.
Check the numbers against the calendar
Work out what you will earn across the whole internship, then subtract rent, travel and any equipment. Do this before you compare two offers, because a higher hourly rate in an expensive city often loses to a lower one at home.
Get the important things into the offer letter
Dates, pay, location and team. Anything agreed only in a call with a recruiter tends to be unknown to the manager you actually report to.
If you are hoping it converts
- Ask for the conversion rate and the decision date early. Both are usually known inside the program, and a recruiter who will share neither has told you something.
- Find out who decides: your manager alone, a panel, or a headcount plan set elsewhere. A strong review means little if the team has no graduate budget.
- Ask whether return offers have ever been rescinded, and when. It happens in downturns, and how directly the question is answered is worth noting.
- Note whether the deadline to accept a return offer falls before other applications close. If it does, plan your other applications around it from the start.
- Establish in week one what would make the summer a success. It is a normal question then and an awkward one in the final fortnight.
Answers that should slow you down
- Cannot describe a single concrete task you would work on.
- Will not put the pay, dates or location in writing before you accept.
- Unpaid, while the work described is the same work employees do.
- No named supervisor yet, with the team to be decided after you start.
- Vague about hours, or describes long days as part of the culture.
- Wants an answer within a day or two while other processes are still live.