8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Accepting an Internship Offer
You sent in your resume, did an interview (or two or three), and a few days later you get an email back saying you got the internship. You’re excited and you start telling your friends and your parents what you might be doing this summer or semester. But, let’s take a step back – the initial excitement over receiving an offer can often overshadow any downsides about the position. Before you send an excited acceptance email back, it’s important to evaluate a number of factors about the offer before making a final decision.
1. How were you treated throughout the process?
Think about how you were spoken to in email communication and during your interview. Did they make you wait a long time before speaking to someone? Did it feel like a two-way street where you could also ask questions and learn about the position? Make sure they’re treating you with respect and professionalism throughout the process, and don’t let yourself get treated differently because you’re an intern.
2. Can you handle the time commitment/schedule?
Think about any other commitments you might have and how much time you need to spend on them. If the position requires you to work full-time, think about if you can really juggle everything – it’s definitely better to say “no” than to accept it and not be able to do the best work because of stress. An internship done well can lead to a connection to another internship or even a job, so it’s important to do it right.
3. Is the position one that you’re looking to get more experience in? Or are you already comfortable with your skills in that area?
The best internship is one in which you bring a lot to the table but also have room to grow, improve your skills, and learn new ones. If the bulk of the work requires performing tasks you know you’re already very good at, you might not be learning as much. Make sure you’re not pigeonholing yourself because you’re afraid to underperform – people generally rise to standards and with some help from your boss or colleagues, you’ll be able to learn quickly. It’s also better to diversify your resume and try to add new skills or industries.
4. Can you afford to take on this internship?
Unfortunately, there are some companies that don’t pay their interns. If this is an unpaid internship, it’s worth asking yourself if the benefits outweigh the financial loss. If your internship is unpaid but offers great professional development and networking opportunities, as well as a chance to really build your skill-set, it might be worth taking it on. But if the type of work you’ll be doing won’t allow you to grow, it might not be worth it in the long run.
5. Are you comfortable with the people you would be working with?
If you can, it’s best to meet the people you’ll be working under and with before starting your internship. Do they seem friendly, welcoming? Could you see yourself spending a summer or a semester working with them? The position could be very prestigious and even pay well, but the people truly make the experience.
6. How do you feel about how the company supported its interns during COVID-19?
Summer 2020 was an unprecedented time for internships, with countless internships going remote or canceled altogether. When considering an internship offer, be sure to do your research to find out how companies handled the transition to remote work, or made tough calls to cancel their program altogether. There's no consensus on how internships for 2021 will shape up, but it's worth doing your due diligence in order to feel comfortable accepting an offer from a company in uncertain times.
7. Can you see yourself in the industry?
Though the position itself might be something you’re interested in, it’s also important to consider the industry. For example, someone looking for a Public Relations internship can work at an agency, for a fashion company, for a larger corporation, and a ton of other places. The industry will shape a large amount of the work you do, so it’s important that you’re interested in it and understand the basics (you’ll learn even more throughout the process).
8. Do you care about the company and what it does?
Does the company have some kind of social mission you admire? Do you resonate with what it actually does on an everyday basis? Make sure you care and know about what the company does and where you’ll fit in to advance its goals. Doing some critical thinking will make it clear to you if the position is really for you.
It may even be helpful to pull out a piece of paper and write down pros and cons. Use these questions as guidelines for gauging your interest. Ultimately, make sure you’re not turning away an offer because it might seem intimidating, but also make sure not to accept one simply for its prestige. Prestige can fade quickly in the absence of genuine interest. It’s important to tap into who you are, where you want to be, and what you care about – so ask yourself the hard questions now before you start, and good luck making your final decision!
