Internship Offer Checklist: 8 Questions Before You Accept

Before accepting an internship, confirm the responsibilities, reporting manager, hours, dates, location and payment terms in writing. Then check that the person offering it is connected to the employer. A familiar logo and a confident message are not enough by themselves.

If you are fitting an internship around college, compare the offer with your actual timetable, exam calendar and commute. Getting selected is exciting. You still get to decide whether the arrangement works for you.

1. What will I do in a normal week?

Ask for two or three examples of tasks and the outputs you would own. “Marketing exposure” could mean research, writing, sales calls or administrative work. If the title and the tasks sound different, ask which one describes the job you will actually do.

Ask: “What would my first week look like, and what would I be expected to deliver?”

2. Who will supervise me and give feedback?

Get a named reporting contact and ask how work is assigned, reviewed and approved. Find out where to raise a concern if that person is unavailable. A certificate at the end does not explain how you will learn along the way.

3. What are the hours, dates and location?

Confirm start/end dates, working days, expected hours and any fixed meetings. For a remote role, ask what “flexible” means: deadlines, availability windows and response expectations may still be fixed.

For an in-person role, ask for the office address and whether travel or late finishes are expected. Work through the journey home at those times. If you have exams, raise those dates before promising full availability.

4. What is the stipend, and when is it paid?

Separate a guaranteed stipend from incentives. Ask about payment dates, conditions and approved expense reimbursements. If the offer is unpaid, assess the time, travel and opportunity cost against what you would actually learn; do not treat “exposure” as a complete explanation.

Ask: “Is the stated amount fixed or conditional? What are the conditions and payment dates?”

5. What will I learn or be able to show?

Ask for a concrete learning goal or project. Check whether you can describe the work on your CV, include an approved sample in your portfolio and request a reference. These are questions to agree on, not benefits to assume. If you need help presenting existing work, use our first-CV template for students.

Keep confidential information out of your portfolio. Permission to mention a project is different from permission to publish internal documents.

6. Is the recruiter and application process verifiable?

Check the employer’s official careers page. If the role is not listed, use a contact route you find independently to confirm it. Do not rely only on a number or link supplied by the person recruiting you. A small employer may recruit informally; that makes independent verification more useful, not less.

Pause if you are asked to pay to secure a role, transfer money to unlock earnings or share passwords, OTPs or account access. Do not make a payment simply because the message says the offer expires today. The FTC identifies payments for promised jobs and fake-check transfers as scam warning signs.

7. What boundaries and support are in place?

Ask which communication channels are used, whether work is expected outside agreed hours, how concerns are raised and who handles them. If a first meeting is at an unfamiliar location, verify it independently and share the meeting plan with someone you trust. You do not have to ignore discomfort to appear professional.

8. Do the written terms match the conversation?

Read the complete offer and any attached documents. Ask about anything unclear, including how to end the internship, return equipment or handle a change in college commitments. If wording could create a significant commitment, get qualified advice before agreeing.

Copy this clarification message

Thank you for the internship offer. Before I confirm, could you share the following in writing?

• Weekly responsibilities and expected outputs

• Reporting manager and feedback process

• Start/end dates, working days, hours and location

• Fixed stipend, any incentive conditions, payment schedule and reimbursements

• Expectations around exams, availability and ending the internship

I’d like to check these against my college commitments. Thank you.

Make a decision without an arbitrary score

• Ready to decide: the employer is verified, terms are clear and the schedule is feasible. Compare the work and learning with your goals.

• Clarify first: hours, tasks or payment conditions are missing or contradictory. Ask and keep the reply.

• Pause: someone pressures you to transfer money, share account access or ignore basic verification. Do not let urgency make the decision for you.

Do I have to accept immediately? Ask for the response deadline and reasonable time to read the terms. Do not assume an extension has been granted.

Does a written offer prove it is genuine? No. Verify the employer and recruiter independently as well.

Source: US Federal Trade Commission: Job Scams. This checklist is practical guidance for students, not a statement of Indian employment law or a verification of any particular employer.