If your business is ready to search for interns, you need to make sure you have an appropriate offer letter to send. While this may seem like a minor detail, a well-written letter can help you set the expectations for the internship right away. Some employers don’t take this type of communication seriously and end up having misunderstandings with their interns. It’s also common for appointment letters to be too vague, which can be confusing to interns.
An appointment letter that doesn’t spell out the conditions of the internship can lead to disappointment on both sides. It’s recommended to make sure your offer letter is clear and full of the most important details. You can craft a great letter by reading through examples, such as the letter of appointment for internship templates below. If you follow the sample and the writing guide, you may have more success with interns.Letter of Appointment for Internship Template
Columbia Academy, a private high school headed by principal Katie Shaw, chose graduate student teacher candidate Rose Granger to join the science team as an intern. Rose applied for the internship a month ago and submitted her transcripts, resume, and a letter of intent.
I am happy to announce that Columbia Academy has selected you to be its next intern in the science department for the 2018-2019 school year. Your resume, experiences, and commitment to education impressed me and matched everything our staff needed from an education intern. I personally reviewed more than 25 applications for this position, and yours was the most remarkable.
The 2018-2019 interns will begin their positions during the first pre-service week for all staff, starting on Monday, August 27, 2018. Your working hours for the internship will be starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m. After completion of the internship program, you will earn three credits for your education program at your college. Your mentor teacher and internship supervisor will be 11th grade physics teacher Mr. Cranston. Please contact him as soon as possible to set up an introductory meeting before the beginning of the school year.
Our team of science teachers is excited about working with you and sharing their professional knowledge with you. Please respond to me by May 12, 2018, to let me know if you will accept this internship appointment. If you want some more information or need clarification about something, please contact me directly. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Katie Shaw
Principal, Columbia Academy
Employers write letters of appointments to an audience of internship candidates so they know they’ve been selected for the position. Another purpose is to explain the internship details to the candidate. An internship appointment letter should also direct the candidate to take action to finalize the internship. The person who typically writes the letter is the human resources manager, the leader of a company, an internship program director, or the principal of a school.
In the first paragraph of the letter, it’s customary to congratulate the candidate for his or her selection. You can also explain why you chose this candidate over other applicants. The writer should mention the name of the organization so it’s clear to the reader. It’s also essential to provide details about the department that the candidate is interning with.
In the next part of your letter, you should give further detail about the internship appointment. Tell the candidate about the working hours of the position and give an expected start date. Explain how many credits the candidate will earn upon completion of the assignment. If there is an internship supervisor or mentor the candidate will work with, provide the staff member’s name and direct the candidate to make contact before the internship starts.
At the end, the writer should opt for a strong closing by expressing enthusiasm about the future of working with the candidate, as the letter of appointment for internship template shows. Give directions to the reader to make contact as soon as possible. Usually, the aspiring intern needs to confirm the appointment soon after receiving the letter to move forward with the assignment. The company should also give the intern a way to ask for more information or get questions answered in this part of the letter.
Even though a letter of appointment for an internship seems pretty straightforward, there are some pitfalls you need to watch out for when writing one. Keep in mind the appointment letter is the first official document for the duration of the internship, so you want to set the expectation. That’s why it’s not a good idea to make your letter too brief or vague. Not including important details, such as working hours, earned credit, and the supervisor’s name, could make the beginning of the internship get off to a rough start. Instead, you need to provide plenty of clear information about what you expect.
Another mistake that some companies make with appointment letters is not sounding excited or welcoming. Some offer letters seem more like generic form letters with specific information filled in. There is no sense of a true and heartfelt welcome and no enthusiasm toward the candidate. It’s important to make the future intern feel valued and express your organization’s excitement about the position. This way, the intern candidate may be more likely to accept the appointment and have a successful internship.
It is important to follow up after sending out a letter of appointment to an intern candidate. In most situations, you will need to have a follow up to make sure the applicant accepts the position. In the body of the letter, you should make it a point to ask the applicant for a follow up. After a week or two, it is appropriate to call the candidate and ask about the status of the appointment. If you do not hear anything and cannot get in touch with the applicant, you may need to notify another candidate about the internship.
1. Be specific about the internship details
It’s vital to directly state the most important details about the internship in the letter. Tell the candidate when the internship starts and the working hours for the position. You should also include the number of credits the internship is worth.
2. Welcome the intern to your organization
Make sure your letter has a welcoming tone so the intern feels comfortable accepting the position. Be friendly and positive in your opening since this person may join your team.
3. Include a call to action
An internship appointment letter needs to have an explicit call to action. Ask the candidate to make contact with your office or with another point person as soon as possible. You need to know whether or not the candidate accepts the position so your team can make plans.
4. Convey enthusiasm about the internship
Your letter should also sound enthusiastic about the prospect of working with the intern. Your letter needs to convey this excitement so the intern contacts you right away and accepts the position.
5. Check over for correct dates and details
Before sending your letter out, make sure you have the correct dates and details. It would be embarrassing to your organization if you got something wrong and had to call the intern to make a correction. An error on the letter may also cause confusion for your intern before the position even begins.