So, You Received an Internship Offer – Now What?

After weeks, if not months applying, you receive the call you’ve been looking for: you got the internship! Before saying “yes,” there are a couple of things you should do to make sure that your internship experience is going to be a great one!

Confirm details
Make sure that you are on the same page about your pay rate and schedule you will be working. Determine what your first and last days will be, and mention any planned vacations you may have. This will help your internship supervisor plan ahead for the days you will be absent.

Also, if your company doesn’t have a private parking lot, ask for parking information. Some companies can provide a monthly parking stipend to interns, but some may not be able to. If you will be on your own for parking, ask for the most affordable options, and reserve your parking pass as soon as possible.

Salary
While it is uncommon, you could negotiate your internship’s salary. However, before you begin negotiating, make sure that you do your homework first. Use web sites like Glassdoor to research the salaries of similar positions, or meet with someone from your school’s career services office to determine what an acceptable wage should be for your internship. If your internship is unpaid, ask if there are any available perks like stipends for parking, gas or lunches.

If you receive multiple offers from different companies and the salary of your preferred internship is lower than your other offers, use this information to aid your negotiations. Let the company know about the other offer, and then see if they can match it because you have a greater interest in working for them.

Don’t be surprised if the company is unable to meet your negotiations. Many organizations have very specific salaries that they have to offer interns, so don’t take it personally. For more negotiation tips, check out this article from WayUp.

College credit
If you’re using your internship for college credit, make sure it meets your school’s guidelines before accepting the offer. You really should try to find out if an internship would be eligible for credit before applying.

After you got all the necessary information, say yes!

After accepting
Once you say “yes,” if another company reaches out to set up an interview or offer you a position, let them know that you have already accepted an internship opportunity. This will tell the company that it’s OK to move on to other applicants. Do not leave employers in the dark because you never know if you’ll have to reach out to them for an internship or even a career in the future. An employer will remember if you provided them with the common courtesy of letting them know you’re off the market.