Should an internship be paid?

Paid internships attract a far wider and more diverse applicant pool, and in many jurisdictions unpaid internships that involve real work are unlawful. Stating clear, fair compensation up front signals that you value the intern's contribution and removes the financial barrier that filters out talented students who cannot work for free.

What makes students apply to one internship over another?

Students choose on what they will learn and build, not just the brand name. A posting that promises real, shippable work, named mentorship, and a portfolio project they can talk about in future interviews beats a vague 'gain experience' pitch. The learning objectives and day-in-the-life sections do this heavy lifting.

Why include a day-in-the-life section?

Most students have never had a professional role and cannot picture one. A short, concrete description of a typical day — standups, pairing, demo days — makes the experience tangible, reduces anxiety, and helps the right people imagine themselves in the role. It is one of the most-read parts of any internship post.

How short should the requirements be?

Very short. Interns are early-career by definition, so long must-have lists are self-defeating and deter exactly the curious, capable students you want. List the genuine minimum — relevant study or self-taught equivalent, basic familiarity with the tools, and the right attitude — and let potential, not credentials, drive selection.

Should I set an application deadline?

Yes. A clear closing date creates urgency and helps you batch and compare candidates fairly. Note that you review applications as they arrive so strong applicants apply early. The builder appends this nudge automatically alongside the deadline you set.

Internship Program Description Builder

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Win the students everyone else is chasing

The best student candidates have several offers and limited time, and they skim internship postings looking for one thing: will this be a real, formative experience or three months of busywork? This builder writes a posting that answers that immediately — a hook, concrete learning objectives, a vivid day-in-the-life, an honest requirements list, fair paid compensation, and a clear application path with a deadline.

How it works

You provide the program details and the tool assembles them into the structure students respond to:

Header     — title, company, duration, location, paid compensation
Hook       — why this internship is worth a summer
Learning   — what they'll actually learn and build
Day in the life — a concrete picture of a typical day
Requirements — the genuine minimum, kept short
Process    — numbered application steps
Deadline   — a closing date + an "apply early" nudge
+ inclusion statement

Two sections do the persuading: the learning objectives, which promise outcomes a student can put on a CV, and the day-in-the-life, which makes an unfamiliar professional environment feel concrete and welcoming. Compensation in the header removes the single biggest barrier to a diverse applicant pool.

Tips and example

Lead with a hook that promises real work — “ship real features, not fetch coffee” — and back it with learning objectives that map to things a student can later talk about in interviews. Keep requirements to the genuine minimum; interns are early-career, so selecting on potential and curiosity beats a long must-have list every time. State paid compensation plainly to widen and diversify your pool, describe a typical day so the role feels real, and give a clear deadline. The inclusion statement is appended for you.