First of all, congratulations on receiving the internship; your hard work paid off. Now you must be thrilled and hyped to text them back with the good news, but you’re not sure how to accept an internship offer. Taking or even declining internship offers might sound easy, but in reality, there are some things you need to consider. If you want to know more about it, let’s dive in.
What to Consider When Communicating About Your Internship Offer
Whether a student, graduate, or professional, you should know that internships are crucial in your upcoming years. During internships, the hands-on experience will help you develop a professional attitude, strengthen your networking skills, and become a more knowledgeable person overall.
In light of this, you should consider the way you respond to this call. Let’s go through some tips to help you successfully navigate the process.
Reflect on your decision
In short, it is important to reflect carefully on whether you are a match for the company. Do not simply take the offer just to complete an internship. Not every opportunity is equal. Think of the relevance to your career path, the hours, the environment, networking opportunities, and the length of the internship. Once you are done with the evaluation part, you are then in a position to decide.
Make sure you receive the offer in writing
If you have received an offer in-person or on the phone, don’t just answer right away. Ask the person in charge to send you the offer in writing. While speaking directly, some things might go unnoticed, but when you have it all written down, you can focus on all the details and go through it as many times as you want. Receiving the offer in writing will give you more time to analyze and evaluate the requirements.
And if you’re unclear about how long you have to accept an internship offer, there is a high possibility the due date will also be written.
Use a professional tone
Once you have evaluated the written piece, you are ready to respond. Remember that whatever the decision, you need to keep it professional. If you would like extra time to think about the decision, do it in a way that shows that you are considering the best choice.
“Always be grateful”
In addition to the professional tone, you should thank the person in charge for taking the time and choosing you as one of the candidates. This will ultimately give you good points, and you will gain their respect for showing such gratitude.
Be clear and concise
Get straight to the point. Those in charge are probably going through emails all day, and you don’t want to waste their time by giving them too much to read. You either want it or don’t. If you are not sure about your decision, take extra time to think. Please keep it simple and don’t confuse them.
Be prompt in responding
When communicating about internship offers, try to be as prompt as possible when taking or rejecting the offer. If you are really interested and reply fast enough, they will see that you honestly want the position. Also, if you refuse on time, it will give the company enough time to decide on giving the role to other candidates.
How to Accept an Internship Offer
How you accept the offers differs depending on the circumstances under which you are offered the internship. If you are offered the position in-person, you might answer right away if you’re absolutely sure. However, as mentioned above, asking for it in writing is preferable. Now let’s learn how to accept an internship offer in writing.
Draft an email to accept the offer
When you are ready to take the offer, sit down and start drafting an email. Make sure to outline the important parts you want to include. The outline will give you an idea of what you will be elaborating on further. Avoid replying with a simple “Yes, thank you.” That would sound really unprofessional, and it would make you seem like a very unmotivated or unenthusiastic person.
And if you are lost and don’t know how to start the email, let’s look at the three main points listed below.
Convey gratitude
Start the email with a positive note. Tell the person in charge that you are happy and grateful to have been given such an opportunity. Let them know you’re eager to get started! Even though one to two sentences will do the job, try to make the most of the words by emphasizing your enthusiasm and gratitude.
Discuss the terms of employment if needed
After thanking the addressee for offering you the position, if you see it suitable, you can agree to the terms and conditions, including the hours, payments, and start date. On the other hand, if you think you need to discuss and re-evaluate the terms, you can do it at this point too. Make sure to address everything respectfully.
Review, sign, and send
Lastly, make sure to double-check the written piece for any grammatical mistakes. Make sure to sign it using a professional closing. From here, you can proceed with sending the email to the right person. You can send the email anywhere between the opening hours, but avoid sending the email during nighttime. You don’t want to disturb anyone with late-night notifications.
Internship Offer Acceptance Sample
Dear [Adressees Name],
With the highest enthusiasm, I receive the offer to intern at [the company’s name]. I am highly appreciative of such an offer. I look forward to meeting the team and will do my best to learn and work alongside them.
I agree to the conditions, but I would like to discuss the starting date because [your reason]. If possible, can we arrange a meeting by the end of the week?
✅ Request information on BAU's programs TODAY!
Thank you for your time and understanding. I look forward to meeting the team and starting work.
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
How to Decline an Internship Offer
Can you decline an internship? Yes, you sure can. If you are one of those lucky people and have the luxury of choosing between multiple offers, you will have to go through giving the bad news to those you didn’t take the offers from. Knowing how to decline an internship offer without sounding harsh or disrespectful is not easy. That’s why we have prepared some tips for you to learn how to reject an internship politely by email.
Draft an email to decline the offer
Once you have reviewed everything and are sure that the internship offer is not the best fit for you, you can decline it. Decline the emails in a similar manner you accept them. The key is to maintain a professional attitude and be grateful.
Start by making a list of things you would like to address, such as the reason you can’t join their organization and how thankful you are to have been offered the position in the first place. You must give your email a good flow and, most importantly, be polite.
Convey gratitude
Open your email by showing the addressee that you were pleased to have received an offer from them. Show them that you appreciate their interest in you and thank them for their time. This will help you maintain a professional relationship. Who knows, maybe they might offer you better roles in the future.
Provide a reason for declining the offer
After expressing gratitude, you can proceed with the second step, explaining why you are not taking the offer. You will probably not be asked to provide a reason, but it is a good thing to do since it provides transparency for the organization.
Close the email on a personal note
When closing the email, make sure to close it on a personal note by offering to stay in touch with the organization and wishing them well. Similarly to expressing gratitude, this will help you establish a professional relationship and give yourself a chance to be considered for future projects.
Review, sign, and send
In the end, reread and look out for any potential mistakes. Take your time to edit your writing and check if you are sending the email to the right person. After completing all the necessary steps, you can press send.
Internship Offer Declination Sample
Dear [Adressees Name],
Thank you so much for taking the time and showing interest in me. Sadly, I won’t be able to take the offer.
After considering and reviewing the description of the role you offered, I am afraid that I do not see a good fit between the role and my current interests. However, I feel highly honored to have been offered this internship.
Thank you for your time and interest. I wish you all the best.
Respectfully,
[Your Name]
Conclusion
Most of the time, internship offers are made through email. The process is straightforward; you evaluate the terms and decide whether you want the internship. Most of the time, you might feel overwhelmed and unsure about how to respond to it. The key to accepting and declining internship offers lies in politeness and gratefulness. Keep it professional! Make the addressee feel like their time was worth spending in selecting you.