How to hire a community relations internship

How to hire a community relations internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step community relations internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a community relations internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new community relations internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the community relations internship you need to hire. Certain community relations internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A community relations internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, community relations interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents community relations internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Community Relations Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Community Relations Internship	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$11-19
   Account Coordinator	An account coordinator assists account executives by providing day-to-day administrative support such as preparing and filing sales contracts and reports. As coordinators, they must maintain a good relationship with their clients and vendors by addressing issues and with regular communication... Show more	$13-25
   Media Coordinator	A media coordinator acts as a communications professional in charge of developing and implementing target communications and advertising for various media platforms. Media coordinators plan, implement, and monitor the social media strategy of an organization... Show more	$16-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Press Releases
   • PowerPoint
   • Event Planning
   • Community Relations Events
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Instagram
   • Local Community
   • Photoshop
   • Linkedin
   • Alumni
   • Charitable Events
   • Player Appearances
   • YouTube

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Organize and manage various educational and physical programs sponsor by the NBA and its affiliates.
   • Create a Facebook page and update the company website.
   • Establish a team to create PowerPoint presentations to inform health fair attendees on health issues.
   • Propose a WWE Facebook page redesign to make the site more interactive and accessible to end users.
   • Upload product information to e-commerce websites and SEO optimization.
   • Create engaging PowerPoint presentations with embed soundtracks and/or accompanying voice over tracks.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your community relations internship job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A community relations internship salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, community relations interns' average salary in mississippi is 49% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level community relations interns earn 43% less than senior-level community relations interns.
   • Certifications. A community relations internship with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a community relations internship's salary.

   Average community relations internship salary

   $14.99hourly

   $31,172 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level community relations internship salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

4. Writing a community relations internship job description

   A good community relations internship job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a community relations internship job description:

   Community relations internship job description example

   At FNBO, our employees are the heart of our story-and we're committed to their success! Please see below the details of this career opportunity and how it fits into our organization's success.
   Our Modern, Flexible Workplace:
   
   At First National, we believe in a Modern, Flexible Workplace, and we are continuously exploring advancements in technology and office environments to make it easier to collaborate and connect with customers and coworkers.
   
   It is anticipated that an incumbent in this role will work onsite 100% of the time and will have a dedicated workspace. Work location is subject to change based on business needs.
   
   About this Role:
   
   The Intern role is accountable to develop core skills and working knowledge of FNBO business practices and operations through educational sessions, straightforward projects, and other duties requested by the manager.
   
   Job Description
   Now Hiring an Intern to work with FNBO's Commercial Banking Group.
   Start date: May or June 2023
   Full time: 40 hours per week
   Location: Illinois
   
   An Intern with FNBO will attend and participate in educational sessions to develop and enhance core leadership skills, industry knowledge and to develop a comprehensive understanding of the leadership/management philosophy, system, and processes in alignment with FNBO's Operating Philosophy. This 3-month Internship with FNBO with a focus on FNBO's Commercial Banking Group.
   Areas of concentration will include, but are not limited to:
   
   Participate and/or lead the completion of, assigned, short-term projects requested by managers and department heads across FNBO.Work with Manager to develop, implement and complete an Individual Development Plan aimed at identifying educational opportunities that prepare incumbents for Roles within Divisions of interest.Support the Commercial Banking Group community through participation in various volunteer activities. Manage volunteer time/activities in accordance with Intern program criteria.Provide coordination and support for implementation of specific strategies in Commercial Banking's Business Development plan. Areas of focus will include: team development, the customer experience, prospecting and various types of events targeting customers and prospects.Assist with developing strategies to improve data and business development tracking in Salesforce. Create event campaigns. Coordinate the distribution of reports targeting prospects, activities, and opportunities. Coordinate the review of open leads and status changes to help with the creation of an updated leads list. Support data clean-up initiatives.Develop market-based prospect reports identifying and gathering pertinent information on locally owned manufacturing companies and other specific industries targeted.Monitor and communicate competitor's activity throughout the Region.Participate in and support the coordination of Commercial RM team meetings and events as requested.Obtain an understanding of credit analysis and underwriting through an introduction of the Bank's loan origination software.
   
   Job Qualifications:
   Required: Undergraduate degree or current student attending college. Preferred College Degree emphasis in: Business, FinanceDemonstrated leadership skills in previous project participant experience including: Planning, Coordination and Direction.Driver License is required, and this Intern will need transportation and will be expected to travel to the other markets to attend meetings and engage with the team as necessary.
   
   Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion:
   
   FNBO is committed to belonging, inclusion, diversity and equity. We are committed to intentionally and proactively creating pathways to success for historically underrepresented populations. To accomplish this, we foster a culture of belonging and inclusion so that every employee is valued, and has opportunity and the ability to make an impact. FNBO strives to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve in the makeup of our workforce.
   
   See the full FNBO Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Statement here
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
   
   Click here to download 'EEO is The Law' Self-Print Poster
   Click here to download 'EEO is The Law' Supplement for Federal Contractors
   Click here to download 'EEO is The Law' GINA Supplement

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right community relations internship for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with community relations interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit community relations interns who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your community relations internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality community relations internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with community relations internship candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new community relations internship

   Once you've found the community relations internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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