How to hire a graduate student internship

How to hire a graduate student internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step graduate student 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 graduate student internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new graduate student 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 graduate student internship you need to hire. Certain graduate student 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a graduate student internship to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a graduate student internship that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of graduate student interns and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Graduate Student Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Graduate Student Internship		$8-24
   Teaching Fellow	An individual who works at an institution to foster the students' academic strive is known as a teaching fellow. They are known as a self-motivated and education-based counselor... Show more	$12-35
   Graduate Researcher	A graduate researcher is responsible for supporting an educational institution's academic research processes. Graduate researchers assist in data gathering and performing in-depth analysis using research methodologies under the supervision of a research professor... Show more	$7-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Speech-Language Pathologist
   • Data Collection
   • Mental Health
   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Traumatic Brain Injury
   • IEP
   • Substance Abuse
   • Autism Spectrum Disorder
   • Language Disorders
   • Barium Swallow Studies
   • Acute Care
   • Individual Therapy
   • Aphasia

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help veterans and their families learn to manage symptoms of PTSD through education, self-awareness, and becoming aware of triggers.
   • Collaborate with OTR on needs of clients to increase strength, endurance and independence with ADL's upon discharge.
   • Provide client and caregiver education regarding safety, ADL reeducation, or techniques and strategies that will benefit the client occupationally.
   • Perform kinetic and mechanistic studies using NMR spectroscopy.
   • Collaborate with organic chemists improving the effectiveness of RNA inhibitors.
   • Perform quantitative determination of primary pollutant's degradation using HPLC.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, graduate student interns' average salary in arkansas is 56% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level graduate student interns earn 64% less than senior-level graduate student interns.
   • Certifications. A graduate student 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 graduate student internship's salary.

   Average graduate student internship salary

   $14.88hourly

   $30,945 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level graduate student internship salary

   $18,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a graduate student internship job description

   A graduate student internship job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a graduate student internship job description:

   Graduate student internship job description example

   nou Systems, Inc. (nSI) solves challenging technical problems in an enjoyable, stimulating environment, while providing unsurpassed value to our customers.
   We are pleased to announce openings for Graduate Student Internships as part of our nSIGHT (nSI Student Internship to Gain High-tech Training) program. nSIGHT interns will have the opportunity to join various teams in both Huntsville, Alabama and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and gain experience in our rapidly growing technology company operating in missile defense, cybersecurity, test range modernization, biotechnology, and space control marketspaces.
   
   nSIGHT offers positions for graduate student interns that will occur either during a single semester or year-round, and each interns experience could be different depending on the programs they support. We offer competitive pay, real-world experience, and opportunities to gain new and interesting skills to help you grow! Youll be working closely in collaboration with our full-time staff and other interns as you help create innovative solutions for our customers most challenging problems. Youll also have the opportunity to attend and participate in our lunch-and-learns, networking activities, and company-wide events, as well as form new and lasting connections that will propel you toward an impactful career. You will leave prepared to be a high-tech problem solver, critical thinker, and more than likely a permanent part of our team!
   
   Heres what youll be doing:
   
   Youll be working under close supervision of our technical experts on some of our most cutting-edge programs in Systems Engineering; Modeling and Simulation; Software Development; Data Analysis; Test and Evaluation; Cybersecurity; Space Control, Test Range Modernization, Missile Defense, Biotechnology, and other aerospace and defense mission areas.
   
   We are currently seeking students pursuing graduate degrees in:
   Engineering (mechanical, electrical, aerospace) Sciences (particularly physics) Computer Science and Software Engineering (computer engineering, systems engineering, cybersecurity, computer information systems, software development, and information technology, UX/UI, design, etc.) Mathematics (data analytics, modeling and simulations, statistics, operations research)
   
   You also must have:
   U.S. Citizenship The ability to work on-site in either Huntsville, Alabama or Colorado Springs, Colorado Current active status as a graduate student in an accredited university A GPA of 3.0 or higher A desire to solve complex problems and to make a difference in developing processes Proven written and oral communication skills Knowledge of basic concepts, practices, and procedures within your field of specialty The ability to maintain confidentiality The ability to obtain a security clearance (if you have one already, this is a plus!) The ability to pass a criminal background screening prior to your start-date
   
   Other skills we hope you bring to the table:
   Experience with modeling and simulation of complex systems and/or system of systems Application of engineering principles and scientific investigative techniques to support planning, analysis, assessment, and reporting activities to accomplish customer requirements Experience with software development or analysis using MATLAB, Python, Java, SQL, SysML, or similar programming tools Excellent written and oral communication skills and proficiency with MS Office and office automation tools
   
   Who is nou (pronounced new) Systems?
   
   nou Systems, Inc. (or nSI for short) is a rapidly growing technology company that cares about its people located all over the globe. Our people are passionate about missile defense, cybersecurity, test range modernization, and all-things space and space-market related. We offer significant advancement and personal career development opportunities within our dynamic high-tech company.
   
   Although we are a rapidly growing company, winning the Inc. 5000 List as one of Americas fastest-growing private companies from 20172021, our culture is firmly established in treating our employees like family. See some words our employees use to describe our culture with the attached Culture Cloud.
   
   nSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   Employment opportunities at nSI are based upon a candidates qualifications and capabilities to perform the essential functions of a particular job and are free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. For our complete EEO/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit www.nou-systems.com/workingatnou. U.S. citizenship is required for most positions.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find graduate student interns for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your graduate student internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality graduate student internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit graduate student interns, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 graduate student internship

   Once you've selected the best graduate student internship candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new graduate student internship first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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