How to hire an information systems internship

How to hire an information systems internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step information systems internship hiring guide:

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

What does an information systems internship do?

Post an information systems internship job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your information systems internship job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an information systems internship for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect information systems internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents information systems internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Information Systems Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Information Systems Internship	Computer support specialists provide help and advice to people and organizations using computer software or equipment. Some, called computer network support specialists, support information technology (IT) employees within their organization... Show more	$11-19
   Student Technician	A student technician is responsible for assisting the school personnel and faculty on utilizing class technologies and other learning equipment. Student technicians accept school requests for setting-up audio-visual equipment during school events, class presentations, and related technical support services... Show more	$7-24
   Systems Support	A systems support agent is responsible for resolving system applications and network issues, performing technical configuration, and upgrading systems infrastructure. A systems support representative conducts regular maintenance and diagnostic tests on the computer applications to ensure its optimal performance and efficiency to support business operations and avoid delays in deliverables... Show more	$21-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • C++
   • Patients
   • Java
   • Customer Service
   • Data Collection
   • Project Management
   • SharePoint
   • Linux
   • Data Analysis
   • Work Ethic
   • Troubleshoot
   • MATLAB
   • Access Database

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage backup for SAN unit, security and user help systems.
   • Manage the security provisioning of the claims system used by the organization.
   • Demonstrate professionalism and the ability to manage projects independently, performing facility layouts within AutoCAD to forecast customer costs.
   • Administer CISCO VOIP phone system.
   • Develop and test new file transfer web service using PHP, HTML, JavaScript, & AJAX.
   • Provide continuing support and administration for server migrations projects, to include VMWare virtualization.

   More information systems internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the information systems internship job description is a good way to get more applicants. An information systems internship salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an information systems internship in Nebraska may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level information systems internship. Additionally, an information systems internship with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average information systems internship salary

   $15.21hourly

   $31,643 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level information systems internship salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average information systems internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$37,702	$18
   2	Colorado	$34,174	$16
   3	North Dakota	$33,613	$16
   4	New York	$32,693	$16
   5	Delaware	$32,055	$15
   6	New Jersey	$31,856	$15
   7	Illinois	$31,183	$15
   8	Massachusetts	$30,331	$15
   9	Maryland	$29,787	$14
   10	Virginia	$29,761	$14
   11	New Hampshire	$29,695	$14
   12	Arizona	$29,557	$14
   13	Minnesota	$29,248	$14
   14	Utah	$28,649	$14
   15	Texas	$28,303	$14
   16	Indiana	$28,111	$14
   17	Ohio	$27,916	$13
   18	Iowa	$26,949	$13
   19	Wyoming	$26,171	$13
   20	Louisiana	$26,171	$13

   Average information systems internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	P&G	$42,307	$20.34	21
   2	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$41,208	$19.81	50
   3	Philips	$38,402	$18.46	4
   4	General Electric	$38,243	$18.39	72
   5	IDEX	$38,155	$18.34	5
   6	General Dynamics	$37,458	$18.01	239
   7	Quidel	$36,966	$17.77
   8	Cape Cod Healthcare	$36,561	$17.58	6
   9	Genentech	$36,533	$17.56	56
   10	Norfolk Southern	$36,132	$17.37
   11	ALLETE	$35,549	$17.09
   12	Intel	$34,962	$16.81	20
   13	The Dow Chemical Company	$34,466	$16.57	25
   14	Formlabs	$34,318	$16.50	11
   15	TidalHealth	$34,268	$16.48
   16	Liquibox	$33,915	$16.31
   17	Neighborhood Health	$33,542	$16.13
   18	Inspira Health Network	$33,086	$15.91
   19	Eisenhower Medical Center	$32,548	$15.65
   20	NIO	$32,502	$15.63	1

4. Writing an information systems internship job description

   A job description for an information systems internship role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an information systems internship job description:

   Information systems internship job description example

   Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.
   
   The Graco Summer 2023 Intern Program is designed for students who seek a culture of innovation, quality, and A+ customer service. As a Graco intern, you will have the opportunity to grow knowledge of the industry, develop solutions to real business challenges, and make important connections for the future. During the internship, you will work on projects that align with the needs of the business that allow you to have a hand in key company initiatives. Throughout the summer you will be invited to attend educational and social events and will complete a final presentation on your internship experience.
   Job Purpose
   The PC Support Intern will work alongside the IT department to ensure that connectivity to Graco business systems is provided through installation and support of network hardware and/or personal computers. This position provides experience working with many internal customers of Graco, including the salesforce nationwide, as well as assists in the implementation and provides ongoing support for IT business solutions.
   
   Essential Duties
   Provide end users with timely support and assistance relative to Graco computing systems.Schedule, perform and/or coordinate all computer equipment changes. This also involves direction for installation of appropriate cabling and computer equipment.Troubleshoot PC/Laptop issues Install and maintain reliable network connections according to the network plan and design provided by Tech Support.Serves as a communication link between Information Systems and the user community for installations, moves and changes of computing equipment when required.Participate in conversions/special project activities coordinated through the Operations, Technical Support and PC Support departments.
   
   Position Requirements
   Essential
   Currently pursuing a 2-year or 4-year degree in Computer Science, PC Support, or equivalent.Minimum GPA of 3.0Windows/Microsoft Office Suite and PC hardware experience.Understanding of WAN/LAN and Active Directory.Demonstrated analytical, problem solving, and conceptual skills.Good verbal and written communication skills, strong customer service orientation.
   
   Desirable
   Microsoft Word and Excel spreadsheet proficiency.
   
   Power to BeAt Graco, the Power to Be means providing the support, resources and freedom to pave your own way. Bring your unique attributes to the table, along with a commitment to being your best self, and you can be a part of a culture that rewards effort, celebrates uniqueness, and gives you the tools you need to succeed and become your best, fullest self along the way. Our culture empowers employees to chart their own career path. Our managers provide support and opportunities while offering freedom for employees to find their own Power to Be. Whether you decide to move up within the same department or expand to another cross-functional group, you will gain the well-rounded experience to succeed on your own terms.
   Graco has excellent opportunities available to individuals who want to be part of a fast-moving, growing company that is committed to quality, innovation and solving fluid handling problems for our customers. Graco is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by Fortune Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2021. Graco offers attractive compensation, benefits and career development opportunities. Graco's comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, stock purchase plan, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more.
   Proven Quality. Leading Technology. Launch your career with Graco!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find information systems interns for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any information systems interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level information systems interns with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your information systems internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality information systems internship candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit information systems interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview information systems internship candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 information systems internship

   Once you've decided on a perfect information systems internship candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new information systems internship. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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How much does it cost to hire an information systems internship?