How to hire a management trainee internship

How to hire a management trainee internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step management trainee 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 management trainee internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new management trainee internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a management trainee internship do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a management trainee internship, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A management trainee internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, management trainee 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 shows salaries for various types of management trainee interns.

   Type of Management Trainee Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Management Trainee Internship		$11-17
   Consultant/Project Manager	Consultants/project managers act as planners, leaders, and advisors in business enterprises. These professionals facilitate meetings and establish positive relationships with vendors, management, and clients... Show more	$35-65
   Program/Project Manager	The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget... Show more	$35-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Internship Program
   • Business Management
   • Develop Marketing Strategies
   • Enterprise Management
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • Rehabilitation
   • Group Therapy
   • Trainee Intern
   • Mental Health
   • Substance Abuse
   • Customer Relationships
   • MFT
   • Corporate Accounts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop management and leadership principles while managing, training, and motivating employees in fast-pace, high-volume sales/customer service business.
   • Provide case management information/referral advocacy.
   • Loaded/Verify initial personnel profiles and maintain database profiles in DTS.
   • Provide case management information/referral advocacy.

   More management trainee internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your management trainee internship job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A management trainee internship salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a management trainee internship in Florida may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level management trainee internship usually earns less than a senior-level management trainee internship. Additionally, a management trainee internship with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average management trainee internship salary

   $14.75hourly

   $30,683 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level management trainee internship salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average management trainee internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$36,569	$18
   2	California	$36,058	$17
   3	Alaska	$35,661	$17
   4	Rhode Island	$34,234	$16
   5	Oregon	$33,597	$16
   6	Iowa	$33,404	$16
   7	Colorado	$32,766	$16
   8	Delaware	$31,805	$15
   9	New York	$31,442	$15
   10	Pennsylvania	$31,179	$15
   11	Massachusetts	$30,823	$15
   12	South Dakota	$30,028	$14
   13	Vermont	$28,884	$14
   14	Indiana	$28,691	$14
   15	Texas	$28,660	$14
   16	Tennessee	$28,558	$14
   17	Missouri	$28,387	$14
   18	Georgia	$28,273	$14
   19	Illinois	$28,045	$13
   20	Louisiana	$27,878	$13

   Average management trainee internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	HCL Technologies	$53,650	$25.79	2
   2	Aquarion Water	$48,923	$23.52
   3	DESC	$45,995	$22.11
   4	Impinj	$45,201	$21.73
   5	International Rescue Committee	$44,651	$21.47
   6	University of Wisconsin System	$42,071	$20.23	4
   7	ON Semiconductor	$38,535	$18.53	1
   8	L3Harris	$37,226	$17.90	60
   9	Bee Sweet Citrus	$35,887	$17.25	3
   10	The Wonderful Company	$35,082	$16.87
   11	Anheuser-Busch	$35,082	$16.87	4
   12	P&G	$32,914	$15.82	5
   13	LAGARDERE	$32,353	$15.55
   14	Live Nation Entertainment	$32,335	$15.55	4
   15	The Hershey Company	$32,245	$15.50	3
   16	West Covina USD	$32,186	$15.47
   17	Continental	$30,974	$14.89	2
   18	TidalHealth	$30,752	$14.78	1
   19	Menards	$30,080	$14.46	590
   20	Allianz of America, Inc.	$30,007	$14.43

4. Writing a management trainee internship job description

   A good management trainee 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 management trainee internship job description:

   Management trainee internship job description example

   At SpartanNash, we deliver the ingredients for a better life through customer-focused innovation. We do this for our supply chain customers and U.S. military commissaries, retail store guests and, most importantly, our Associates. In fact, we see a day when each will say, “I can't live without them.”
   
   Our SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,500 strong, ranging from bakery managers to order selectors; from IT developers to vice presidents of finance; from HR Business Partners to export specialists. Each of them plays an integral role in SpartanNash's People First culture, Operational Excellence and Insights that Drive Solutions. Ready to contribute to the success of our food solutions company? Apply now!
   Job Description:
   
   A day in the life of a Warehouse Management Intern, a fully in-person role at SpartanNash, is never the same. In this role, you will gain experience across many functions of the company.
   
   What You'll Do
   Warehouse operations Continuous improvement projects Responsible to complete or participate in at least one strategic project during the internship and give a short presentation to the executive team that showcases the project. Participate in learning opportunities that may include tours of our warehouses and retail stores, a community service event (such as SpartanNash Expo, Helping Hands, or Special Olympics) Attend workshops for developing skills, team building, etc.
   
   Sound Like You? Here's what you'll need:
   High School Diploma or equivalent (GED) GPA of 3.0 (Preferred) Some College Degree (Required to be an active student going into the summer) MS Office ProficiencyGood written and verbal communication skills. Good organizational, prioritization and detail-oriented skills. Ability to take initiatives and seek opportunities to learn in a fast-paced environment. Live near Fargo, North Dakota to work in office as this is a fully in-person role
   SpartanNash is a certified Veteran-Friendly Employer. We value the perspectives, backgrounds, skills, work ethic and leadership that those who are military connected bring to the workforce.
   
   As part of our People First culture, SpartanNash is proud to offer a robust and competitive Total Rewards benefits package.
   
   SpartanNash is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity and believes employing a diverse workforce is key to our success. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals.
   
   We are not able to sponsor work visas for this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right management trainee 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 management trainee interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit management trainee 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 management trainee internship job on Zippia to find and recruit management trainee internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit management trainee 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 management trainee internship

   Once you've found the management trainee 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new management trainee internship. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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