How to hire a sustainability internship

How to hire a sustainability internship, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The sustainability internship hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   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 sustainability 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 sustainability internship that fits the bill.

   This list presents sustainability internship salaries for various positions.

   Type of Sustainability Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Sustainability 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.	$11-25
   Communications Consultant	Communications consultants are responsible for preparing media releases, whether through print, video, or email. They perform varied tasks that may include working on complete projects such as media analysis and branding, creating strategies to reinforced communication among clients and employees, and providing guidance and recommendations to a company's public relations team... Show more	$30-62
   Media Consultant	A media consultant is responsible for coordinating with different people and groups to boost brand awareness and promote the brand image to the public through media communication. Media consultants work closely with the marketing or public relations team to conduct press releases, develop media campaigns, and advise executives with their speech during interviews and other related public appearances... Show more	$15-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Renewable Energy
   • Sustainability Intern
   • PowerPoint
   • Climate
   • Data Collection
   • Greenhouse
   • Data Analysis
   • Waste Management
   • Sustainability Initiatives
   • Community Outreach
   • STARS
   • Energy Efficiency
   • Environmental Sustainability
   • Composting

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage global sustainability forum for universities and corporate campuses.
   • Compile and manage data for annual reports on greenhouse gas emissions and campus sustainability ratings.
   • Research, compile, co-wrote, edit the first GRI compliant CSR report for drugstore.com.
   • Post publications on website and Facebook page.
   • Train participating companies in CSR and reporting standards.
   • Compile data and create a GIS presentation for stakeholder meetings.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sustainability internship job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A sustainability internship can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, sustainability interns' average salary in mississippi is 46% less than in virginia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sustainability interns 57% less than senior-level sustainability interns.
   • Certifications. A sustainability internship with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a sustainability internship's salary.

   Average sustainability internship salary

   $35,586yearly

   $17.11 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sustainability internship salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 12, 2026

4. Writing a sustainability internship job description

   A sustainability 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a sustainability internship job description:

   Sustainability internship job description example

   At World Fuel Services, our employees are the key to our global success. We are industry leaders due to the innumerable talents of our approximately 5000 strong professional team. Our people thrive in an entrepreneurial and culturally-diverse environment, where innovative thinking, collaboration and efficient execution are highly valued. Our high-performance culture is what allows us to drive sustained growth. Stronger together, we promote an environment where individuals can thrive.
   
   When you click 'Apply', you will need to click on 'Create Account'. By creating an account, you will be able to view your applications and their statuses. Your password must contain 1 upper case letter, 1 number, and 1 special character.
   World Fuel Services, is an equal
   opportunity/affirmative
   action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility - Trainee
   World Fuel Services' sustainability and corporate responsibility internship program offers students a great opportunity to gain exposure and experience working with the company's sustainability management team at its corporate headquarters in Miami, Florida. The internship will provide hands-on experience in supporting the company's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts, particularly environmental and social matters and impacts.
   
   Responsibilities; Duties:
   Conduct research on sustainability and other ESG matters relevant to the company's or its customers' industries (using publicly available info, such as articles, websites, etc.) Prepare case studies / summaries on specific strategies, activities, and approach to sustainability Support projects related to the collection of internal sustainability data and metrics Meet regularly with key leader(s) to provide updates on projects, results achieved, obtain help and direction as needed as well as participate in other relevant meetings, as schedule permits Assist with ad hoc initiatives related to sustainability and ESG matters, as needed Perform other duties as assigned
   
   Qualifications/Skills:
   Student currently enrolled and pursuing a bachelor's or graduate degree with an interest in energy, sustainability or other ESG-related issues; relevant coursework preferred Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and to work under time pressure to meet established deadlines Strong oral and written communication skills High attention to detail Fluent in written and spoken English. Fluency in Spanish or other language a plus.Motivated and energetic with an ability to work independently, multi-task and problem solve.Minimum GPA of 3.0

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right sustainability 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 sustainability interns they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit sustainability 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 sustainability internship job on Zippia to find and attract quality sustainability 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

   To successfully recruit sustainability 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 sustainability internship

   Once you've found the sustainability 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.

   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 sustainability 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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