Send a short message about the gaps in your offer
Read the offer first and remove questions it already answers. Then adapt this message:
“Thank you for the offer for [role]. Before I respond by [actual deadline], could you confirm [my pay rate and expected paid weekly hours], [the worksite and required on-site days], and [the first payday and work period it covers]? The offer also mentions [housing or relocation support]. Am I eligible, what amount is approved, and would it be paid before or after I move? These details will let me finalize my plans.”
Keep only the missing terms that matter to your decision. Send compensation questions to recruiting or the designated HR contact; ask the manager about assignments and the working schedule.
Ask for the actual payment, not a better description of the range
A posted range does not tell you your rate. An annual salary does not tell you the summer total. “Biweekly” does not tell you which workdays are included in the first paycheck.
| What you have | What is still missing |
|---|---|
| A pay range | Your offered rate and whether it is final. |
| An annualized salary | The payroll basis and calculation for your actual internship dates. |
| Up to 40 hours per week | The expected hours, whether any minimum is guaranteed, and treatment of holidays or schedule changes. |
| Biweekly pay | First pay date, the workdays it covers, and how to submit hours before payroll closes. |
Ask payroll to identify both the first pay date and the period it covers. In a hypothetical $25-per-hour role, a first check covering only 24 paid hours has $600 gross earnings; one covering 80 hours has $2,000. The same rate and pay frequency can produce very different first deposits. Your deposit is the amount remaining after any applicable taxes and other deductions.
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A reimbursement cap is not spending money
Suppose an offer reimburses up to $1,500 for approved travel only. You spend $300 on a qualifying flight and $900 on rent that the policy does not cover. The reimbursement in this fictional case is $300, not $1,500 and not the full $1,200 you spent. A reimbursement paid after arrival also does not fund the flight when you book it.
Ask which expenses qualify, whether they need advance approval, what evidence to submit, and when the employer will pay. For a fixed allowance, ask whether the quoted amount is before or after payroll deductions. For employer-booked housing, ask about the covered dates and any charges you must pay yourself.
Check repayment conditions before using an advance or allowance. Ask what happens if the employer cancels, changes the location, or ends the placement, as well as if you leave early. Get the applicable policy rather than assuming every reason for leaving is treated the same.
Ask about the benefits that change your own costs
A general employee-benefits page may not apply to interns. Ask about the specific benefit you would use: eligibility, coverage dates, your contribution, and any enrollment deadline. Do not assign a dollar value to a benefit simply because it appears in a recruiting presentation.
For example, a meal benefit available only on office days does not cover groceries on remote days. A transit benefit helps only if it works on your route. An equipment allowance may require purchases from an approved list. Identify those conditions before subtracting the benefit from your living costs.
Close the loop on a verbal clarification
After a call, write: “Thank you for clarifying [term]. Could you point me to the policy or confirm [specific amount, condition, or date] in writing before I [accept, book travel, or sign housing]?”
Keep a tentative answer tentative. “We may be able to help with housing” should remain an unresolved item in your budget until someone confirms the arrangement. If the answer changes whether you can attend, ask about it before making the nonrefundable commitment.