Internships for Writers: A Comprehensive Guide

For individuals passionate about writing, internships represent invaluable opportunities to gain experience, refine skills, and explore potential career paths. Technical writing internships, in particular, offer a unique blend of resume-building experience and the development of highly sought-after technical skills. Whether your writing aspirations lie in creative storytelling or persuasive marketing, a technical writing internship can demonstrate your ability to research and execute projects effectively.

What Does a Technical Writing Intern Do?

A technical writing intern typically starts with an orientation to current projects managed by their supervisor. This involves understanding the companies involved and then delving into researching and creating content for those projects. Technical writing interns gain exposure to diverse topics, all while sharpening their writing skills. This experience can translate into roles such as Technical Writers and Editors, or within various companies across different sectors.

Finding the Right Internship

If you're looking for a summer internship, start your search early. Many industries begin recruiting in the fall, so keeping an eye on fall virtual career fairs can be beneficial. Each company has different application deadlines, so the sooner you start, the better. If you are searching for a role during the school year, it’s best to get on applying 3-6 months prior so you can inform your internship of your other obligations and classes.

Resources like Handshake allow you to filter searches (e.g., "technical writing internships near me") to focus on employers you're interested in and even connect with past interns who may be alumni from your school. You can also refine your search using filters like "Google technical writing internships" or "paid technical writing internships" to find opportunities in specific locations or with compensation.

University career services centers are invaluable resources for insights into specific recruitment periods at your school. Schedule a meeting with your career advisor at the start of the school year for assistance in planning ahead.

Landing an Internship with Limited Experience

If you're pursuing a technical writing internship without prior experience, highlight your strengths and demonstrate your eagerness to learn. Start by reviewing technical writing internship requirements on platforms like Handshake to understand the desired qualifications. Then, tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize experiences and previous roles where your skills align. For example, mention relevant writing courses or significant final projects, highlighting how they relate to the desired role.

When to Apply

It's generally advisable to start your internship search sooner rather than later. If you're aiming for a summer internship, begin looking for positions no later than the preceding season.

Internship Compensation

The compensation for technical writing internships can vary greatly, as the roles and responsibilities differ across companies. To understand the pay structure of a specific internship, it's best to inquire directly with the company. Some internships may offer only academic credit, while others provide an hourly rate or a fixed stipend.

Essential Skills for Technical Writing Interns

Several skills are crucial for success as a technical writing intern:

Adaptability in writing style: The ability to adjust your writing to suit different audiences and purposes.
Great research skills: The capacity to gather information effectively and efficiently.
Understanding of basic formatting and grammar: A solid grasp of the fundamentals of writing mechanics.
Accountability and organization: Being responsible for your work and managing your time effectively.

Employers may prefer candidates who are able to create a visual story using tables, charts, infographics, and maps. In addition, anyone with Internet access can start a blog and gain writing experience. Some of this writing may lead to paid assignments regardless of education.

Read also: Unlock summer legal internships

Cover Letter Tips

Crafting a compelling cover letter is essential for your internship application. Research effective cover letter writing techniques to increase your confidence and improve your chances of success.

Internships for Academic Credit

Students seeking academic credit while exploring career paths, gaining practical skills, and building professional connections can benefit greatly from writing internships. These internships offer real-world work experience in a professional setting. Site supervisors serve as mentors, helping interns improve their writing skills and develop professional relationships. Interns can also compile writing samples from the internship to showcase their experience and skills to future employers.

Internships can take place on or off campus, with various organizations, including publications, campus units, schools, public agencies, nonprofits, and private corporations. Grading is typically on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Most writing internships are approved for 1 to 4 units per quarter, with some internships requiring interns to complete work on-site and some remotely (or a combination of both). One unit of credit requires 30 hours of writing-related work during the quarter; four units require 120 hours.

Professional Writing Internships

Professional Writing Interns receive academic credit for writing and/or editing in professional settings. They may assist in drafting/editing marketing copy, grant proposals, policy statements, position papers, web content, video tutorials, or other informative texts or multimedia materials for public and private agencies.

Breaking into the Publishing Industry

Internships can be a stepping stone to a career in the publishing industry. Consider the experience of Busayo Akinmoju, a first reader for Small Wonders, an online magazine for speculative poetry and flash fiction. Being a reader has exposed her to a lot of writing and helped inform her own-especially when it comes to finding pubs that are a good fit.

Job Market for Writers and Authors

Writers and authors may work anywhere they have access to a computer. A college degree in English, communications, or journalism is generally required for a full-time position as a writer or author. The median annual wage for writers and authors was $72,270 in May 2024. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Writers and authors perform research in order to give their stories authentic detail. Writers must establish their credibility with editors and readers through clean prose, strong research, and the use of sources and citations. Writers and authors select the material they want to use and then convey the information to readers.

Some writers and authors are self-employed or freelancers. They sell their written content to book and magazine publishers; news organizations; advertising agencies; and movie, theater, and television producers.

Biographers write a thorough account of a person’s life. Copywriters prepare advertisements to promote the sale of a good or service. Playwrights write scripts for theatrical productions. Screenwriters create scripts for movies and television. Speechwriters compose orations for business leaders, politicians, and others who must speak in front of an audience.

Writers and authors may work in an office or wherever they have access to a computer. Writers and authors held about 135,400 jobs in 2024. Jobs are somewhat concentrated in major media and entertainment markets-California, New York, Texas, and Washington, DC-but improved communications and Internet capabilities allow writers and authors to work from almost anywhere.

Some writers and authors work part time. Most keep regular office hours, either to stay in contact with sources and editors or to set up a writing routine, but many set their own hours. Others may need to work evenings and weekends to produce something acceptable for an editor or client. Writers and authors may have to manage multiple assignments simultaneously.

Writers and authors typically gain writing experience through on-the-job training. Writers and authors can get a start by putting their name on their work when writing for small businesses, local newspapers, advertising agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Writers and authors may advance their careers by building a reputation, taking on complex writing assignments, and getting published in prestigious markets and publications. Many editors begin work as writers.

Qualities of Successful Writers and Authors

The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties:

Adaptability
Creativity
Critical-thinking skills
Determination
Persuasion
Social perceptiveness
Writing skills

Career Outlook

As traditional print publications lose ground to other media forms, writers and authors are shifting their focus to online media, which is projected to result in some employment growth for these workers.

Common Questions About Writing Internships

Am I required to take an internship for my writing major or minor? No, all internships are elective.
Do I have to take an internship for academic credit? Our department only sponsors internships for credit. However, if you can locate an internship that does not require credit (as in your home town), feel free to undertake it on your own.
What are the prerequisites for a credit-bearing academic internship? Junior standing or above, and two Writing courses past the 100 level are required, as the internship is a 400-level course. (If you’re an English or Journalism major, we substitute one of your major courses.) We also now have a 200-level internship available to qualified sophomores.
Do I have to be a writing major or minor to take a writing internship? Nope!
Are paid internships available in the Ithaca area? For the most part, no. But we do have one paid internship in technical writing.
Are paid internships available elsewhere? Yes, in major cities, there are some - but they are highly competitive. If you have one, you may be paid and receive academic credit at the same time.
How many credit-bearing internships may I have before graduating? You can enroll in as many as you like, up to a maximum of 12 credits before graduating. Writing internships range from 1 to 6 credits at one time; half-credits are available starting at 1.5 credits. Internships are taken in fall, spring, winter, or summer. Note that for writing majors, only 6 internship credits count toward the major; any internship credits beyond that count as elective credit toward graduation. Some students complete one internship; others as many as four or five.
How much work is expected? Each credit requires 45 hours of work minimum. During a 14-week semester, a 1-credit internship averages 3-4 hours a week; a 2-credit internship averages 6-7 hours a week; and a 3-credit internship averages 9-10 hours a week. And a 1.5-credit internship, for example, averages about 5 hours a week.
Where is the internship work done? At some sites, most of the work may be conducted in the office. At others, all or most of the work is done remotely. Most sites involve both, with remote work focusing on researching, interviewing, and writing.
How is my work evaluated? At semester's end, your site supervisor writes a letter of evaluation, which counts as 50% of your final grade. The other 50% is determined by your faculty supervisor (the internship director), based on your weekly logs of your experience and your final evaluative report.
Can I register for a credit-bearing internship online? No. Registration is only through a written H&S proposal, no later than one week into the selected semester. Once you’ve been accepted at a site, our internship director will work with you to help you complete your brief proposal and become registered.
How should I apply for a credit-bearing internship? Look over the list of internships on Writing’s web site. Attend our September workshops on How to Get an Internship and Résumé Writing. Attach a résumé if you have one. Most students begin applying and interviewing in the last half of the semester before interning (e.g., October and March for the following semester). Once you have applied, interviewed at the site, and been accepted, you should complete the H&S proposal paperwork soon after, which will register you for the internship course.
How do I locate an internship? If you are seeking an internship not for academic credit, you can work with the Center for Career Exploration and Development. For a credit-bearing internship, contact the Writing internship director as soon as possible. You’ll work with the director on locating and choosing sites, developing your résumé and cover letter, and planning for and sequencing possible future internships. The director also has extensive contacts and resources to help you succeed in your application.
How do I prepare for an internship? Consider taking courses like Argument, Grammars & Usages, Careers for Writers, Writing for the Workplace, Creative Nonfiction, Technical Writing, Public Essay, Writing for Popular Media, Science Writing, Writing for the Professions, and Proposals & Grants. Your courses in related disciplines also help -- such as English courses for students interested in publishing. And campus activities and involvement in related areas are important to site supervisors who hire interns. Several technical skills are usually required, so it’s good to learn Excel, Photoshop, InDesign, and basic social media. See IC’s free access to self-paced instruction in these skills.
Will I have to do “menial tasks” at the internship site? Surprisingly few. Many interns are expected to do some database entry and photocopying.

The Writers House Intern Program (WHIP)

The Writers House Intern Program (WHIP) is both a publishing course and a practical internship. The WHIP aims to train and educate its participants in the ways of publishing through the lens of a literary agency. To that end, participants engage a robust curriculum that takes twelve to sixteen weeks to complete and includes the 8-week “Editorial Bootcamp,” the 8-week job search skills workshop, and a series of tutorials, seminars, and one-on-one career consultations. Since WHIP’s founding in 2000, director Michael Mejias has helped place hundreds of its graduates into their first publishing jobs. Program graduates work or have worked at every major agency and publishing house and across a range of professions including agenting, editorial, publicity, marketing, sales, contracts, subsidiary rights, and scouting.

The program is offered three times a year: Autumn (October-January), Spring (February-May), and Summer (June-August). Interns participate twenty-four hours a week for the length of the term and receive a $200 monthly stipend.

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