How to Hire a Marketing Intern

Marketing Intern: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a marketing intern?

A marketing intern is a junior or entry-level worker who assists an organisation’s marketing department in carrying out its activities. They may help more senior employees undertake research, join brainstorming sessions and write content for marketing campaigns.

Marketing internships can be paid or unpaid, depending on the type of work the intern is required to undertake, the length of time they will be engaged at your organisation, and the employment arrangement, such as whether it is a work experience placement required to achieve their tertiary qualification.

Why hire a marketing intern?

Hiring a marketing intern can provide extra short-term support and assistance to your marketing team, particularly during busy periods when workloads rise, but you do not have the budget or need to employ more senior staff. It can also be a good way to identify fresh talent when you are looking to recruit employees, as interns are usually entry-level workers starting in their careers.

By hiring interns, your organisation may also be seen as an employer of choice in your industry, as it shows you support entry-level talent and are willing to give them the work experience they require to break into the marketing sector.

Contributions of a great marketing intern:

• provides fresh marketing ideas and up-to-date technological skills
• performs entry-level tasks that enable more senior marketing employees to focus on higher skill tasks
• assists senior employees with large workloads, such as compiling and analysing research.

Defining your hiring needs for a marketing intern

When considering whether to hire a marketing intern, first determine the type of work that you will require them to perform. If the work requires prior industry experience or advanced skills, another type of marketing worker, such as a marketing assistant, may be better suited to your needs. However, if your existing employees need support with entry-level tasks, an intern may be able to competently carry out this kind of work.

Marketing internships are short-term roles, so also consider when and how long your internship will last, such as whether it will be offered for a few weeks during the summer holiday season.

What are the types of marketing interns?

A marketing intern may be a paid or unpaid role. For example, you may provide an unpaid internship to a student who is studying a tertiary marketing qualification and requires a week or two of work experience to complete their training. However, if the intern is undertaking tasks that are considered work by the Fair Work Ombudsman, they need to be paid for their time.

An intern is often a student or recent graduate. However, you may decide to hire interns who are considering a career change from other fields and hold many of the skills that you require.

When writing your marketing intern job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on marketing jobs, according to Indeed data:

• marketing
• social media
• digital marketing
• communications
• content creator
• marketing assistant
• marketing coordinator
• marketing manager
• marketing specialist
• creative.

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Where to find marketing interns?

To find the right marketing intern for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Canvas training providers: Approach training providers that offer marketing qualifications and ask them to promote your internship to their students.
• Start an internship program: Promote your internship program on your website and include details of how candidates can apply.
• Attend jobs and careers fairs: Host a booth at a jobs and careers fair to promote your business’s career opportunities and allow potential interns to apply on the day.
• Ask for referrals: Ask existing employees or industry contacts to refer suitable candidates or promote the position within their networks.
• Post your job online: Try posting your marketing intern job on Indeed to find and attract quality marketing intern candidates.

Skills to look for in a marketing intern

A successful marketing intern candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experience, training or education:

• interest and passion for marketing, including analysing data and conducting research
• strong oral and written communication skills
• basic graphic design skills
• ability to collaborate and work in a team, including a willingness to conduct basic marketing tasks
• knowledge of social media, especially current trends
• a creative mindset.

Writing a marketing intern job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job seeker search terms and hiring insights for a marketing intern, you’re ready to write a job description.

A marketing intern job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits and perks to attract candidates to your vacant role.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing marketing intern job descriptions.

Interviewing marketing intern candidates

Strong candidates for marketing intern positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• interest and passion for working in the marketing sector
• ability to collaborate with existing employees and take direction to perform entry-level tasks
• previous experience in using marketing tools and techniques, such as through volunteer roles or study
• ability to conduct research, write content and create visuals for marketing campaigns
• understanding of your business’s products or services.

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of marketing intern interview questions for examples (with sample answers).