Completing an internship and the reference letter

When the intern has handed the work over, you complete the internship on its project page. The outcome goes on their record; your note and letter help them with the next employer.

Complete it

1. Open the project from your projects page.
2. Scroll to "Complete the internship".
3. Choose the "Outcome":
   • "Hired": you hired them.
   • "Paid contract": you kept them on a paid contract.
   • "Not hired".
   • "Ended early": it stopped before the planned finish.
4. Check the "End date". It starts as today.
5. Write the "Note (optional)": your honest review of their work. The role and terms if you hired them, or what they shipped.
6. Attach a "Reference letter (optional, PDF, 10 MB max)" if the work was good.
7. Press "Complete internship".

The page says "Recorded. Thank you for taking a trainee."

The review earns the fee

The note is optional on the form, but the completion fee needs it. Write at least 40 characters, a few honest sentences about the work, and the internship must not have ended early.

Under the note, the form counts as you type: "The completion fee needs a written review of at least 40 characters: 12 of 40 so far." Once the note is long enough it says "long enough for the completion fee". Spaces at the start and end are not counted. See The completion fee and the Earnings page.

Reviews and letters must reflect what you saw. We do not edit them.

The reference letter

Write it as a PDF: what the intern built, what it does for you, and how they worked. Sign it if you can.

Once attached, it shows under "Outcome" on the project page as "Reference letter:" with the file name, and "Download the letter". The intern downloads it from their internship page. If you referred them, the letter also travels with the referral page.

You can attach it when you complete the internship, or later. Once the internship is complete, the "Outcome" box on the project page has a file field and a button:

1. Choose the PDF under "Reference letter (PDF, 10 MB max)", or "Replace the letter (PDF, 10 MB max)" if one is there already.
2. Press "Attach the letter" (or "Replace the letter").

The page says "Attached." or "Replaced. The new letter is the one your intern sees.", and we email your intern that the letter is there. The same rules apply as at completion: a PDF of 10 MB or less, kept private to you, your intern, their mentor and our team.

What happens next

• The intern gets an email with the outcome and your note.
• If the fee applies, you get "Completion fee recorded" and the fee shows on "Earnings".
• You can now refer the intern to another business. See Referring your intern.
• You can choose to be listed next to the finished work. See The placements listing.

Hiring

If you want to hire the intern, do it directly with them, on terms you agree, with no fee to us.