How to Write a Report After an Internship

Creating the Title Pages and Formatting the Document

Number each page in the report. Make sure the page number is listed in the upper-right corner of each page you write, except for the title page. You can turn on the page number function by using the menu options in your word processor program’s taskbar. It automatically marks the page numbers for you. Having the page number enables readers to use your table of contents. Page numbers help you organize your report and replace missing pages.

Make a cover page with the title of your report. The cover page is the first page your readers see. Type your title at the top in bold letters. An effective title describes what you did in the internship. Avoid adding any jokes or commentary about the internship here. For example, you might write, “Internship Report On Investment Banking At Gringotts Bank.” A generic title like "My Internship Report" is usually acceptable if you can't come up with anything else.

Include your name and internship information on the cover page. Underneath the title, include the date of your internship. List your name, the name of your school, and any advisors you have. Also include the name and contact information of the organization you interned with. For example, write "My Internship Report. Crimson Permanent Assurance. May-June 2018." Keep the information neat on the page. Center the text and leave space between each line.

Mention any special acknowledgements on the next page. Title the page after the cover page as “Acknowledgement.” This page gives you a chance to thank anyone who helped you out along the course of your internship. You may wish to mention your school supervisor, work supervisor, and anyone else you worked with. For example, say, “I would like to thank Dr. No for giving me the opportunity to do this internship.”

Include a table of contents if your report is long. A table of contents page is useful if your report has 8 or more sections. In a table of contents, you list the section titles of your report along with page numbers where each section can be found. It helps your reader navigate to specific parts they want to read. The acknowledgement page should be listed on the table of contents. The title page does not need to be listed. If your report includes graphs or figures, you may wish to include a separate table of contents indicating where they can be found.

Write an abstract page outlining your internship. An abstract, also called a summary, gives your reader a brief overview of your internship duties. In it, explain who you worked for and what you did for them. Keep this part short, briefly touching upon your work and experiences in a single paragraph. For example, start with, “This report details a summer internship at Stark Industries in Malibu, CA. I worked in the Robotics Division.”

Writing the Body of the Report

Title each section of your report. Whenever you reach a new section in your report, move to a new page. Come up with a descriptive title for the section. Place it at the top of the page, centered and in bold letters. For example, a section might be called, “Overview of Gringotts Bank.” A few simple section titles are “Introduction,” “Reflections on the internship,” and “Conclusion.”

Open your introduction with facts about your employer. Use your introduction to expand upon your summary. Start by going more in-depth about your employer’s operations. Discuss the organization, their position in their field, what they do, and how many people they employ. For example, write, “RamJack provides service robots to countries across the world. As a pioneer in its industry, Ramjack is uniquely qualified to clean up environmental disasters.”

Explain the part of the organization you worked for. Any company or organization is made up of different branches. Detail the part you were involved in, getting as specific as possible. Use this part of the introduction to lead into your personal experience. For example, mention, “From May to June 2018, I worked in Ramjack’s electrical engineering division as an intern along with 200 other workers.” Remember that this is a story about you, so use your personal style to engage readers.

Describe your responsibilities during the internship. Explain what you did during the internship. Go into as much detail as possible. Even if a task seems routine at first, such as cleaning or writing memos, it can contribute meaning to your report. You might write, “My responsibilities at Ramjack included soldering electrical wiring, but I also did component maintenance.”

Write about what you learned during the internship. Transition from discussing work responsibilities to results. Come up with a few examples of what you gained by being an intern. Go in-depth in describing how these changes came about. Think about ways you have changed as a person, not only as a worker. For instance, you might say, “I learned a lot about how to communicate with people in the community who are very different from me.” While you're working the internship, keep track of the things you enjoyed and achieved on a weekly basis. That way, you can look over your notes when you write your report.

Evaluate your experience with the internship. You can critique the organization you worked for, but be as fair and neutral as possible. Stick to facts and concrete examples, focusing on what you learned and what you can apply in the future. Avoid bad-mouthing anyone. You might write, “Ramjack would benefit from improved communication. Often, the supervisors were unclear about what they expected from me.”

Reflect on how you performed in the internship. Conclude your report by discussing how the experience went. Be objective, expressing any positive and negative experiences about it. You can include any feedback you received during your internship. You might write something like, “At first I was too quiet, but I learned to be bolder and more confident so that management took my ideas seriously.”

Use an appendix section to include other resources. The appendix section is for journals, published works, photos, recordings, and any other supplemental material you have. The amount of material you have will differ depending on your internship duties. Try to include some material to give the reader a taste of your accomplishments during the internship. For example, if you worked in communications, include press releases, ads, letters, or tapes you produced. If you have nothing to add, you may be required to write a paragraph about why you have no supplemental material.

Practicing Good Writing Techniques

Organize your information into an outline before writing. Before you tackle the body of the report, break your experience down into parts. Create a rudimentary outline on paper, listing off the points you wish to tackle in each section. This helps you stay organized. You want the sections to flow together well without repeated information.

Write at least 5 to 10 pages. Give yourself enough space in the report to convey your experiences in detail, but avoid going off-topic. Longer reports may end up feeling less focused and polished. For most reports, a medium length is appropriate. If you don’t have enough material to stretch out the paper, you are better off leaving it shorter. You may need to write more than 10 pages, especially if you had an extensive internship or are studying for a high-level degree. The page requirement may differ depending on your internship program.

Maintain an objective tone throughout the report. Your report is academic material and should be treated as such. Represent yourself positively by sticking to facts and concrete examples describing your experience. Be thoughtful with your writing and avoid sounding overly critical. For instance, you can say, “I had a difficult time working at Wayne Industries, but I learned a lot.” Avoid saying “Wayne Industries is the worst.” An example of fact-based writing is, “Wayne Industries has a 75% share in the gadget market.”

Use specific examples to describe your internship. Avoid speaking in generalizations. Show your experiences on the paper by giving examples of any topics you bring up. Concrete details allow your reader to picture your internship experience. For example, write, “Acme Corporation left out an unsecured bundle of dynamite. I felt unsafe working there.” You might write, “My supervisor sent me to take pictures of a river dolphin that washed up near a remote Bolivian village.”

Include observations you have about real life. Life insights go beyond the scope of schoolwork. They may include the organization you worked for, the people who work there, and the world at large. These insights vary depending on the scope of your internship, but if you have them, they show that you have grown as a person. You might work in a lab and write, “The employees are on their feet all day, but they know they are helping people, so they arrive in the morning brimming with energy. Another example is, “Oscorp is very busy, and the employees would be happier with additional help. This is a problem for many companies across the country.”

Review your report after writing it. Take the time to read through your report at least once. Note any sentences that don’t flow together well. Pay attention to the experiences you describe in the report as well as the report’s overall tone. The entire report needs to feel cohesive, objective, and clear to the reader. Reading out loud can help, as well as letting someone else read your work.

Edit the report before turning it in. You may have to go back a few times and make changes. Refine your report as much as necessary to make it great. When you are satisfied with it, turn it into your supervisor to let them read about your experience. Be aware of any submission deadline your program has. Give yourself plenty of editing time by writing the report before then.