How to hire a Business Development Internship

Business development internship hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring business development interns in the United States:

  • There are a total of 82,512 business development interns in the US, and there are currently 147,302 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a business development internship is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per business development internship on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for business development interns, with 19 job openings.

How to hire a business development internship, step by step

To hire a business development internship, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a business development internship, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step business development internship hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a business development internship job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new business development internship
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Business Development Internship do?

A business development intern is responsible for supporting the organization's goals and objectives in providing the best services to clients and ensuring a smooth flow of operations with maximum productivity and efficiency. Business development interns observe the operational processes of the department and perform duties under the supervision of a direct manager or tenured staff. They also assist with the creation of new products and services, pitching strategies to promote them in the market, develop marketing campaigns, and creating proposals for business partnership purposes. A business development intern must be detail-oriented and highly organized to support daily operations.

Learn more about the specifics of what a business development internship does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the business development internship you need to hire. Certain business development internship roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine Employee vs Contractor Status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect business development internship also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    This list presents business development internship salaries for various positions.

    Type Of Business Development InternshipDescriptionHourly Rate
    ascdesc
    Business Development Internship$12-20
    Sales And Marketing InternshipIn a sales and marketing internship, one of the primary duties is to assist in marketing-related tasks under a manager's supervision. The responsibilities will vary depending on the orders or directives given... Show More$13-30
    Operations InternshipOperations interns learn the management techniques on how to lead and supervise others. Interns usually gain experience by being an unpaid employee in the operational department... Show More$12-20
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common Skills:
    • PowerPoint
    • Market Research
    • Social Media Marketing
    • Data Entry
    • CRM
    • Salesforce
    • Data Analysis
    • Financial Analysis
    • Linkedin
    • Facebook
    • Competitive Analysis
    • Business Plan
    • Market Trends
    • Twitter
    Check All Skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage dashboards base on Multiband KPI and SOX compliancy.
    • Manage and organize all requests through a SharePoint ticketing system.
    • Pursue sales through telemarketing, direct mail campaigns, trade show participation, and manage vendor relationships.
    • Create powerful cloud/SaaS solutions for manage services partners and IBM brands that provide market leading solutions with industry specific cloud providers.
    • Manage use-case request solutions and optimize usability of a SharePoint corporate cloud base intranet.
    • Redesign the website and update the homepage with HTML.
    More Business Development Internship duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your business development internship job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A business development internship salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a business development internship in Montana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level business development internship usually earns less than a senior-level business development internship. Additionally, a business development internship with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average business development internship salary

    $15.94hourly

    $33,146 yearly

    Entry-level business development internship salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated March 29, 2025

    Average business development internship salary by state

    Rank
    ascdesc
    State
    ascdesc
    Avg. Salary
    ascdesc
    Hourly Rate
    ascdesc
    1Massachusetts$39,736$19
    2District of Columbia$37,686$18
    3California$35,321$17
    4New Hampshire$34,632$17
    5Michigan$33,897$16
    6Oregon$33,382$16
    7Washington$33,047$16
    8Illinois$32,991$16
    9Colorado$32,886$16
    10Texas$32,816$16
    11Missouri$32,253$16
    12Georgia$31,893$15
    13New York$31,539$15
    14Virginia$31,258$15
    15Florida$31,125$15
    16Alabama$30,887$15
    17Utah$30,731$15
    18Maryland$30,487$15
    19Pennsylvania$30,062$14
    20North Carolina$29,405$14

    Average business development internship salary by company

    Rank
    ascdesc
    Company
    ascdesc
    Average Salary
    ascdesc
    Hourly Rate
    ascdesc
    Job Openings
    ascdesc
    1Sandia National Labs$48,291$23.2240
    2Autodesk$44,749$21.5126
    3Oracle$43,875$21.091,020
    4iDE$41,240$19.83
    5SAP$41,239$19.83139
    6Microsoft$41,229$19.8229
    7International Rescue Committee$40,754$19.5927
    8KPMG LLP$40,515$19.4882
    9L3Harris$40,007$19.23149
    10Target$39,684$19.089
    11Bristol-Myers Squibb$39,356$18.9212
    12Mathematica$39,339$18.91
    13Avid$39,306$18.905
    14Cowan Systems$38,777$18.64
    15The Boring Company$38,598$18.565
    16Volvo Trucks$38,531$18.525
    17Fortinet$38,277$18.4011
    18Elbit Systems of America$38,020$18.283
    19Lannett$38,002$18.272
    20OHL USA$37,890$18.22
  4. Writing a Business Development Internship Job Description

    A good business development internship job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a business development internship job description:

    Business Development Internship job description example

    The Boring Company was founded to solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic by creating an underground network of tunnels. Today, we are creating the technology to increase tunneling speed and decrease costs by a factor of 10 or more with the ultimate goal of making Hyperloop adoption viable and enabling rapid transit across densely populated regions.

    The Boring Company is currently seeking talented individuals for our Project Development Internship at our Las Vegas, NV location. Boring Company interns play a significant role in the identification, planning design and development of tunneling projects and transportation technology. Here at The Boring Company, you will obtain invaluable hands-on technical experience that you can't learn in a classroom. Our teams will challenge you to roll up your sleeves, be scrappy and creative to create solutions for real challenges. The most successful candidates for The Boring Company's Internship Program are self-starters, highly motivated and have a history of significant contributions to hands-on extracurricular projects in addition to a strong academic record.

    ResponsibilitiesSupport project development by identifying, tracking and pursuing project leads, assist with the preparation of proposals and marketing materials.Assist in regulatory operations including preparing reports and obtaining permits and other regulatory clearances.Interface with the Boring Company technical teams and our customers to ensure that our projects are successful and timely.Support the Productions and Operations team, which focuses on revolutionizing tunneling operations for transportation and utility projects.

    Basic QualificationsCurrently enrolled in or recently graduated from a 4-year Bachelor's or Master's program at an accredited college or university

    Preferred Skills and ExperienceGPA of 3.5 or higher Hands-on experience through lab research, project teams, prior internship or work experience Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment, accomplishing tasks with limited resources at a rapid pace Intermediate skill level using Windows Operations SystemsIntermediate skill level using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

    Additional RequirementsMust be able to work full time for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks.Must pass background check with results satisfactory to The Boring Company.
    Culture
    We're a team of dedicated, smart, and scrappy people. Our employees are passionate about our mission and determined to innovate at every opportunity.

    Benefits
    We offer employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, paid vacation, and a competitive amount of equity for all permanent employees.

    The Boring Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with The Boring Company is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find business development interns for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your business development internship job on Zippia to find and recruit business development internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit business development interns, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new business development internship

    Once you've found the business development internship candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new business development internship first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a business development internship?

Recruiting business development interns involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $33,146 per year for a business development internship, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for business development interns in the US typically range between $12 and $20 an hour.

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