Internships
Splinter offers remote internships in our editorial departments. Internships are part-time and offered year-round to both current students and recent graduates. A one-time $800 stipend will be provided to all interns at the completion of their internship.
Editorial Interns are primarily responsible for assisting Splinter’s staff with the day-to-day tasks of running the website. These include writing news, pitching features and collaborating on larger projects, as well as occasional administrative tasks or help with social media accounts—but mostly writing stories. Basic HTML skills are a plus but not required.
All interns work closely with members of their respective departments and are encouraged to participate in creative collaboration with members of the staff via email, Slack, and weekly video calls throughout their time at Splinter.
How to Apply
Please read carefully.
Applications for internships are taken on a rolling basis. Spring internships run January through April. Summer internships run May through August. Fall internships run September through December. (*or as school schedules allow). Deadlines are listed below.
All applicants should submit (via email to [email protected]) a resume (please note GPA) and a cover letter addressed to Splinter editor-in-chief Lauren Tousignant listing previous relevant experience as well as responding to the following questions:
–What are your career goals?
–Why do you want to intern with Splinter?
–What do you hope to get out of your internship experience?
Applications must also include three examples of your writing, preferably published clips. Clips should be attached as .doc, .rtf or .pdf file types. Images should be attached as .jpg or .gif file types. Links to clips are accepted.
Deadlines:
Summer 2024: Applications due Friday, April 5th; start date May 6th.
Fall 2024: Applications due Friday, August 2nd, start date September 9th.
Winter/Spring 2025: Applications due Friday, November 29th; start date January 5th.
Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on the day of the deadline. No application materials will be accepted for a given term after that term’s deadline has passed. If you are chosen to move forward you will hear from an editor within two weeks after the deadline. Otherwise, you are welcome to apply for any upcoming terms.
Q. What are Splinter’s business hours?
A. Monday-Friday, 9 AM-6 PM Eastern Time (excepting most major holidays).
Q. When are internships offered?
A. Our internships are offered year-round. Spring internships run January through April. Summer internships run May through August. Fall internships run September through December.
Q. Whoops, I just missed the deadline! Can I still apply?
A. No application materials will be accepted for a given term after that term’s deadline has passed. However, you are welcome to apply for any upcoming terms.
Q. Are internships part-time or full-time?
A. We offer part-time internships that accommodate work or class schedules.
Q. Do I have to receive academic credit for my internship?
A. No. However, we are happy to fill out any paperwork required of those students who are taking the internship for course credit.
Q. I have a full-time job. Can I still apply?
A. Certainly, as long as your full-time job does not completely conflict with Splinter’s regular business hours.
Q. I’m not currently a college student. Is there an age limit to interns?
A. No, our internships are open to both current college students and graduates alike.
Q. I’m in high school. Are there any internship opportunities for me??
A. Currently, we don’t offer a high school internship program.
Q. How many internships are offered each term?
A. Generally we offer internships to one applicant per term.
Q. Will you hire me after my internship?
A. We cannot and do not promise employment to interns. However, past interns are always welcome to apply for any positions that open up within the company for which they may be qualified, and many continue to freelance for us.
Q. If I’m not offered an internship for this term, can I reapply in the future?
A. Yes.
Q. I’m majoring in [insert seemingly unrelated academic field here]. Can I still apply?
A. Yes. While many of our interns have strong academic backgrounds in their respective departments, others come from quite disparate disciplines. Some of our past interns have been political science, urban studies, history, English, and music theory majors. What made them strong intern candidates was their involvement in extracurricular activities, organizations and publications through which they developed and honed their relevant skills.
Q. I have no relevant academic, extracurricular, or professional experience. What are the chances I could still get an internship?
A. Very slim.
Q. What do you mean by “published clips”?
A. “Published clips” include anything you’ve written that has been printed in a publication, such as news stories, trend pieces, Q&As, profiles, reviews, op ed columns, and so on. We do not require clips related to any of our specific sections.
Q. I don’t have any “published clips.” What else can I send?
A. You may submit pieces submitted for publication that have not yet appeared in print, or you may submit mock samples of what you would submit if assigned a movie, book or album to review.
Q. Can I send examples of my creative writing, like short stories, poetry or a creative essay? What about an academic paper from one of my college classes?
A. Yes, but please note that we prefer published clips primarily and mock samples as an alternative, as creative and academic writing are not always effective indicators of an applicant’s journalistic or critical writing ability.
Q. Should I send over anything in addition to what’s required? Examples of my photography? Glowing letters of reference? Cookies? Large amounts of cash?
A. No, please don’t. If we need anything else, we’ll let you know.
Q. Okay, I just submitted my application. How long will the decision-making process last? When should I expect to hear back from you?
A. If you are chosen to move forward, you will hear from an editor within two weeks after the deadline. Final decisions will be made within a month of the deadline. If you do not hear back within that time, we thank you for your application and wish you the best, and hope you consider reapplying in the future.
Feel free to email [email protected] with any further questions not answered here.