How to write an Internship or Attachment Report (with Samples)

Writing an attachment report or internship report can seem like a very tough job, at least from most people’s point of view. However, just like anything in this world, it is hard until you do it. An industrial attachment report is simply that; a written account of the observation and activities of the attachment.

Although internship and industrial attachment are distinct, their reports are identical. They only differ in their purposes. While an internship report is written for the sake of building a profile for job searching, an attachment report is required for awarding of credits necessary for degree completion.

Bearing this in mind, here is a quick but informative guide on how to write an exhaustive and complete report for either.

1. Title page

Also referred to as the cover page, it’s the first page of a report which is typically enclosed by a transparent binder cover. The title page contains the introductory details of the report. It tells the reader exactly what is entailed in the report.

The top should bare a logo of your institution for attachment reports or a logo of the company or organization for internships

This then should be followed by the title of the report. It should be;

• Short (15 Words at most)
• Clear
• Precise

Also, it must be related to the subject matter of the internship or industrial attachment and must capture the attention of the reader

Below the title, the following items are to be included in order:

• Course of study
• Name and registration number
• Company/ Organization
• Period for the attachment
• Supervisor
• Date of submission

Here is a good illustration

You can include other details such as departments, schools among others depending on the requirements of your institution.

2. Acknowledgment

This section allows you to recognize and appreciate the people that ensured the completion of your attachment or internship program. Common denominators include your professional supervisor and the management.

3. Abstract/Executive Summary

The abstract section allows you to provide a concise synopsis of what is entailed in the report. It should summarize the whole work presented in around 200 words or less, contained in a one-paragraph setting without quotations or references. It should tell the reader exactly what is contained in the report.

4. Table of Contents

The table of contents is a structured list of headings contained within the report and the pages of each heading. It’s like a hotel menu; the dishes represent the headings while the prices represent the pages. Headings in the TOC must be similar to those that appear in the body including the format, wording, and presentation. All major sections including references and appendices should be included in the TOC.

5. Chapter 1: Introduction

This section should include a comprehensive introduction to the company, institution or organization in which the student is attached. A  brief history can work as a good starting point after which one can delve into the organizational structure, functions, activities and much more as shown in the list below

• History
• Vision and Mission Statement
• Core values
• Organization structure
• Duties and responsibilities

6. Chapter 2: Department Overview

This section allows you to delve further into the department of operation. Considering the many departments involved in most companies and organizations, it would only be necessary to write an internship report based on the department which contributed most to your professional growth during the attachment period.

Thus, you should include

• Key functions and activities
• Employees structure, statistics, duties, and responsibilities
• Your main objectives for the attachment exercise
• Your assigned duties and responsibilities

7. Chapter 3: Evaluation of the Attachment/Internship

At the end of every program, it is important to reflect on the experiences and draw lessons from them. Internships and industrial attachments also have lessons to learn from. Thus, this section gives you the mandate to include;

• The successes and failuresof the program as compared to your main objectives
• Challenges encountered
• How the challenges were solved
• Recommendations for the university and the company if necessary

8. Bibliography/Reference

In case you used any academic or research material to come up with your report, the bibliography allows you to include them. Normally there will be very few reference materials if any since it’s a report that recounts on the lessons you learned through an internship program. However, if necessary for instance in the history section you might want to quote some information from a journal or book.

Bonus tips

This guide is only a rough but standard guide on how to write an internship report or an industrial attachment report. You are free to include any additional details required by your institution.

In addition, you are required to format your paper based on the rules of standard formats such as APA and MLA. Some of the standard formats include

1. Font type: Times New Roman
2. Font size: 12
3. Double line spacing
4. Justified paragraphs
5. Bold titles.

Finally, endeavor to write at least 20 pages including everything for your report to be tangible. Below are two good attachment report samples I found useful.

Well, I guess it doesn’t seem that hard now or does it?