As you prepare for their internship interview, you should be ready to address the key skills and accomplishments that are listed on their resume. When you prepare for an internship interview, start with researching about the company. Read local newspapers and journals, annual reports, recruitment literature, brochures and directories. Contact anyone you know in the business, read current or recent articles.
Commonly asked Internship Interview Questions
- Tell me a little bit about yourself.
- What three words would you choose to best describe yourself?
- Why do you want an internship with our company?
- What are your career goals?
- Why are you interested in this internship?
- We have several candidates for this internship position; why should we choose you?
- How would you handle between your college schedule and internship work here?
- Tell me about your role in extracurricular activities?
- Is your grade point average reflective of your true ability? Why? Why not?
Additional Tips
- When an interviewer asks you a question, he is not only paying attention to content but also to your thought process. Please note that there are no right answers to these questions. The interviewer would like to see how you carry those answers. The key is to remain composed and confident and quickly move on to the next question. Tricky interview questions may also be asked to see how much a candidate knows about the company culture, as well as an assessment of their personal values.
- You should dress in professional business attire at your interview to show you are prepared to take your internship seriously. As an intern, your everyday attire should follow the dress code of your internship site.
- Arrive early, at least 15 minutes before the interview; give yourself time to relax and collect your thoughts. Appear confident and relaxed during the interview. Be aware of your body language; pay close attention to the motion of your hands and maintain eye contact. Use good diction and correct grammar; do not use slang.
- If you are in a field such as graphic design, photography, studio art, education, or communications (where a sample of your work would be helpful), bring samples with you to the interview.
- When the interviewer asks a question, it’s ‘ok’ to ask the interviewer for clarification or to repeat the question. You want to know what the interviewer is looking for before you go ahead and assume that you have the right answer.
- You may be asked during the interview to give a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Remember in these types of questions to focus on the positive. When referring to weaknesses, recognize those things you feel you need to work on and quickly shift to actions you have taken to improve in this area. Specific examples can be helpful to illustrate your progress.
- The beginning and end of the interview can be the most crucial aspects of the interview. End your interview with confidence. Thank the interviewer for his/her time and ask when you may expect to hear back from the employer.
- Take this opportunity to clarify a topic discussed in the interview and to reaffirm your interest in the company and the internship. Send a thank-you note to everyone you interviewed with on the day of your interview
