The internship is the first step to the professional world. For some people, an internship is a bridge to shift to another career. People are nervous and excited at the same time for this stage of their lives. The internship is not only important for completing the certification but also it’s an opportunity to showcase your skills to a potential employer. If you do well in the internship program, there is a high possibility that you will be recruited. Students look forward to doing an internship in a good company as it will add value to their resume. So, the internship interview is very important. Here you will get some tips on how to prepare for an internship interview.
Find Out About The Company
You shouldn’t do an internship in any random company. You must learn about the company to find out if you may have any future with this company. At the same time, if you know what the company does, its achievements, and other things, then the recruiter will understand that you have done the homework properly. They will be impressed and feel that you are interested in working with them. Besides the company, you should know about the industry trends too.
Learn About The People Who Will Conduct The Interview
Though some companies may not reveal who will interview the candidate, some companies mention the names of people who will be on the interview panel. In such a case, look up the company website and find out the designation, educational background, and other details about those people. During the interview, you can mention one or two things about them that will surprise them. As many people will be interviewing for the internship position, the specific knowledge you have about the interviewers will set you apart from the other candidates.
Understand What The Company Wants From You
Before going for the interview, you should have a good understanding of the job’s requirements. You should try to match your skills with these requirements. Companies want to hire interns who can add value to the company. So, by understanding the company’s requirements you can perform accordingly.
Get Your Work Samples Ready
Some companies want the internship candidates to bring their assignments or projects they have completed as samples. It gives employers a glimpse of your ability and helps them decide whether you will be the right person for the job or not. So, take some samples with you.
Go Through Your Resume And Cover Letter
The information you tell the interviewer must be the same as written in your resume and cover letter. They can ask you about your date of birth, educational qualifications, previous work experience, and others. So, read your cover letter and resume thoroughly so that you are on the same page.
Prepare Your Introduction
At the interview, you are most likely to be asked to tell about yourself. So, you need to prepare your pitch well to give the interviewer a first good impression of yourself. You must tell them about your positive characteristics, achievements, and goals. You should talk confidently, so practicing the pitch before the interview will be helpful.
Emphasize Your Positive Sides
The interviewer will ask about your strengths and weaknesses. Though we all have weaknesses, you shouldn’t stress on it. Moreover, you should tell them about your weakness in a positive sense, for example, tell them an important lesson you had learned from your mistake. You must be honest and admit that you need to improve certain skills.
Do Practice Interviews
Practice is the key to doing well in interviews. Therefore, you should practice your interview by doing role play with your family members. You can also stand in front of a mirror and practice yourself. You must speak clearly and smoothly without using the filler words ‘um’ or ‘like’. Your pronunciation has to be good. You can use online interview tools like InterviewBuddy, Gainlo, AmbitionBox, and others. These tools conduct mock interviews and give you immediate feedback. Some of them even take interviews based on the company you have applied for. They ask behavioral, personal, and technical questions and judge how you have answered the questions. They also give you crucial tips to do well at the interview.
Take Preparation For The Common Questions
You should start preparing for the interview weeks ahead. Keep practicing answers to common interview questions and try to connect the answers to your previous experience and skills. Some of these questions include:
- Why did you choose this industry?
- What do you expect to learn from the internship program?
- What is the greatest challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?
- Where do you expect to reach in the next 5 years?
- Why do you think we should consider you for the position?
- Tell us about an interesting project that you did. What did you learn from it?
- Tell us about your strengths and weaknesses.
You can look online for sample answers to these questions and create your customized answer considering your skillsets. If you can answer these common questions confidently then your overall performance will be good.
Write Questions To Ask After The Interview
After the interview, you should ask the interviewers some questions to learn more about the work you will be doing or other things about the company. If you don’t ask these questions the interviewer will assume that you are not interested in the internship program. So, prepare these questions before going to the interview.
Dress Up Properly
An internship interview is similar to a job interview; therefore, you should dress up properly. First impression matters and so you should look professional. You should be in business attire. You should feel comfortable and confident wearing the outfit. So, choose an outfit to wear for the interview and make sure it’s clean and ironed properly. You should wear formal shoes too.
Be Punctual
Not reaching the venue on time for the interview will create a negative impression about you. So, no matter what, be punctual. You should try to get to the venue earlier than the designated time. If you are punctual, the interviewers will consider you as being disciplined and responsible.
Bring Important Things
You should carry a notebook, pen, a copy of your cover letter, resume, and educational certifications with you when you go for the internship interview. A bottle of water can be handy to keep you hydrated. You should also prepare a list of questions to bring with you to ask the interviewers at the end.
Be Yourself
Don’t try to bring out any artificial attitude during the interview. You should be normal and smile at everyone. You must be respectful and polite. The interviewer will judge you not only based on your educational qualifications but also on your personality. Give honest replies to questions.
Fix Your Logistics In Case An Online Interview
Today many companies conduct virtual interviews. So, if that’s in your case then you need to make sure that you have the right logistics and in proper order. You must have good WiFi and lighting. You should sit for an interview in a quiet room to avoid any distractions. Test the microphone before you join the interview. You should download the app or software the interviewer will be using for the interview. Even though it’s a virtual interview, you need to be in your formal attire.
Conclusion
After the interview, you should follow up to know the outcome of the interview. This again shows how interested you are to work for the company. You should remember that an internship is a learning experience and you will gain valuable knowledge about the industry and relevant skills. You will also get the opportunity to build a strong network which will help you in the future. So, internship is a crucial part of a student’s journey and it should be taken seriously. It is highly recommended that you get well-prepared for the internship interview so that you can get a good opportunity to showcase your talents.
