One of the smartest things you can do before a job interview is to review answers to the Most common internship interview questions because there is a good chance that you will be asked at least some of the questions on the list.
Interviewing Tips
Dress appropriately. Plan your outfit at least the night before and make sure it is clean/pressed.
Turn OFF your cell phone (a lot of people forget this one).
Bring copies of your resume and references for the interviewer as well as a pad of paper and a pen. Be polite and friendly to EVERYONE that you meet because the hiring manager may ask for their opinion.
Look the interviewer in the eyes. Speak clearly. Smile. Try to use "confident" body language.
Stay calm and try to remember that an interview is a 2 way discussion. You're trying to find out of an employer is going to be good for you, just like they are trying to find out if you will be good for them.
Prepare some answers for the typical questions like "tell me about yourself" "what are your greatest strengths/weaknesses" "where do you see yourself in x years" (you can search for interview questions and answers and see what more of the typical questions are as well as the best ways to answer them)
Try to include specific examples of your relevant skills, experience, and abilities in your answers. Remember you're selling yourself so you want to point out things that are relevant to the company.
Stay positive. Try to frame everything in a positive way, even if it is/was horrible. Never speak badly of other people or past positions/companies. There is always something polite to say.
If you find yourself flustered, its ok to ask for a moment to think about the question... it is, afterall, a discussion and discussions have pauses and silence in them.
DO YOUR RESEARCH! Look into the company, their vision, the duties of the job, and the typical pay for a similar position in your area.
Ask questions at the end. You should prepare 5-10 questions (I prepare 8 in case some get answered) based on the research you have done.
Be Prepared
You can prepare yourself for the interview by selecting appropriate interview attire beforehand (suits for business), researching the company, and preparing a list of questions you have for the interviewer. Bring a copy of your resume with you to the interview in case the interviewer does not have one on hand. Last but not least, practice answering sample interview questions to prepared yourself and gain confidence before the interview.
Make a Good First Impression
The interview is your opportunity to market yourself and it is the reason you prepared and sent out all of those resume and cover letters. Once you get the interview, it is your job to create a good first impression by being prompt, being yourself, attending to your nonverbal behavior such as firm handshake and maintaining eye contact throughout the interview, and by taking the first few minutes to develop rapport with your interviewer. You will want to appear poised, yet comfortable and relaxed during the interview. A good first impression will set the stage for a successful interview.
Emphasize Your Skills and Accomplishments
Focus on your skills and accomplishments, including: high school/college coursework, volunteer and co-curricular activities, and your computer and language skills. Previous internships and/or work experiences are important as well as describing your transferable skills: communication, interpersonal, organization, strong analytical and problem solving, etc..
Provide The Interviewer with Examples of Your Skills
One form of interviewing that is popular today is called Behavioral Interviewing. The interviewer will provide you with a scenario and ask how you would handle a specific situation. Preparing for these types of questions before the interview, will provide a quick reference to previous relevant experiences. (For example, Describe a situation where you were able to think on your feet and come to an immediate decision to get a project completed on time.) In this case, the interviewer is interested in your thought process and problem solving capabilities.
Understand The Question Before Answering
It is 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.
Follow the Interviewer's Lead
Dont' spend too much time on any one question but make sure you have answered the entire question before going on to the next one. You might want to check with the interviewer to see if you answered the entire question or if he/she would like additional information.
Emphasize the Positive
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 imporove in this area. Specific examples can be helpful to illustrate your progress.
Bring Samples 0f Your Work
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 these samples with you to the interview.
Here’s a list of the Most common internship interview questions and a guide to the kind of answers your interviewer wants to hear.
Interviewing Tips
Dress appropriately. Plan your outfit at least the night before and make sure it is clean/pressed.
Turn OFF your cell phone (a lot of people forget this one).
Bring copies of your resume and references for the interviewer as well as a pad of paper and a pen. Be polite and friendly to EVERYONE that you meet because the hiring manager may ask for their opinion.
Look the interviewer in the eyes. Speak clearly. Smile. Try to use "confident" body language.
Stay calm and try to remember that an interview is a 2 way discussion. You're trying to find out of an employer is going to be good for you, just like they are trying to find out if you will be good for them.
Prepare some answers for the typical questions like "tell me about yourself" "what are your greatest strengths/weaknesses" "where do you see yourself in x years" (you can search for interview questions and answers and see what more of the typical questions are as well as the best ways to answer them)
Try to include specific examples of your relevant skills, experience, and abilities in your answers. Remember you're selling yourself so you want to point out things that are relevant to the company.
Stay positive. Try to frame everything in a positive way, even if it is/was horrible. Never speak badly of other people or past positions/companies. There is always something polite to say.
If you find yourself flustered, its ok to ask for a moment to think about the question... it is, afterall, a discussion and discussions have pauses and silence in them.
DO YOUR RESEARCH! Look into the company, their vision, the duties of the job, and the typical pay for a similar position in your area.
Ask questions at the end. You should prepare 5-10 questions (I prepare 8 in case some get answered) based on the research you have done.
Be Prepared
You can prepare yourself for the interview by selecting appropriate interview attire beforehand (suits for business), researching the company, and preparing a list of questions you have for the interviewer. Bring a copy of your resume with you to the interview in case the interviewer does not have one on hand. Last but not least, practice answering sample interview questions to prepared yourself and gain confidence before the interview.
Make a Good First Impression
The interview is your opportunity to market yourself and it is the reason you prepared and sent out all of those resume and cover letters. Once you get the interview, it is your job to create a good first impression by being prompt, being yourself, attending to your nonverbal behavior such as firm handshake and maintaining eye contact throughout the interview, and by taking the first few minutes to develop rapport with your interviewer. You will want to appear poised, yet comfortable and relaxed during the interview. A good first impression will set the stage for a successful interview.
Emphasize Your Skills and Accomplishments
Focus on your skills and accomplishments, including: high school/college coursework, volunteer and co-curricular activities, and your computer and language skills. Previous internships and/or work experiences are important as well as describing your transferable skills: communication, interpersonal, organization, strong analytical and problem solving, etc..
Provide The Interviewer with Examples of Your Skills
One form of interviewing that is popular today is called Behavioral Interviewing. The interviewer will provide you with a scenario and ask how you would handle a specific situation. Preparing for these types of questions before the interview, will provide a quick reference to previous relevant experiences. (For example, Describe a situation where you were able to think on your feet and come to an immediate decision to get a project completed on time.) In this case, the interviewer is interested in your thought process and problem solving capabilities.
Understand The Question Before Answering
It is 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.
Follow the Interviewer's Lead
Dont' spend too much time on any one question but make sure you have answered the entire question before going on to the next one. You might want to check with the interviewer to see if you answered the entire question or if he/she would like additional information.
Emphasize the Positive
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 imporove in this area. Specific examples can be helpful to illustrate your progress.
Bring Samples 0f Your Work
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 these samples with you to the interview.
Here’s a list of the Most common internship interview questions and a guide to the kind of answers your interviewer wants to hear.
Tell me a little about yourself. This
is always a tough one because you may be asking yourself “what do they want to
know?” Focus on your skills, abilities and your interests. The interviewer
wants to know about you and what your plans are for the present and the future.
Remember to keep the answer brief because it can set the tone for the rest of
the interview.
Why do you want to work for us? Here’s your chance to tell the interviewer why you chose to apply for the job. Don’t say because of the pay. While it is good to be honest, that may be pushing it. This is your opportunity to talk about how this job will help you and mention your availability.
What extracurricular activities do you participate in? This is your chance to talk about you—especially to show your personality. Your extracurricular activities are a reflection of you and your interests.
Why should I hire you? Be honest. Let the interviewer know why you are the best for the job. This is your chance to “sell” yourself and set yourself apart from the other interviewees.
Why do you want to work for us? Here’s your chance to tell the interviewer why you chose to apply for the job. Don’t say because of the pay. While it is good to be honest, that may be pushing it. This is your opportunity to talk about how this job will help you and mention your availability.
What extracurricular activities do you participate in? This is your chance to talk about you—especially to show your personality. Your extracurricular activities are a reflection of you and your interests.
Why should I hire you? Be honest. Let the interviewer know why you are the best for the job. This is your chance to “sell” yourself and set yourself apart from the other interviewees.
- What type of experience do you have. IE: other internships or related after school/summer jobs. They are truly interested in how ambitious you are!
- What do you believe you bring to the table with this position you are applying for?
- Did you excel or participate in Extracurricular activities, at what level?
- Tell me about your extracurricular or community activities.
- Projects related to your field of study (experiments with friends and school-related work count)
- Your ambitions within this field (Where do you see yourself in ten years, how is this going to contribute to your employment there and how will the employment contribute to your pursuit of this?)
- What would you like to change about your college experience?
- What were your favorite and least favorite subjects in school?
- Tell me about some of your work experiences. What have you learned from them?
- Why you choose to intern in this company?
- Why should we hire you to intern at our firm?
- What you expected to take out of this internship?
- Why do you prefer our firm over the others for internship?
- Why this company / organization is important for you to get internship?
- Why are you interested in this internship?
- What do you know about the company ?
- How do you see yourself in the future?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Why are you interested in this industry/company?
- How will this intern help you work towards these goals?
- What kind of tasks would you like to be involved with ?
- What work principles do you follow? What motivates you to work?
- Tell me about some of your school involvements and how they relate to this job.
- How does this intern reflect your academic and career goals?
- How did you learn of this internship programme?
- What are your plans after graduation?
- Why did you pick your school/major/minor?
- Why should we hire you?
- Tell us about your knowledge of this company.
- How will you add value to our institution as an intern?
- What’s your goal with this internship?
- What is your long term goal in the industry?
- If you commit to this internship, what does that mean to you ?
- Why would you like to do your internship at?
- Which classes do you like the most and least?
- What do you expect this position to be like?
- What are some things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
- What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
- Any questions you want to ask us?
What are your tips for responding to these and other common interview questions? please give comments
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