If you’re reading this, let us virtually share a hug in
camaraderie while I offer you some equally virtual warm cookies and a glass of
milk. Your very first internship interview can seem like one of the toughest
obstacles during your adolescence-to-semi-adulthood transition. But it doesn’t
have to be! Here are seven things you should take note of to help you have a
successful internship interview:
1. Be proud of your achievements.
Many of us get overly frazzled by interviews (which is perfectly
natural) and it’s hard to be composed and feel relaxed when your nervousness is
practically devouring you from the inside. But remember this: The interviewer
WANTS to meet you. He or she read your email, looked at your resume or
portfolio, and was interested enough about you to set aside time in their often
very busy schedule to talk to you and get to know you. So match that
enthusiasm. Be confident about your experience and your skills, because your
interviewer was impressed enough to follow up with you and plan a meeting.
I notice that most of us downplay our experience and skills
a LOT, and that we are way too harsh when it comes to evaluating ourselves.
When I was being interviewed for an internship slot in a museum’s marketing and
PR section, I was hard pressed for bringing up relevant past experience that
was not related to my school assignments. On a whim, I talked about my online
shop (nothing too extravagant; I merely sold my second hand clothes) and how I
marketed it, and I was so surprised that my interviewer was genuinely
interested.
My point is, don’t belittle your experiences. They just seem
insignificant to us, but to a pair of fresh eyes, they are something impressive
and unique.
2. Your aim is to build a personal connection.
People will often tell you that the interview is all about
selling yourself. But as a potential intern, you’ll be selling yourself
differently from the regular full-time job hunters: I find that employers
hiring interns are more interested in your work attitude and if they actually
like you as a person, rather than your amount of professional experience. Let’s
face it, there’s a reason why you’re seeking an internship. You most likely do
not have a lot of experience so don’t worry, the employer will be understanding
about it.
Also, when relating your past work experiences and school
projects, try to incorporate your involvement in side activities or hobbies.
This adds another dimension to your personality, and who knows, you might share
a common interest with your interviewer.
You are there to make friends and have a good conversation.
Perhaps you’re on the shy and reserved side (like me), but that doesn’t mean
you’re any less capable than your more extroverted peers. You can definitely do
it, you just need to put in the extra effort. Be relaxed, not stiff, always
smile, show that you’re happy to be there and most importantly, try to talk a
lot. But talk smartly. Ask the right questions. Which leads on to my next
point.
3. THINK.
That’s right. As simple as it sounds, this is something we
often forget to do while caught up in the chaos and nervousness of preparing
for an interview. We rehearse the questions and make sure we can speak smoothly
and have an answer for every question at the tip of our fingertips. But intern
hirers don’t want a robot or a smooth-talker. They want a thinker. They want
someone inquisitive and intelligent and someone who takes initiative. Don’t be
intimidated by this! It’s a lot less nerve-wracking and more achievable than it
sounds. You just need preparation. Research the company so that you can ask
questions about it. You can even ask about your interviewer’s work scope, what
they expect from you as an intern, what departments there are and what their
job scopes entail, etc.
DO NOT ask about the working hours, salary, how much you
will have to work overtime, etc. first. In fact, maybe don’t even ask about
them at all. The questions you ask signify the priorities you have and you
don’t want to come across as money-minded or inflexible or lazy. Also, a good
interviewer will cover these aspects without you having to enquire about them.
4. Try to envision the work culture before meeting your
interviewer.
Why is this important? First of all, it’ll help you decide
what to wear. Believe me, being overdressed is just as bad as being
underdressed. Don’t turn up in a black pencil skirt and white collared shirt to
an interview with a graphic design company (Ok, pretty obvious example but you
get the drift). Secondly, you can tailor certain interview question answers to
match and complement the work culture. For instance, if the firm is small, they
tend to be more busy handling multiple projects at any one time and the
environment will be more fast paced. In this case, being able to work under
tight deadlines and juggle quality and efficiency becomes more important.
Hence, you can highlight this as your strength.
You can generally get a feel of the work culture by the
website’s tone, style of writing, size of the firm, what industry it is in,
their portfolio and clients, and even your email correspondence with them.
5. There’s no such thing as being “over-prepared.”
Keep practicing, keep researching questions, and keep
brainstorming on things you can ask your interviewer. Start early and keep a
good, relaxed pace during the days (which are usually not a lot) leading up to
your big date. The more time and effort you invest in preparation, the better
your interview will go, the more likely you’ll land the job.
And always make sure to get a good night’s sleep the day
before, and have a good breakfast. Both your body and mind will feel refreshed
and you will most definitely have an easier time during the interview. The last
thing you want happening is getting a mind “blank-out” because of staying up
all night and feeling lethargic.
How prepared you are also hints at your work ethic and how
much respect you have for the interviewer and his or her time, both of which
are points that will play a crucial role in helping you get that internship.
6. Bring up future time constraints, if any.
If you will need some time off on a certain day, let’s say a
month from now for a test or any kind of important personal commitment, let
your interviewer know at the end of the meeting. This can be easy to forget, so
write it down in your notebook and take it out when the interview starts.
(Also, it shows you’re prepared to take notes, which the interviewer might see
as a good indicator of being professional) Be polite and brief about it. Bringing
up these issues in advance shows you are organized and thoughtful.
7. Ask when you can expect a decision from their end.
Usually, intern hirers will give you a specific date on when
you can hear from them again, or they might even let you know the outcome right
there and then. If they don’t give you a general deadline, you should ask for
one because A) You are entitled to know, and B) It’ll help you plan an
appropriate day to contact them again if they don’t get back to you.
Before seeking an internship…
Here are a couple of steps you should take (or already be
doing) before applying.
1. Update your portfolio.
Don’t be lazy and leave it to the last minute when you
finally cinch that interview because you’ll regret it. Make it a habit to do
this on a regular basis so you can save yourself a lot of stress and time in
the future. That being said, if you find that you don’t have any updates to
make to your resume or portfolio for a long, long time, it should be a wake-up
call for you to start working on projects or getting involved in activities to
bulk them up.
2. Read up on the industry often, or at least be consistently
involved in it (Disclaimer: This can’t be achieved overnight)
This will definitely help you make a better impression on
your interviewer; being more knowledgeable about the industry makes for better
conversation starters and topics for discussion. And by adopting hobbies
related to that line of work (For instance, if you’re interested in book
publishing, aim to be more ambitious with your reading list and perhaps even
experiment with posting novel reviews online), it shows you have a genuine interest
in it and employers like to see that dedication and enthusiasm.
Once the interview is over…
Don’t bother with googling “How to know if my interview went
well.” Trust me, you will know. If you left feeling happy and that you
genuinely connected with the interviewer, it is highly likely you got the job.
If you feel queasy or doubtful, well… You already know where this is going.
Humans are intuitive creatures, so trust your gut feeling.
However, don’t brood over it if the interview left a bad
taste in your mouth; learn from it (interviews are the sort of thing you get
better at the more you do it) and get started preparing for the next
application! Also, I find that not getting the job can be a great blessing; it
just means that the position, the work culture and the employer wasn’t a good
fit for you. Keep working at it and you will definitely land your dream
internship! And after all that hard work, won’t it just make the pot of gold at
the end of the rainbow that much sweeter?
