How I Prepped for Internship Interviews

It’s no secret that finding an internship can be stressful. Knowing that I needed an internship for this Summer, I started the search early. It could be disheartening to email companies and never hear back. However, when I got the opportunity to interview, I put my best foot forward and ensured I was prepared.

Below is a list of how I prepared for my interviews, which helped me successfully land an internship!

Research The Company

It is so important to go into an interview with background knowledge of the company. The interviewer expects you to know this information because you want to work for this company. So, don’t be surprised if you are asked company-specific questions.

In one interview, I was asked what my favorite brands the company carried and what I thought was most appealing about the company website. I wouldn’t have been prepared for these questions without taking the time to research the company and explore its website.

To do research on this, I would first read the About page on company websites and then take notes. I would also take notes on the current products being sold and other topics I could bring up, such as their sustainability goals.

Make a note of the Skills and Responsibilities of the Job

It is essential to see how your skills align with the job requirements. If the responsibility of the job is to use Excel to create pivot tables, and that is a skill of yours, try to bring it up in the interview.

In addition, see if any of the experience on your resume aligns with the job responsibilities. It is always a good idea to show the reasons why you would be a good fit for the job.

Prepare Situational Answers

Often, interviewers will ask you questions about a situation you have dealt with and how you handled it.

An example of this question could be, “Tell me about a time when you had to lead a group. What was the approach you took, and what was the outcome?” For questions like these, I already have answers prepared that I could pull from. It is also important to emphasize the outcome of these situations and why what you did was successful.

Always Have Questions Prepared to Ask the Interviewer

I think this is one of the most important steps in preparing for an interview. The interviewers want you to ask questions to show that you are serious about the job and want to succeed.

My favorite questions are, “What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it?” And “What brought you to this particular company, and what has kept you here?”