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Preparing for the Interview

Author: Sophia

Tutorial Audio

what's covered
In this lesson, you will learn some advice on preparing for internship interviews. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

Table of Contents

1. Best Practices for Preparing for an Internship Interview

If you are able to secure an interview for an internship, you’ll want to be as prepared as possible to impress your interviewers and convince them that you are the right candidate for the position. Even if the internship is unpaid or in exchange for college credit, you should treat the interview as a professional situation.

This means you should have a clean, updated résumé and a cover letter tailored to the position you are seeking at the company you are interviewing with. Your letter should be specific in detailing why you want to intern for the company and what you would personally bring to the internship. If applicable, assemble a portfolio of relevant work you have done in school or in other jobs or internships.

In addition to preparing all the proper documents, another good idea when preparing for an interview is to research the organization you will be interning for and, if possible, the people you will be meeting with. Besides being detailed and specific about who you are and why you are qualified, you can make a good impression by demonstrating that you know who they are and why you want to work with them.

Also, when getting ready for an interview, it is wise to be prepared not only to answer questions, but to ask them. This way you can get all of the additional information you might want, while at the same time showing your interviewers you are an active participant in the process.

IN CONTEXT
Preparing for interviews can be nerve-wracking because you never know quite what to expect when you get in the room, but preparing as much as possible can help you to be calm and confident. It may also give you the opportunity to think about and practice answering questions that could very well arise in your interview. Here are some questions you might encounter, so you can be ready to answer:

  • Why do you want to do this internship?
  • How are your studies relevant to this position?
  • What do you want to gain from this experience, and what can you offer?
  • What do you know about our organization? What questions do you have?
  • What are your goals after you graduate?

summary
You should prepare for an internship interview the same way you would for a job. In addition to preparing your resume and work samples, take some time to consider answers to questions the employer will probably ask as well as the questions you have for the employer.