10 Ways to Ace Your Internship Interview

[TL;DR: If you're a skimmer, you can get some benefit by reading the highlighted text in this post. But, if you really want to do a great job in your interview, for once, I suggest you read the entire chapter.]

I’ve been a working professional now for the better part of 20 years. (Most days anyway.)

During that time I’ve either been an intern, worked with interns on my team or interviewed scads of them for my own company across the country.

Every student I’ve ever met is eager to do their best during their interview. Some have a winning performance and make a strong, favorable impression. Others seem as if the interview is a total surprise. As if they’ve never been asked about themselves before. As if being asked about the company or internship itself is a total shocker.

Really? You didn't know I was going to ask you about the internship? At the interview? Huh.

This got me thinking. There has to be a better way to prepare interns for their first internship interviews.

Maybe they have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into. Maybe their campus advisors aren’t warning them that the interviews are real, and perhaps more complicated than the once-overs we got for babysitting, retail and lawn mowing gigs we scored in high school.

The good news is, if you get an interview, you were at least sharp enough on paper to get to this point. The bad news is, you’re not alone. Other people have interviews too. So you can’t risk coming off uninteresting, unprofessional or unaware.

So what do you do? How do you do something well you've never done before?

It's simple. (And more familiar than you might realize.) You study and prepare ahead of time.

These ten (10) steps should really help you have a winning strategy. If you’re lucky, it will be you who’s deciding which internship to take with your new-found interview success.

Where do you start?

I’d suggest you think of the interview process in three (3) parts: the pre-interview phase, the interview itself and the post-interview phase.

PART 1: The Pre-Interview Phase

Benjamin Franklin once said that "by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail," and while I might not agree with Ben's entire philosophies on life, he hit the nail on the head with this one.

There's absolutely no point in showing up for the interview if you've done absolutely nothing to be ready for it. (And I've interviewed more than one person who's done this and listened to them drowning in their own ambiguous answers to simple questions making us both so uncomfortable we cannot wait for the interview to be over.)

Step #1: Prepare for the Interview

Think about the interview the same way you would think about a new class. What do you need to be successful? What would you want to know about the course, the instructor, the syllabus, the textbook any extra bonus materials?

The interview follows the same principles. We understand that you've applied to several companies and you may not remember exactly everything you've applied for this semester. That's okay.

You need to start by refreshing your brain about:

• The internship. What was it? Reread the description and requirements.
• The company. What is this company again? Sure, you wrote a cover letter, but that was ages ago and you've got a template form letter anyway. Make sure you understand this.
• Your goals. Are you taking the internship for credit, for cash or both? Do you know the requirements the internship must meet for your own personal scenario? Make sure the internship is aligned with your goals first.

Step #2: Research the Company and Internship

I touched on this briefly in my first point, but once you're sure you're excited about the chance at this particular internship and you want to sit for this interview, you need to spend at least 30 - 60 minutes researching the company more thoroughly, as well as the internship itself.

Spend some time not only reading materials, but digesting the overall brand, look, feel and tone of the company. Does it seem like a place that you'd like to work. Why?

Make notes for yourself about things you saw that you liked or that piqued your curiosity, and make notes about things that confused you. Jot down a handful of meaningful questions about the company and the internship. (Certainly you had some as you read things and perhaps didn't understand what certain things meant.)

We'll reference these notes and questions in Part 2 for the actual interview.

Be ready and able to explain what the company is and does. You will more than likely be asked in the interview.

Step #3: Be More Social

Don't worry introverts. No reason for your palms to get all sweaty just yet. I'm talking about social media in this instance, not socialization at a super scary first day new team member lunch. (That comes later. Let's solve one problem at a time, shall we?)

If you have an interview coming up with a company, for the love of all that is holy, start following them on social media on all the channels you use. If you don't use some of the channels they do, make a note of what channels they do participate in and keep it in mind for your interview.

Never go to an interview for a social media internship and tell your interviewer that you don't follow the company on social media. Just don't. You've just told them everything they need to know about you in that one response.

Step #4: Check LinkedIn

Yes, I realize I'm posting this article on LinkedIn (originally) and some of you may not know that much about LinkedIn just yet, but it's the beginning of your professional career and it's perfectly fine to list yourself as a student at your school and start by fleshing out all your school activities, clubs, leadership roles and any part-time jobs you've held up until this point. You can also list your volunteer work, and your internships as you start to accumulate them.

What's most important is that you start to build your professional network. Now, I know the first thing you're going to tell me:

"I don't know anyone, so who do I connect with to start?" Fair question.

Here's a quick list of all the types of people you could connect with today on LinkedIn:

• Students. Yes, it's perfectly fine to connect with your friends.
• Professors. Some may or may not connect with you on their professional profile, but most will, especially if you let them know you're interviewing and it would help you.
• Team / Club / Youth Group Members. These might be friends in other circles, or from other schools, or from back at home. There's no problem in connecting to as many of them as you can find.
• Fraternity or Sorority Alumni. Fraternal systems are one of the most tightly-knit bunches of alumni groups. You want to connect with as many of these contacts as possible, both in your current house and those who have come to visit you and help you with your experience during and after school.
• Old Bosses and Co-Workers. Even if it was being a lifeguard at the city pool the last three summers, if you met people there and they are on LinkedIn, connect with them. Remember, it's about a network and networks grow with connections.

After you beef up your own profile a little, and start to build some connections, take a look at the profile of your interviewer. Does the person interviewing you know any people you know? How many degrees of separation are there between you and your interviewer? Is there anyone else you know that you could ask about your interviewer or the company they represent? Remember, you're in your research phase right now, so leave no stone unturned as you learn more.

Step #5: Confirm the Interview Details

Do you know when and where your interview is actually taking place? Is it in person or on the phone? Do you know the exact time you need to be ready? If it’s on the phone, do you know who’s calling whom?

Confirm the interview and the details with your interviewer before the interview is supposed to take place, preferably at least day in advance. If you don't have enough time to confirm (via email or phone) the day before, the morning of the interview also works in a pinch.

What you don't want to have happen here is that you've assumed anything incorrectly about the interview date, time, location or what you need to have prepared when you arrive. If the interview is in person, it's always a smart move to have at least three (3) extra copies of your resume on you—one for the interviewer, one for a surprise second guest and one for you to reference in a hurry. The last thing you want to do is miss your interview, or your interviewer's call because you didn't understand a small detail, or missed it entirely.

PART 2: The Interview Itself

Well, today's the day. The big shebang. The whole enchilada.

Are you ready?

From presentation and arrival, to the interview itself, the details matter. Are you feeling confident about what you've done so far? Is your research solid and are you familiar with your resume?

In this section we'll talk a little about how the interview is most likely to go down, the most common types of questions you're going to be asked and how to make sure your entire package is a winning combination.

Step #6: Arrive (a little) Early

Being five minutes early is great.

Being 45 minutes early is annoying.* You have to remember that everyone at the company that you’re seeing today is busy running the business, and while they are happy to have you there for your interview, the person interviewing you still needs to have their day go as scheduled and that means seeing you at the planned time.

So arriving early enough that we know you’re in the building is great, but don’t expect people to see you early if you get there too early.

Same logic is true for a phone interview. Be ready and waiting by your phone about 5m early, or if you’re calling in, don’t call more than 5m before the scheduled time and only if there are video call login details you need to make sure are working prior to the call time.

* My only caveat to this rule would be if the company has tight security and a multi-step process to actually get to your interviewer, and if this is the case, they will typically tell you something like “you must arrive at least 15m early so you can go through security.” If the person tells you this, make sure you’re on time to do your part.

Step #7: Look & Sound the Part

I suspect you'd never show up for a fancy dinner, date or scholarship interview not looking and sounding like someone of honor, credibility and sincerity. Think of your internship interview the same way.

While you don't want to be so overdressed that it seems stuffy, you certainly don't want to be underdressed either. This is called knowing your audience.

It's appropriate in nearly every situation to wear modest jewelry, a nice blouse, pressed shirt, dress or slacks with clean, professional shoes that fit comfortably and are easy to walk in. You will need to tailor your personal style depending on the industry. I'd avoid jeans, sneakers or other casual items unless the job specifically warrants it.

For example, high fashion would call for an appropriately fashion-forward look, while finance and law would call for a more business professional vibe with suits. A tech startup (like ours) falls somewhere in the middle.

When in doubt, ask some friends to take a look at your planned outfit and offer advice.

Step #8: Review Your Resume & Credit Requirements

You are certainly going to be asked about most of the things on your resume.

So, you should always be prepared to talk about everything on it, and think about quick, concise answers to those obvious questions.

For example, let's say you've done three "work" things in your life. (So far.)

You've been a lifeguard, you waited tables and you work at the college library on weekends. You're applying to do something that has nothing to do with any of that. And we already know that. So we're going to ask you about your "previous work experience," but don't drone on here. We want to see that you have a pulse and can allocate the right amount of time to this first part of the interview.

So the interviewer might say:

"I have reviewed your resume, but in your own words can you tell me about your previous work experience?"

And you might respond:

"Yes, thank you. I have had three jobs so far including being a lifeguard, a waiter and I currently work in the university's library. What I've learned from all three of these jobs is how to work with a diverse group of people, respect my supervisor's limited time and think independently in high-stress situations. Most notable, I was a lifeguard three seasons and was requested by the park manager, I was employee of the month at my restaurant job and I lead two other students at the library."

See how that is quick and to the point? This lets me know that you've already thought about this and are ready to talk about the internship more.

If you have related work experience already, spend the bulk of your time here and come prepared to show any related project work too. If you have related coursework, be prepared to spend time explaining how the courses are preparing you for the internship.

Similarly, if you're taking the internship for credit, you should already know the requirements at your school and have that paperwork ready for your interview.

Every single university and degree program has their own requirements for internships and they vary widely.

You need to know:

• How many hours you have to work to get your credits
• How many hours you planned on working per week to meet that threshold
• What week you hoped to start and stop the internship to coordinate with your school schedule and requirements; including any breaks (fall, spring, holiday, etc.)
• What additional paperwork, reports and filings the school needs from you and the employer for the internship

Step #9: Ask (thoughtful) Questions

In addition to being asked a lot of questions about yourself, your previous work experience, your related coursework and your ambitions for your internship experience, most interviewers will also afford you the opportunity to ask questions about the company and the internship itself.

Do not pass up this opportunity. It's a test.

The reason interviewers ask you this (in addition to making sure things are clear to you), is to determine whether or not you've read absolutely anything about either and and came away with any thoughtful conclusions.

There are two (2) ways to ask questions:

1. Putting the responsibility on the interviewer to do your work. (i.e. "So tell me what it is that you guys do anyway. I have no idea.")
2. Taking responsibility for the fact-finding part yourself and seeking clarity. (i.e. "I read on your site where it says you make turbine engines and other aeronautical components, but I was unclear about how the internship would relate to these respective divisions within the company. Can you elaborate?")

I think you can see pretty clearly above what these two scenarios say about you as the candidate. One says that you've not really done anything yourself and expect other people to fill in the blanks for you, the second says you've at least tried.

And no professionals I know have any problems answering questions for people who have at least tried.

The big takeaway here is to plan all your questions about the company and internship in advance so you can ask very thoughtful questions and leave the best impression possible.

PART 3: Post-Interview Phase

You did it! You made it through your internship interview. You think it went pretty well. No one kicked you out, so that's good, right?

Generally speaking, you'll be able to tell how well the internship went based on how much the interviewer engaged with you about your responses to questions and how long the interview lasted. The more detailed the interview gets about you, your school, your requirements and your schedule, the better your chances are of getting called back.

Step #10: Follow-Up

So now what do you do? What's appropriate?

If the interviewer doesn't tell you automatically, ask about the interview and selection timeline and when they'll be notifying candidates about next steps. Generally speaking this is anywhere from 1 - 4 weeks depending on where you fall in the internship interview window.

During that time, it gives you an opportunity to send an hand-written note, or less formally a nicely crafted thank you message via email.

I typically try and ask students if they are interviewing with other organizations (not by name, just generally) and if they are on any deadlines for notification so I also know and don't leave people hanging.

It's fine to have an honest discussion about this and create a thoughtful response that reminds the interviewer of what you discussed.

Here's a sample follow-up message you can edit for your own purposes.

Dear Interviewer,

Thank you again for taking time to meet with and interview me about your Social Media Internship position on the afternoon of Oct. 30. I'm so excited about what the internship offers and it sounds like an amazing program!

It was wonderful to share more with you about my coursework at University of Indianapolis and Butler University and how my Communications degree program is preparing me for such a role. I believe I can be a strong asset to your team and am hopeful to be selected such an opportunity.

Per our discussion, my winter semester will start Jan. xx and ends May xx. I will have 15 weeks to complete my internship, and have Spring Break the week of March xx and finals week is April xxx.

We estimated that the internship would demand about 15 - 20 hours per week to complete effectively, and that should easily align with the university's credit requirements.

You indicated that you'd be interviewing candidates the next four weeks, so I'll follow up with you in late November if I've not heard anything by that time and I'll also notify you if I accept another internship position.

Sincerely,

Your Name, Your University, Class of 'xx, Phone Number, Email

In Summary: It's Hard. But not impossible.

Interviewing is hard. There's no question about it. But, it need not feel impossible or daunting. With these tools, you're sure to perform at least in the top 25 - 50% of all interviewees, and I might be so bold as to suggest you'll perform in the top 10% if you really spend some time thinking about what you want to say and do before you get there.

You got this. Go get 'em.

About the Author

Crystal Grave is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of INDY MAVEN, as well as the founder, president and CEO of Snappening. She's accumulated more than 20 years of experience in leading, working with and bumbling embarrassingly through work life.

Most frequently you can find her contributing to executive, strategic, business development, marketing, communications and public relations teams, working with other startups or volunteering with charities in the greater Indianapolis community.

She spends her life on the road now, living a location-independent lifestyle bouncing across the U.S. from one major city to the next.

(Don't worry, she too goofed up her fair share of internship interviews when she was younger. She wonders if any of her future interviewees will read this article and make it to the bitter end.)

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