5 soft skills to boost your chances for a dream internship

You are in middle of your virtual exam session, or maybe you are finalizing your thesis? Already in the back of your head, you dream about a valuable internship that will help you kick-off with your career? You have applied for some positions, even though lots of companies still didn't decide to recruit for their summer programs and you think how can you demonstrate your soft skills during the interview? I gathered some tips and ranked 5 top soft skills that Hiring Managers and potential employers are seeking for.

1. Communication

Probably you can see it as a must-have requirement in the majority of the job postings that you are applying for, but what "having good communication skills" really means? Your future employers are mostly interested in your ability to write and speak professionally. The first chance to show your written skills is your CV & Cover Letter - to get more tips on the subject, please check our video. Your verbal skills will be assessed on the interview - how would you structure your answers, if you would be answering to the questions straight to the point or changing the subject constantly. The key to communicate effectively is to translate ideas into an information flow that can be understood by your interlocutors. Remember to speak specifically to what you would like to get out of an internship, as well as what you can offer as an intern.

2. Adaptability

The world keeps changing and 2020 proved it quite well, huh? I couldn't discuss this skill without highlighting "VUCA World". Interesting article from Forbes to get better understanding of this acronym. But why do you need to care? Because it’s up to you to adapt to the changes that it presents. Remember that being able to adapt to change keeps you constantly prepared to succeed and survive no matter what comes your way. One day you might be asked to support one senior colleague and you will get along quite well, but another you will be needed to give help to a person that you were scared of from the Day 0. Don't be afraid to say "YES" to new challenges and different tasks, as they can open lots of new doors in front of you.

3. Cooperation

Learning how to work well with others is a crucial part of driving your professional & personal success. Your ability to communicate and relate well to classmates or colleagues is certainly important for collaboration. Within the team, you can have completely different ideas, background and way of working, but heading toward a common goal is a key to a effective collaboration. How can you demonstrate your teamwork experience on the interview? Describe the example from your group project on how you collaborated with others (divided the tasks, took a charge of it, asked for support or advice, proposed your help, etc.). Remember that examples from your personal life matter: were you in a music band or sport club? Tell a story on this subject!

4. Problem-solving

Problem-solving skills are a compilation of your analytical and critical-thinking skills. However, you also need to demonstrate them with positivism and the ability to bring solutions on the table, with your own way of approaching them. Make sure to understand that you are not asked here to always be "the best in the room" and just-perfect. It's also about admitting to the mistakes that you did and action plans that you implemented to solve them. You can look for some examples on how you managed to have a student job and pass the exams at the same time, or the very difficult course that you were certain you will fail in September, but with your hard-work and ideas you passed it with flying colours.

5. Initiative

Taking your own initiative and being proactive is when you stop to be a worker and become a participant, or a superhero intern. Instead of waiting for a new task, you choose to act. You do things without being told to do them - reaching out for new projects, searching for opportunities and taking advantage of them. Recruiters are fighting to bring talent on board who doesn’t have to wait to receive direction for every task, and who’s willing to assist others with their work. Your extra-curricular activities, participation in student clubs and voluntary service give already a glimpse on what you need to demonstrate during your interview.

What do you think? Would you rank those skills as easy to master and prove on your interview? Let me know in a comment!

If you would like to hear more on how to stand out from the crowd and boost your skills, listen to very informative webinar, where Sarath Koppolu gives some tips & tricks: "Upskilling to stand out from the crowd" - MEET THE EXPERT - EP 3"

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Some additional sources:

https://www.jobteaser.com/en/advices/246-8-soft-skills-that-every-college-student-should-embrace

https://www.wayup.com/guide/top-10-skills-employers-want-intern/

https://www.letsintern.com/blog/intern-worthy-skills-8-must-have-skills-for-your-intern-resume/

https://www.greatswamp.org/blog/6-important-skills-every-intern-should-know/