Everyone knows that the best way to get the job of your dreams is to have as much experience as possible in related fields and have a resume that highlights and presents that experience. It is therefore important to understand the internship interview questions in order to pass an interview and secure your dream job.
Obviously, this is easy to do when you’ve worked in your chosen field for years, but what about people with little to no experience. Do people like college students and college graduates? How do you make the leap from no experience to the right kind of experience?
An internship is an easy way to start your dream job.
By Practicing these interview questions, you will prepare yourself to express why you want the internship and how well you fit into the team and organization.
What is an internship?
An internship, by definition, is a way for a student or intern to gain valuable work experience by working in a company, either for payment or for a student loan, but it’s much more than that.
Internships are a great way for you to gain real experience, network with potential future colleagues and executives, build your resume, and ultimately lay the foundation for the future of your own career.
In addition, many HR managers use internships as a good opportunity to assess employment potential. This means that you are ready for the interview, want to gain valuable experience, and lay the foundation for your career choice.
Internships are primarily intended as an educational experience, which means you should actively participate in assignments that will help you gain the experience necessary to get paid employment in the near future.
Some internships have come under fire recently because unscrupulous employers can keep unpaid staff, so you should also seek legal compensation for your work, be it either a fair wage or an exchange for a school loan.
Just as important as properly preparing for the interview is to conduct due diligence before accepting the internship and to ensure that the person you are doing your internship for meets all of the specific requirements.
What are some of the internship interview questions?
Let’s move on to how you would prepare for a legitimate interview, starting with the tried and tested interview questions.
#1: Tell us a bit about yourself.
This is often used as a warm-up question so that you can relax a little while talking about a familiar topic: you. But don’t relax too much; Your answer needs to strike the balance between showing your personality and avoiding answers that are incompatible with the focused, professional self you are trying to convey during the interview.
We suggest that you make three brief points: 1) your academic year and subject; 2) your professional goal or what profession you are interested in; 3) a hobby or interest that you pursue in your spare time.
#2: why did you apply for this internship?
The reasons for your application give your interlocutors a sense of whether you can find an internship in which you are successful and feel motivated to perform well. Perhaps you have already answered this question in your application.
Tell recruiters what you really want from the internship. Think about how this will affect your career choice, what skills you would like to learn from it, and other things you mentioned while reading the job description.
The reasons for your application give your interlocutors a sense of whether you can find an internship in which you are successful and feel motivated to perform well.
Be sure to mention the company or organization and explain why you would particularly like to take advantage of this opportunity, but do not focus entirely on it unless it is explicitly stated why you chose this employer.
#3: Why did you apply for an internship with us?
The focus is on the employer. You may also have applied for internships with other organizations – the interviewers suspect this and want to assess how seriously you take your opportunity and how likely you are to accept it if they offer it to you (i.e. you don’t have to).
Your reasons must show that you know the company beyond just reading the About Us section of the website and that you and the employer are a good match.
#4: why do you want to work in this industry?
Describe what first inspired you or what fascinated you about the industry after researching it further. Give specific examples that show that you have already researched whether you are suitable for a job in this industry, e. Attend career talks or choose a related topic.
Avoid giving reasons related to pay or working hours.
#5: what are your strengths?
Think about the skills or personality traits that you need to incorporate into an existing team. Good interns are interested in what others are doing and are eager to learn.
They ask a lot of questions but know when to let their colleagues have their say. In addition, they are conscientious – they can be sure that they will do their job as soon as it has been explained to them – and they are self-motivated enough to know what to expect from the internship or placement.
#6: What’s the best team you’ve ever been on and why? / What is your ideal team?
The “team” question can take many shapes and sizes. However it is delivered, the interviewer wants to understand how you work with others so they can imagine how you will work on their team. Simply put, do their team culture and the leadership style of your potential boss make sense to you?
#7: how do you prioritize your work?
You will not do any bogus work during your internship and you will be very busy at times. Interns often ask this because they want to get a feel for whether they can entrust you with tasks that ultimately have an impact on the entire company.
#8: Let’s go over your resume (and what isn’t on it).
The purpose of this question is to see how you discuss previous educational and work experiences. Take this chance to market yourself successfully.
An interviewer can start by going through your resume, but at the end they will ask you to provide more details on a variety of topics, be it a project you’ve been working on, the time intervals between jobs, or topics that you enjoy or do are least liked.
This question is a big reason why you should know your resume inside out. Not only do you sound confident and prepared, but also professional.
#9: Tell us about a situation where you took the initiative or took a leadership role.
This question will help the interviewer decide if you are someone with drive. In other words, will you be able to level up if necessary?
#10: Tell us about a task or project from start to finish – what went well and what would you have done differently?
The interviewer wants to know how you do things. This question doesn’t necessarily relate to the final product – but make sure you share this as well as the impact of the project.
It’s an opportunity to understand your process and how you approach tasks. Are you organized? Efficient? A team player? Do you change course when you know you need to?
#11: Tell us about a time when you had to learn something completely new.
Basically, the hiring manager wants someone who is open and willing to learn, not someone who is narrow-minded does the bare minimum or gets nothing out of his experience. You also want someone willing to develop a new skill or take on a new role for the good of the team.
#12: Can you tell us about a project or achievement that you are proud of and why?
This is one of my favorite questions I ask because I want to know what makes the person glow. Interviews are nerve-wracking, and at times it can be difficult to gauge how a candidate will actually appear at work. This question is meant to put a smile on your face and give you the word to brag a little.
#13: Tell us about a time when you successfully mastered a difficult situation.
Many internship interviews have a competency question section like this one that asks you to provide an example of a time when you’ve shown a certain strength or behavior.
#14: What are your professional goals (where do you see yourself in ___ years)?
Interviewers usually ask this question because they may be interested in learning how serious you are about a particular academic or professional field.
In the context of an internship, this question should make you think about your professional interests: Are you planning to return to the graduate school?
Are you interested in gaining a few years of practical experience? Would you like to work full-time in an organization similar to the one you are applying for?
There is no “right answer”, but you need to give an insightful answer as you plan to continue building your professional skills after your internship.
#15: Do you have any questions for us?
At the end of the interview you should always have questions ready – about the internship, the potential manager, the team or the company as a whole.
They literally have an expert available, so use your time with them wisely, going through the specifics, and addressing any remaining concerns.
The interviewer wants to know that you are involved in the interview process, and asking thoughtful, provocative questions is a great way to show this.
Conclusion
There you have it. In conclusion, you should thoroughly prepare your answers to these 5 basic questions. Even let a friend teaches you to keep your answers short and avoid gossip. Talk to a mirror.
Repeat the answers in the shower. Write down your answers and keep learning. The result: a successful interview and newly gained confidence in your willingness to talk.