Internship Interview Prep

Do your homework!

An experienced interviewer can tell immediately how much you know and understand about their organization.  Interviewees who know a lot immediately stand out from those who don't. Spend at least two hours preparing for an internship interview - much more for a entry level position.  Look at everything you can find about the organization or office in which you'd be working.  Talk to people.  Read news articles about them.  Look at their Twitter feed to see their activities.  Have a CLEAR understanding of their mission and function.  The ideal answer to "What do you know about us?" is one where the interviewer stops you after a while and says, "OK, wow, you did a lot of research.  Thank you so much!"

Tell stories

Answer interview questions with a story that illustrates your point.  If an interviewer asks you "Are you an organized person?"-- don't say,  "Yes, I am an organized person.  I love organization and always have." People are much more responsive to a story.  Tell them:  "I love organization and always have.  When I was in high school, I was awarded "Most Organized" in our senior superlatives.  When I was an intern, my boss asked me to organize the office supply area, and I arranged all the supplies by type and function, and then color coded them by cost to remind people to use the expensive supplies more sparingly." 

Express enthusiasm

As an interviewer, chances are I'm very enthusiastic about my job and organization.  I want to hire someone who is as well.  I want to hear how excited you were when you heard about the opening.  I want to hear specifics about what you like about our organization.  Are you not so excited about the organization?  Maybe you shouldn't be interviewing with them.

Use your W&M Study in DC connection

If you are a Study in DC student, be sure to make that connection at the outset.  The interviewer might not remember where they got your resume, but there is great value for them in having a student in a W&M program working for them.  The fact that you've been pre-qualified, that you're in DC to study the topic of the internship, that you have the university and an administrator standing behind you -- these are all assets that set you apart from other applicants.   Make sure to use them to your advantage.

Have three prepared questions

Ask for the job

Interviewers will often give you an open ended question -- a final chance to say something you haven't been asked during the interview.  Use this opportunity to restate your enthusiasm for the position.  "Thank you again so much for the opportunity to interview for the position.  I'm REALLY excited about it and I would love the opportunity to work with you."  ONLY if it's true -- tell them you'll take the position if they offer it to you.  If you tell the employer that you'll take it and then you don't, you'll have made an enemy and burned the alum or W&M administrator who referred you.

Write a quick thank you

Send a quick email or snail mail note that day or the next -- "Hi Ms. Smith.  I'm writing to thank you again so much for your time today.  I really loved what I heard about your {organization/office} and would love to be part of the team to help you meet your mission and goals.  Please reach out to me by phone or email at any time if I can answer more questions.  Many thanks again." A surprising amount of applicants do not send thank you notes and you will stand out immediately when you do.

The most likely behavioral questions

1. Tell me about yourself and why you are interested in this internship; what convinced you to apply?
2. If selected, what would you bring to our organization? What makes you stand out from other applicants?
3. What aspects of this internship will you find most challenging?
4. What are your short term and long-term career goals? How is this internship the right stepping-stone to help you reach your career goals?
5. Tell me about an activity or experience you have had that you think has helped prepare you for handling an internship in this field.
6. Can you please take a look at the job description and tell me how your experience matches up with it?
7. What do you know about what our office/organization does? **
8. What questions do you have for me? ** 
9. Is there anything that you want me to know that we have not asked you about?**

                **Critical Questions!

How do you face challenges?

1. Where would you see your biggest strengths in this position and what area of this job would you find the most difficult or even scary?
2. What are you most proud of and what was your best mistake?
3. Tell me about a time you had to handle multiple competing responsibilities. How did you organize your work?
4. What steps do you take to reduce your personal stress levels when there are stressful occasions at work?
5. How do you react when asked to do something beyond your capabilities?
6. Tell me about a time when you were given an assignment but you were not clear of how to go about it?
7. How do you accommodate last minute changes that have to be incorporated into your work?

How do you work on a team?

1. Tell me about how you work on a team: what role do you usually take? Are you a leader or a follower?
2. Tell me about a time that you were on a team and members of your team were’t doing what they needed to do to get the job done. How did you handle that?
3. What’s your biggest weakness in being on a team?
4. Are you comfortable with sharing your ideas out loud? Do you feel you have good ideas to share?

What is your personality?

1. Who is your role model?
2. How would your friends describe you?
3. Why do you think you are successful at what you do?
4. What was a constructive criticism you received and how did you respond to it?
5. What three things that motivate you at work?
6. When was the last time you were forced to step out of your comfort zone?
7. What movie (or television) character are you most like and why?