It doesn’t matter what kind of internship it is, whether you want easy, summer paid internships or the best internship on Earth at the world’s most prestigious business, most interviews boil down to the same elements. So to help you out, here’s the three internship interview tips that I took to heart, and helped me out.
1. Tailor your resume for each application.
This is the most laborious and obnoxious of internship interview tips. Each application would roughly take 20 minutes, and you would wind up filling out most of the information on your resume anyways, so why even bother with it? However, your resume is like a press release for you. It sells you to the hiring manager.
Experience.com, an site designed to distribute a wealth of knowledge and experience to college students and recent grads, says that, “There’s nothing that impresses an interviewer more than someone who shows a real interest in the company and its goals.” Tailoring your resume to the company will help drive this home to the interviewer.
2. Show up early.
Showing up early will show that you are not only prepared, but also that you’re enthusiastic about the job. However, you don’t want to show up too early. Anything from five to ten minutes is about right. According to U.S. News, “Showing up late or too early is an indicator of how you’ll act in the future. It also shows you don’t respect the other person’s time.”
3. Why should I hire you?
This is the most important of my internship interview tips. Although “because I’m the best candidate!” is exactly the answer they’re looking for, you can’t just outright say it. You need to tell them something that will
Forbes, a leading business publication, says that you should “review the job description and qualifications very closely to identify the skills and knowledge that are critical to the position, then identify experiences from your past that demonstrate those skills and knowledge.” For example, if the job description asks for “fast learners,” tell them a story about a time when you had to learn something quickly and did well, something that shows you were graceful under pressure.
Remember these internship interview tips, and you’ll be sure to land the job of your dreams. Another of the key internship interview tips is to be confident. Sell yourself! Don’t back down and you’ll be fine. If you have other internship interview tips, feel free to share them in the comments! The more internship interview tips your fellow readers have, the more they’ll feel prepared!
