The Internship Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Internship of Your Dreams by Kent Sharise S

The Internship Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Internship of Your Dreams by Kent Sharise S

Author:Kent, Sharise S. [Kent, Sharise S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Divine Garden Press
Published: 2015-08-31T16:00:00+00:00


Five

The Interview Process

On the road to securing your internship, you will undoubtedly have an interview at some point. Being called for an interview means that your application and resume were impressive enough that the manager, hiring professional, or internship coordinator knows that you are worth speaking with. They are trying to assess if what was presented in paper matches what you will present in person.

The interview is your chance to get beyond the black and white of a resume and share with a company why you are the best candidate. Interviews also serve as an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and their expectations for their interns. The interview is the make or break point. You want to approach your interview as well prepared as possible. Remember when I talked about the internship being the “icing on the cake” to your education and the interview being the “taste test?” This is the final test, the opportunity to put your best foot forward and seal the deal.

Having done a lot of internships means that I’ve been on a lot of internship interviews. In addition to that, I held part-time jobs while in college and graduate school. Professionally I’ve held several positions, bringing my personal total to well over 25 interviews that I’ve had to go through (many positions required multiple interviews). I understand very well what it is like to sit in that interview chair, trying your best to demonstrate that you are the best candidate to all they desire in an intern.

Even with that experience, I will be talking to you mainly from my experiences as the interviewer. Working in college admissions I did admissions interviews (almost every day) for nearly a decade. When I was with the T. Howard program, my staff and I conducted approximately 500 interviews (Skype, phone, and in-person) over a four-month period (October – January) every year of students seeking to get into the program. I personally conducted about 100-200 interviews per cycle. While my advice might not be scientific, it is coming from years spent as the interviewer and the interviewee.

Interview Preparation

Preparation is key. All too often candidates for internships and jobs go into their interviews unprepared. The most common feedback I get from hiring managers and human resources professionals is, “The candidate was unprepared and knew nothing about us or the position.” The saddest part is that it is easily avoidable. It takes a little time, energy, and effort to properly prepare for the interview. It is time well spent when you can stand out from amongst the crowd by just showing that you’ve done your homework. Being knowledgeable about the company and your potential role demonstrates that you are serious about the position, have a sincere interest in who they are and what they do, and that you are a self-starter.

So, how can you walk into an interview and show that you have done your homework? It starts with a little bit of research. You should have already conducted some research on the company before you applied and know something about it.



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