[mastauser]

I sent a letter to a company for an internship in a field I have interest in.


I will have the job interview this week.

The job description of the internship doesn't say:
1) How long the internship will take.
2) Whether it is full time or part time.

Do you guys have any tips for the job interview itself, next to soaking up knowledge of the company before the interview?

Should I act like a bluepill?

[void]

1 You should know your CV by heart.
2 They will resort to ask standard questions. Reflect on these questions and you should be OK

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewq...stions.htm
http://depts.gpc.edu/careerservices/50%2...stions.pdf

3 You shouldn't talk about anything not work related, if they are professional they won't ask you personal questions

[Mongo]

I've done several interviews for internships, and have turned down a couple offers. What I've found is to get to know the organization you'll be working for, their philosophy/style of conducting business, and be able to relate yourself to it. The most important part is demonstrate through your answers that if they hire you it will only help and enhance their performance, not be a headache.

One of the best pieces of wisdom a boss of mine told me is during interviews he has the mindset of "I'm doing you a favor by giving you this internship. I have dozens of other qualified applicants that I've interviewed and could hire. What will you bring to the table that will make my job easier/more effective? I want to hire somebody that will make it worth my time to teach them what I know."

[Cobra]

Come to the interview not to interview but ready to do the job.

Tell them that's why you're there; ready to work.

Once you present your positive traits to them, ask how these skills can fit in to that job.

This means you get into the mode of "qualifying" them without being overpowering.

Also, think about the "future." Ask how the work you do now will qualify you to get into a future position with the firm and what positions are the skills you gain connected to.

After all, you're going to consider a job there and you shouldn't be wasting your time gaining skills you're not going to use, right?

At the end of the interview, I always ask if there are any concerns they have about my background that they would like clarified. It can sometimes give you an idea if it's a slam dunk.

[mastauser]

I am a bit afraid because I don't know anything about the time frame of the internship, it is all quite vague.

Should I just hope for the best? I said 'afraid', because I'm afraid to bring up things like that up too early in the interview.

[EddieValiant]

Why does the length of the internship matter? If you're still in school then it looks like it'll be a summer thing.

I would find some of the most common interview questions and try to formulate answers to them. Practice your response to "tell me about yourself?"

In general, you want to show that you're likeable, smart, not an entitled brat, excellent work ethic.

[mastauser]

(06-15-2014 02:51 PM)EddieValiant Wrote:  

Why does the length of the internship matter? If you're still in school then it looks like it'll be a summer thing.

I would find some of the most common interview questions and try to formulate answers to them. Practice your response to "tell me about yourself?"

In general, you want to show that you're likeable, smart, not an entitled brat, excellent work ethic.

Because I have a job on the side that I'd like to keep and pays well, but most of the work is in late summer/early autumn.

[EddieValiant]

If it's a good internship..that is it's related to what you want to do post college and will help you get you to where you want to be, quitting your 2nd job should be a no brainer. Make the sacrifice whether it's PT or FT. Think long-term.

[Solus]

(06-15-2014 12:15 PM)Cobra Wrote:  

Come to the interview not to interview but ready to do the job.

Tell them that's why you're there; ready to work.

Once you present your positive traits to them, ask how these skills can fit in to that job.

This means you get into the mode of "qualifying" them without being overpowering.

Also, think about the "future." Ask how the work you do now will qualify you to get into a future position with the firm and what positions are the skills you gain connected to.

After all, you're going to consider a job there and you shouldn't be wasting your time gaining skills you're not going to use, right?

At the end of the interview, I always ask if there are any concerns they have about my background that they would like clarified. It can sometimes give you an idea if it's a slam dunk.

Fantastic advice here.

I'd add that it's important to think of the interview as a mutual exchange of information. They're asking you questions to find out if you're a suitable candidate and you should be asking questions to find out if they're a suitable company/job for a person of your caliber (though I wouldn't advise outright stating this).

It's a much stronger frame and it helps you to flip the conversation over and not let them boss you around.

For example it's always helped me to ask the interviewer how they ended up working there, what appeals to them personally about it and what they'd change if they had the power. Do this and they'll basically spoon feed you exclusive information that can be implemented into your responses to later on.

Also keep a pleasant, confident vibe. Your CV can be dynamite but if you're nervous or cold you'll struggle. Easier said than done.

[turuk]

That is a coincidence. I have an internship interview tomorrow. I will explain the way I'm preparing.

1. Do desk research. Read everything about the company on their site, download their anual report if they have it, use google to read recent news. This way during the interview, you can drop hints that you have been tracking the company.

2. Do some mental sparring. When you are in the interview. Expect it to be it like a battlefield. The better you are prepared the better you will do. Read the FAQ like in the link below and train yourself to answer quick.

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewq...stions.htm

Other things you have to keep in mind:
-don't talk about what they can do for you but talk about what you can do for them
-talk to them like you want to be talked to
-be natural, don't try to smile a lot or please them in submissive way, know what you can offer so you can be confident
-ask the interviewer questions too. Show curiousity but also by asking questions to them you take the spot lights from yourself for a couple of minutes

3. Dress to impress. Figure out what the people wear. If you are applying for an internship at the bank. You will need to wear a suit. If you are applying for a corporate job. It depends. You don't want to wear a suit as an intern when all the real experts in the company wear casual clothes. It happened to a friend and he was embarrassed.

[mastauser]

(06-15-2014 04:04 PM)EddieValiant Wrote:  

If it's a good internship..that is it's related to what you want to do post college and will help you get you to where you want to be, quitting your 2nd job should be a no brainer. Make the sacrifice whether it's PT or FT. Think long-term.

It is good so you are partly right.
Given my specific situation, however, it is very important to keep my side job (looks nice in resume, doesnt cost much time, and yields a lot of money, and I'm engaged in multiple business aspects).
Otherwise, I have to find a new job in a few years that is equally nice in that aspects and that is a pain in the ass (I'm a one-product salesman, but also have account manager tasks)

I have calculated that it will be possible to combine, but want to do that right.

And guys thanks for all the insights! Ill let you know after the interview

[Cobra]

This is something I should have mentioned before too. Maybe someone also said it above.

Practice...Practice...Practice. It's hard to take the advice here and make it practical until you try it for yourself.

Is this your first interview or one of the first serious ones? You get better at it the more you do. It's just like approaches.

Going into an interview cold or lukewarm in practice can mean the axe.

If you haven't interviewed much before, get into your career center and interview. Or, interview at other places just for the experience.

If not, ask your friends if they will interview you. Do this a few times and take notes. Maybe you can even record it and take notes.

This practice will help you with the great advice everyone here has given and will actually take the pressure off of implementing it during the actual interview.

[void]

Preparation is the most important thing. The better prepared you go into the interview, the more relaxed you can act.
If you have a good friend or a relative, give him some of the 50 questions I posted and do 2 mock interviews including greetings. Get feedback from your interview partner and discuss his impressions and advices.

[void]

How did it go?

[mastauser]

(06-27-2014 11:44 PM)void Wrote:  

How did it go?

I think quite good! I let you guys know when I know more.