Ace your interview

Interviews are usually the final stage of your internship application, so you need to make sure that you set yourself apart from the rest of the top applicants. Keep in mind that if you’ve made it to the interview stage, all your competitors are all skilled and competent so you must showcase what differentiates you from the rest of them.

1. Research: Research the role you are applying for thoroughly, about what you need to succeed and how your experiences have shaped you to become suitable for that role. Make sure you know about the company’s vision and goals, and research what they do and why you think you would be a good fit. For instance, if a company’s goal is to “continuously improve”, then you should talk about how you have displayed their company vision in the experiences you’ve had.

2. Prepare: Take two to three weeks to prepare for the interview. Write down a list of potential questions they may ask you, and prepare answers and examples you can give in the case that you get asked those questions. If you have no idea where to start, a simple Google search will give you an idea of the most common questions asked by recruiters of a particular company.

3. Ask questions: At the end of the interview, you are given the opportunity to ask questions. Asking questions is a sign that you are interested and committed to the company and role, so remember to prepare some questions in advance in the case you do not have any on the spot. Google searches will reveal what is important to ask at the end of the interview. Remember, every second of the interview counts, so make use of it. Furthermore, saying a line that wishes to keep in contact with the company or recruiter, for example, “Thank you for today’s interview, I look for to hearing from you.” Or “Can I add you on LinkedIn?” also is a sign that you are personable and interested.

4. Use the STAR method: The STAR method stands for: Situation, Task, Action, and Result. When asked behavioural based questions, make sure to give an example of when you have displayed it by using the STAR method. Situation is giving background and context of what you were doing, Task is what you were asked to do, Action is what you did and Result is what came out of the action. Additionally, make sure to add onto that what you would do next time the situation arises and how you have learned from this experience.

5. Be honest: A lot of the time, the final interview is not to test your capabilities but to build rapport and determine whether you would be a good fit for the team. Thus, it is important to show your true personality. Be honest but appropriate, and showcase the traits and characteristics that make you a good team member.

These are some helpful tips in finding an internship – use these wisely in your upcoming interview to impress your interviewers.