GETTING YOUR IDEAL INTERNSHIP - Universum

Getting Your Ideal Internship
CHAPTER 1
Internships:
The Big Picture
CHAPTER 2
The Search
CHAPTER 3
Getting Hired
CHAPTER 4
Navigating
Your Internship
CHAPTER 5
real intern
profiles
CHAPTER 5
For Your
Reference
Most of all, come prepared to state your strengths.
Give concrete examples of how you’ve put them to
use. Don’t overstate your accomplishments, but don’t
downplay them either. Keep self-deprecating humor
to a minimum: It may be fine when you’re with your
friends, but this is neither the time nor place for it.
If remaining confident is a struggle for you, give
yourself a pep talk before the interview. Better yet, enlist
an enthusiastic friend to give you one. Or, practice techniques
for managing your nerves such as deep breathing
and visualizing success. If you’re at ease, the interviewer
will be too.
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TIP
Be aware you may have the opportunity to ask
just two or three questions, so choose wisely.
Know Your Limits
Some people spend the night before an interview boning
up on company facts and figures as though cramming
for the test of their lives. But interviews aren’t oral
exams; they are an exchange between two people, who
may soon be coworkers, about shared professional interests.
You do need to know something about the industry
and the organization, but you’re not expected to know
it all—just enough to ask your interviewer informed
questions, to understand the questions your interviewer
asks, and to give reasonable answers. Your common
sense should prepare you to give sound answers to any
questions that may arise about how you would handle
a specific problem during your internship. The details
will emerge later, when you become part of the team.
Like any other conversation, an interview requires
give and take, so don’t expect to dominate it. Give your
interviewer a chance to contribute to the conversation.
Questions and Answers
The old saying, “There’s no such thing as a bad question,”
does not pertain to the interview process. When
you ask the right questions in an interview, it shows
you’re paying attention and you’re truly interested in
the job and the company. But offer questions carefully.
“You can kill yourself with a question if it shows a lack
of knowledge about the company,” says an internship
hiring supervisor. Don’t ask questions you could have
answered yourself by spending a few minutes on the
employer’s website.
A good question may resemble one of these:
• How does this internship fit into the larger
organization?
• What are some of the critical challenges in this
department?
• What management style can I expect?
• Can you describe the performance review process?
But as you research the company, other relevant
questions may spring to mind. If the opportunity presents
itself, be sure to ask them.
Rapport is Vital
Once recruiters are done interviewing a round of candidates,
the first thing they will ask each other is, “What
did you think?” They’ll share their gut reactions. A candidate
is either a fit or he isn’t. Even if you’re a leading
contender for the position on paper, your chances of
getting an offer are slim if you’ve failed to build rapport
with the interviewer.
There’s no foolproof way of turning your interviewer
into an ally. But here are some tactics that can put you
in a good light:
• When responding to a question, give a brief overview
of the points you want to cover and clear them
with the interviewer. For example: “I did a school
projects integrating aspects of finance, marketing
and operations. Would you like to hear the details?”
• Appropriate humor (in small doses!) is a good thing.
• If you aren’t sure of the meaning of a question, ask
clarifying questions.
• Mean what you say. If you seem insincere, it’ll be an
immediate turnoff.
• Make sure you close the interview. Reiterate your
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