Landing Your Dream Internship – Part 02

Alrigggghhhhtttt!!! Part Two of ‘Landing That Dream Internship’ is here! So you followed the tips in part one and got yourself an interview. Now what?

Well I got you!

Double Check Your Resume and Cover Letter

Even though you’ve already given them your resume and cover letter from when you applied, double check them again before the interview and make any changes that you view necessary. If the changes are minute, I perosnally don’t think it’s worth mentioning in the interview, however if the changes are major, definitly mention that you made changes in the interview and provide them with a clean, updated, physical copy. Also ask them where they’d like you to digitally send your updated resume.

Before Your Interview

• Refresh your memory on the company: go back and research the companies vision statement and their goals and check who their competitors are. During the interview, they’re going to ask you questions like “Why do you want to work here?” and “What can you add to our company?” You can easily get these answers from their website.
• Practice interview questions: There are tons of websites out there that offer interview questions and how to answer them. A few of the most common ones that you’re bound to hear are:
  • Tell us about yourself?
  • What are your greatest strengths?
  • What do you consider your greatest weaknesses?
  • What are your future career goals?

Make sure that you go over these questions and responses before your interview date.

What to Wear

The interview is not the time to be flashy and show that you have Milan style. A rule of thumb is to keep it simple and neutral. My favorite go-to interview outfit is either a black or navy blue, knee-length dress, a jacket, and low heels or flats. If dresses aren’t your thing, then another go-to is slacks, a nice neutral colored button up, a jacket and flats and low-heels as well.

One thing to consider, for your interview, wear something that reflects the industry you are applying for. If you’re in education or business, opt for the classic interview attire. If you’re applying for a more creative field like fashion or entertainment, you have more space to express yourself and be a little more creative. Use your own discretion!

Also, keep the makeup to a minimum and leave the perfume at home!

In the Interview

• Prepare Questions to Ask: the worst thing you can do is say you don’t have any questions when asked. Make sure that you have at least two to five questions prepared to ask your interviewer. Some suggestions:
  • What does a typical day of work look like at this company?
  • How many people will I be reporting to?
  • What would you say is the learning curve within this position?
  • Will there be opportunities for me to view other areas of the company?
  • In the past, has there been opportunities for advancement for interns?

Remember to be engaged and nod while the interviewer is talking to you to show that you are an active listener. Also, make sure to bring a pen and notepad with you on your interview. As a courtesy, ask your interviewer if they mind if you take notes. Some view it as disrespect and some don’t!

Follow – Up

For some reason, a lot of young people don’t follow up with a thank you or to check on their status after an interview. Following up is necessary! There are several different ways to follow – up with your interviewer. The most common and acceptable is either a thank you email/note or phone call.

If you have the inteviewers phone number, simply call their office. If they don’t answer, leave them a voicemail and be very clear about who you are and why you are calling.

If you have your interviewers email address, a few hours after your interviewer, send them a friendly ‘thank you’ email. In the email, thank them for their time and one comment they made during the inteviwer.

Dear So and So,

Thank you again for your time today and allowing me the opportunity to interview for the _____________ internship position. I appreciate you being very thorough in describing the company culture and requirements of this position [or whatever they talked about in the interview]. I know that this position at _____________ [company name], will be a great fit for me and allow me the opportunity to learn and grow as a budding professional. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the position soon.

Sincerely,

Your Name

I hope that part two was as beneficial as part one was! Let me know if you want tips and tricks on another aspect of interning!

Talk to ya’ll later!!

xoxo,

Raee