Interviewing 101

With the heightened anticipation of applying and waiting to hear back from internships also comes the added intensity of the in-person interview. Making sure everything is perfect for that hour-long moment that becomes only a frenzied blur in your mind is of the utmost priority, as much as you try not to stress about it.

Interviews don’t need to be as intimidating as they seem, as long as your time is managed well and you go in with clear eyes and full hearts (then you can’t lose, right?)

As far in advance as you can, do as much research on the industry you want to go into and the company you are trying to get an internship with. By informing yourself about what the organization does and what its goals are can help you brainstorm answers about why you’d want to work there.

It also helps when they ask the inevitable: what you know about the company already, this is one answer you can’t BS. Save yourself the embarrassment and look into the policies, standards, what they expect and who you’d be working under.

After the preliminary research is done, it’s time to seriously test yourself. Ask other people you know who are experienced in doing interviews (parents/older people who have had their fair share of successful jobs) about the typical questions they’ll throw at you as well as some you may not expect.

Look up typical and atypical case study questions as well as hard ones about yourself that might throw you for a loop. No matter the industry, there’s a good chance an interviewer may want to know what kind of salad dressing you’d be, what kind of animal you feel embodies you and what you’d bring on a desert island.

“To make sure I don’t get nervous for my interviews I way over-prepare for anything they could throw at me. I’d rather have at least a hunch about what I could respond to their crazy questions so I make sure I have all my bases [are] covered,” said Marc Drake, a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame.

Finally, the idea that it only takes 20 seconds for a person to get an accurate first impression of you is scarily true. Making sure that you look and smell great (yes, smell) is extremely important in making sure your interviewer and potential future employer sees the best side of you.

Use the strongest deodorant you can and brushing your teeth can make all the difference. One thing that many people struggle with while actually in the interview is remembering to breathe. Being confident and relaxed is a quality that shows your bosses that you are cool, calm, collected and ready for anything, especially the interview you know will knock their socks off. 

Image: Checkster