If
you are invited to an interview, it is important that you prepare
for it. This is your opportunity to meet the internship coordinator
or interview committee face-to-face and SALE YOURSELF.
You
can prepare for an interview by:
•
Researching the company
It is very important to learn as much as possible about
the company. You can research a company through the Internet,
professional or trade publications, and the local Chamber
of Commerce. Read about the company’s history, products
and services, reputation, major competitors, and financial
status. After you have conducted your research, compare
it against your self-assessment.
•
Practicing
your interview
Preparing for an interview may be a difficult task for
some students. The easiest way to prepare for an interview
is to have one or two “mock interviews.” A
mock interview consists of having someone (i.e. teacher,
counselor, parent) pretend to be the interviewer and ask
you several interview questions.
The mock interviewer should be able to critique your answers,
appearance, presentation, etc. This feedback will help
identify your strengths and weaknesses. Ask the “mock
interviewer” a few questions about your answers,
what can you do better, how do you look and sound, etc.
You do not want to appear unorganized or unprepared during
the interview. You should be able to provide a confident
answer to each question asked by the interviewer.
•
What
to expect in an interview
In an interview, the internship/co-op coordinator(s) does
more than check your overall appearance and attitude.
They want to hear you speak about your abilities, career
objectives, strengths, weaknesses, and potential contributions
to their company. The day before the interview, you should
review information about the organization, and your entire
application package and supporting documents that you
submitted. It is important that you remember what you
submitted in your application package. Also, take a copy
of your application package to the interview. You may
not need it, but on the other hand you may be glad to
have it.
•
Reviewing
sample interview questions
Some interview questions are based on information provided
on your application and supporting documents. You should
be prepared to discuss your educational background, work
experiences, academic achievements, extracurricular activities,
and career goals. Reading information about the company
before the actual interview also will help you prepare
for any questions regarding the company. This will show
the interviewer(s) that you have done your research on
the company.
Provided
below is a list of sample interview questions:
•
Why do you want to work for our company?
•
Why
are you applying for this internship or co-op position?
•
What
special skills/traits do you have that qualify you
for this position?
•
Would
you rather work alone or in a group? Explain.
•
What
are your career goals?
•
What
do you expect to gain and learn from your internship/co-op?
•
Tell
me about yourself.
•
What
are some of your accomplishments and failures?
•
What
are your strengths and weaknesses?
Advice
•
Ask for clarification of questions when necessary.
•
Keep
your responses positive, reinforcing your specific
interests and qualifications.
•
Do
not attempt to falsify any examples or create lies.
•
Don't
memorize your answers to these question; you do
not want to sound as if you are reading from a script.
You also don't want to be caught without an answer
to basic questions.
•
If
asked questions about your strengths, weaknesses,
or qualifications, you should give a solid example
of how each item helped you achieve your goal.
•
Creating
your own list of questions to ask the interviewer.
After the interviewer has asked questions, you will be
expected to ask at least one question regarding the position
you are applying for. Many of your questions may have
been asked during the interview or during your research.
However, you should still ask a question.
Below
are sample questions you may want to ask:
•
What are the opportunities for personnel growth?
•
How
is an intern or co-op student evaluated?
•
Describe
a typical assignment?
•
What
are the challenges of the job?
•
What
kinds of career opportunities are currently available
for students in my career field at your company?
•
What
qualities are you looking for in an intern or co-op
student?
