Surviving An Internship Interview

While waiting for a meeting to start, I sat at the common foyer where a girl was being interviewed for a summer post. I couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation. Here's an excerpt (well, at least what I could manage to eavesdrop from several feet away):

Interviewer: Was there any moment when you had to make a difficult decision while handling these projects? [pertaining to the girl's extensive list of extra-curricular activities]

Girl: As a matter of fact, yes. We were so busy working on the project and there were so many decisions that had to made about the logistics and supplies. Sometimes, it was a choice between keeping the peace or choosing the most effective choice. I went for choosing the most effective choice. Later, everyone agreed that that was a good decision. 

Interviewer: It seems that you were involved in so many things, how did you manage multi-tasking?

Girl: I admit, it was hard. I wasn't able to concentrate on school stuff as much I wanted to, but the learnings I got while working on the project were well worth it. 

I wanted to reach out and coach the young girl from the sidelines. I could hear the nervousness in her voice and could see her anxiously fiddling with her skirt. I can only imagine how scared she must have been, and I have to congratulate her for not buckling. Good job, kid!

Listening in brought me back to my first job interview. The outfit, the butterflies in my stomach, the well-rehearsed answers—I get nostalgic remembering them all. I wondered then why they had to ask about my strengths, my weaknesses, my five-/ten- year plans, and what I thought a good job should be like. I thought, Bakit? Why ask those questions when people can easily bluff their way through them?

It was only when I conducted interviews of my own did I get the point. As employers, we really do need to know what you consider to be your assets and weaknesses. That way, we can identify which attributes and strengths you hold dear...and eventually, hold you to your claims and promises. We also want to know your career goals and plans and to know if this line of work is part of your bigger career goals...which hopefully means you'll take the job seriously enough to want to climb up the industry ladder. And, we also want to know your thoughts about what makes an ideal job...so we'll know what can make you stay or go.

Here are a few secrets I gathered over the years. Keep them in mind when you go for that internship interview (or even an actual job interview). Hopefully, they can help get your foot in the door.

• Your interviewer is examining how presentable you look. Looking professional shows that you exerted effort and that you respect your interviewer enough to look professional. In this case, professional is relative: While suits will always be interview staples, it'll also be smart to know the dressing culture of the office you're eyeing and matching it. If it's a creative post, look professional but inject a bit of flair. If the office observes a strict dress code, make a good impression and wear something appropriate. Also, if the post requires you to go out and represent, looking the part during your job interview puts you in a good position for nailing the post.

• While an internship may mean that you're given a chance to learn on-the-job, it doesn't mean that employers aren't looking for interns who can already contribute actual work. As such, don't just say you want to join the company because "you want to learn." I remember cringing every time I heard this line. It's a given: You'll learn a whole damn lot. But, what can set you apart from all the other intern wannabes is what you can bring to the table. Try your hardest to make your potential and skills evident during that initial one-on-one. Do your research, align the strengths you have with the requisites of the post. 
  

• Practice, practice, practice. We know when an interviewee isn't prepared, and believe me, being ill-prepared won't work in your favor. Study the company/department/post you're eyeing. Review the typical interview questions and rehearse your answers, if you must. Also, be prepared to be asked these questions in a roundabout kind of way. As in, "Was there a time when you ever got frustrated while working?" can be another way to ask,"What irks you in the workplace?" which is, in some respects, really asking, "What kind of worker are you NOT?"  Got it?

• Be truthful. A keen interviewer can easily spot a fib, so be mindful about what you say. Be confident but not arrogant. Be eager but don't suck up. Remember, your interviewer was once seated where you're seated now. She knows the drill. The difference? She got the job. Now, will you?

Photos from recruitment.co.uk, orchard.co.uk. and news.doddleme.com.