Three weeks ago, I wrote about how to find your perfect summer internship. Hopefully you read some of the advice and found some great internships. You submitted your applications complete with your resume, cover letter and maybe even some recommendations. It’s about time you’ve heard back from some of the companies or organizations for an interview. Maybe you’ve already had a first interview over the phone and now you’re ready for the second interview (in person or via webcam).
This is the home stretch in landing your summer internship. You’ve already put in the time and investment to think about the company, culture, location and day-to-day life of the internship; now you just need to sell yourself beyond the paper of your application materials. Think about it like this: the recruiters are already interested in you and want to get to know you further to be sure you’re the perfect candidate.
So you arrange a time to interview with the recruiters. If you’re going in person, make sure you know where the office is, how to get there and how long it takes to get there. It’s also good to do a practice run a few days before the interview just so you know exactly where you’re going so you’re 100% prepared. Always bring at least 4 copies of your resume. There is no guarantee the interviewers are going to have printed a copy and chances are, there is going to be more than one person interviewing you and it’s best to have a copy for everyone. It’s also likely that the people interviewing you haven’t even seen your resume yet.
Make sure you’re wearing an appropriate outfit for the interview, whether it’s in the flesh or online. I recommend a blend of business casual and business professional to show you’re serious and mature, but I also recommend throwing in a fun or colorful accessory such as a statement necklace, scarf or other jewelry. You can throw in some color/prints to your key pieces without going over the top, as another option. I like to bring a big handbag and keep my padfolio in it, which contains my resume copies. And make sure you wear deodorant, brush your teeth and floss before going in to interview. It wouldn’t hurt to pop a breath mint before either.
Now you’re at the interview, and you really need to sell yourself. Talk about the aspects of your resume that make you qualified for the position and really play up your good qualities and relevant experience. Know your elevator pitch about so you can answer the common question, “tell me a little about yourself.” Always go prepared with answers for questions asking about your strengths and weaknesses, your favorite/least favorite part of a past experience and a time you met a challenge and rose above it. Be sure to brush up on the company background and recent happenings so you can talk about that if it comes up. Nowadays, companies expect you to do the homework now and come prepared.
Keep the conversation positive as well, even if you’re reflecting on something negative because your goal is to steer the conversation to paint you in the most ideal of lights. You also want your true personality to shine through—so smile, but keep it real. No one likes a faker or kiss up. Also, always ask questions about the company and the position in the interview so the interviewers know you’re interested, engaged and want to learn more.
Shake hands and say thank you as the interview wraps up. Get the email addresses of the recruiter and interviewers so you can later send them a thank you follow-up email showing appreciation for them taking the time to talk to you and consider you. Be sure to add some more value and make it personal. Write a new email for each person you spoke with instead of copying and pasting.
Hopefully now, you’ll be on your way to landing a great summer internship and a workspace like this could be yours!