While a formal interview may not be required for every internship you covet, you should nonetheless be prepared for this potentially anxiety-causing part of the process. Like any other interview, a conversation with a potential internship provider is an opportunity for you to sell yourself and to bring to life the words and phrases that make up your resume. Internships themselves give you experience in a field you're interested in and help you build a resume. Internship interviews have similar potential as learning experiences because you'll, of course, only get better the more you tackle.
"There isn't really a difference between a job interview and an internship interview," said Career Center Director Adrienne Alberts. "You would prepare for the same way."
Get good at interviewing now and by the time you're scrounging for your dream job senior year, you'll be stress free. The following guidelines should help:
Dress the part of a professional
Employ common sense and that trite saying about first impressions here. The Career Center recommends professional, businesslike attire and suggests that you'll be appropriately dressed for interviews with most companies and organizations if you're wearing a suit. Don't overlook the little things, like wrinkles, untied shoes or too much perfume, either. If you can't put yourself together, you can't expect someone to trust you to help run an efficient organization.
You should also arrive to your interview on time, which actually means 15 minutes early. If you don't know where you're going, map a route out ahead of time to avoid unnecessary stress and potential disaster.
Do your homework
According to Alberts, Hopkins students often report back from interviews saying they hadn't done enough research. They wished they had more details about the company they interviewed with and had more knowledge about the position for which they were applying.
Performing an Internet search to learn a little about the company you're interested in may not be enough. "Part of it you can find on a web site," Alberts said. "Some of it you can't."
You can make sure you enter an interview well-informed by checking in with the library's business reference librarian. "She can help students research an organization," Alberts said. "There are a lot of ways to find objective information."
Another option is consulting HopkinsNet to find alumni in the same field and get their perspective on a prospective internship provider. "If we have alumni connections, who have listed their info, that would always be helpful," Alberts said.
Be ready for the tough questions
While these will vary from student to student, the stumpers can include the most general questions. If, 'Why should we hire you?' appears in some form during the middle of an interview, your internal reaction might be, 'Haven't we been talking about this the whole time?' Don't get caught up on the obviousness or the vagueness of this question, however. It can be a great opportunity for you to rephrase your strengths and reorganize them in one memorable answer.
Another popular question to anticipate involves ability to work well with others. It might be phrased, 'How have you exhibited your strengths individually and as a member of a group?' Think about how you have contributed to various teams and organizations you've belong to and connect that with what you might add to a protective internship provider's staff.
Practice makes perfect
You should never go into an interview cold. Once you've got the content -- once you have decided why an employer should hire you and how you work with others -- down, work on the delivery. The Career Center offers mock interviews with real employers each fall and with members of their staff throughout the year. The latter are taped, which gives students the opportunity to critique themselves.
"Once you see yourself make the mistake, it helps when you have to go through it again," Alberts said. The mock interviews give students real world feedback, and students can request that they be asked certain questions they feel anxious about with the counselor practices. "We will ask you the question you don't want to be asked," Alberts said.
Even if you are unable to schedule a mock interview, you should practice nonetheless. Don't memorize answers, just get a general idea of how you'd like to respond to particular question, and practice with yourself. "Going through the motions is invaluable," Alberts said.
Don't worry about boasting
Selling yourself doesn't mean simply listing your accomplishments and awards, your grades and extracurriculars. You have to be able to link skills you have with skills you'll need to work with a particular company and you have to package them well. "You have to brag about yourself, and culturally we're not taught to do that," Alberts said of the nature of interviews. "I would error on the side of being confident and assertive." The prospective internship provider doesn't know why you're unique unless you tell her or him. Don't be shy.
With telephone interviews, which are popular with internship positions, it is especially important to use a confident and positive tone. While you may feel less anxious if your interviewer isn't sitting in front of you, you should always consider these conversations serious opportunities for the employer to evaluate you as a candidate.
Senior Claire Grossman interviewed with the Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York via telephone and found it was less nerve-wracking, but more awkward. "It's better in that you're in your room and you can wear your pajamas, but you still have to know what you're talking about," she said.
Grossman also felt it was more difficult to let her personality shine through over the phone, illustrating why a clear, upbeat, and confident tone is so important in telephone interviews.
"It's very different," she said. "[In person] you can smile and show you're friendly."
Be enthusiastic
According to the Career Center, Hopkins students have a reputation for being laid-back during an interview process. Employers, however, would rather hire individuals who are enthusiastic about the prospect of working for them. Make sure to come across as upbeat and motivated in addition to well-qualified.
At the close of the conversation, let the interviewer know that you enjoyed the meeting and are excited about the prospect of working with her or him. Being personable will leave an impression and that is, of course, what you should be trying to do.
