Interviews conducted for interns may have a slightly different structure and pattern than the ones conducted for permanent jobs. Have a quick look at some internship interview questions.
An internship is an opportunity for a person to gain practical experience in a field that they are interested in. More so, one needs to realize that an organization is spending resources on getting this practical experience. However, it is also a fact that the organization gets free human resource to work with them.
Nonetheless, one needs to make sure that they prove themselves to be apt for the particular internship.
For example, they need to make it clear to the employers, that they have the basic working knowledge of the field and the ability to learn fast. The questions asked during an internship interview are different from the ones asked during a job interview. Here is a list of interview questions for internship, for you to prepare yourself for the interview.
Common Interview Questions
These questions are asked to get a general feel about your interest and intent in the field
► How did you decide on a career in this field? This question is to know your reason behind the choice, and why you believe in it.
► What are you looking for in this internship? This question is to gauge your attitude about the internship, the company, and the field.
► What are your goals for the internship term? This question allows the interviewer to know how ambitious and sincere you are about your career.
► What are your plans once the internship is over? Again, this question is to gauge your seriousness. This is also to get a general feel about your plans for your career.
► What are your strengths and weaknesses? This is a common interview question that needs to be asked in order to know the interviewee better.
► What is your dissertation about and why did you choose the topic? This is only asked for post graduation internship, to know the core of interest in the field for the interviewee.
► Have you ever taken more than the required courses? How did you manage your time then? This question is asked to gauge your ambition for the field, as well as your ability to take on challenges and deliver results.
► Describe a situation where your initial approach failed, and you had to try something different to meet your result? This question is rather self-explanatory, to know your ability to handle pressure and failure.
► Describe a tough academic decision you had to make, how did you go about this? This question is to know if you are pragmatic enough to admit your mistake and correct it, rather than just continue with the choice.
► Describe how you have balanced your academic work with your extracurricular activities. Nobody likes a boring dud in the office. More so, a person who indulges in extracurricular activities along with studies has a tendency to develop broader intelligence and understanding. This question is to gauge the scope of that fact.
Answering the questions correctly is important to form the correct impression in the interviewer's mind.
Unique Interview Questions for a Potential Intern
This list of questions are not necessarily asked by all interviewers. However, being able to answer these simple questions, puts you in an advantageous position as compared to the competition.
► How do you think this internship experience will prepare you for your career? This question is asked to know if the interviewee has given careful thought to his or her career in relevance to the internship.
► Where do you see yourself in five or ten years? This question is asked in job interviews as well. It is asked to get a general idea about the ambition and grit of the interviewee.
► How do you feel your campus involvement (if any) relates to the professional workplace? This question is asked to know the extent of the knowledge that the interviewee may have about a professional work environment, which is a very important factor.
► What was your greatest achievement? This question is to know what kind of achievements are you most proud of, and why. This will give them an idea about the direction of your ambition.
► What was your favorite summer or part-time job? Why? This question is to know about your experience, and your attitude about the experience.
► Why do you think you will be successful in your chosen field? This question is to gauge your attitude, self-esteem and your ambition and determination. It is a very important question (if asked) in an internship interview.
► What do you believe is an intern's role in an organization/company? This question is to know your attitude about doing an internship and your interest in it.
► What will motivate you in this position? This question is to know if you are a self motivated person or not. Further, it is to know what drives you, and why?
► Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve the conflict? This question is asked to get an idea about your interpersonal skills and your attitude about authority.
► Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations? Pressure is normal in any environment today. To be able to perform under pressure is a very important skill. This question is to judge that skill of yours.
These questions are not that commonly asked, but they can shape the result of the interview. In most cases it is seen that these questions are asked in the later stages of the interviews, during elimination, if required.
Hope all these questions and their explanations gave you a fair idea for your upcoming interview session. Be calm and do not lose focus.