If you’re anything like me, landing an internship for this summer is top-of-mind. The job application process can be daunting and incredibly stressful, with so much time and effort going into making unique cover letters and resumes in the hope of getting an interview. After all, an interview is the opportunity to market yourself and, if all goes well, get the job! Here are some tips and tricks I’ve picked up over time to help you with your interview prep.
1. Research the organization.
Discover everything there is to know about the organization. What do they do? What is their mission statement? What is their organizational culture? This research will help you pick out keywords and ideas that you can incorporate into your answers to show that you are a great fit for the role.
2. Acing the “Tell me about yourself” question.
“Tell me about yourself” or something of the sort will likely kick-start any interview, so it’s important to make a positive first impression. This question is vague, so coming up with a strong response may seem difficult. This isn’t the time to talk about your family life or hobbies outside of work. Instead, use this opportunity to outline why you are a great fit for the role. State your field of study, highlight your previous work/academic/volunteer experiences and any relevant hard/soft skills you’ve gained and explain why you’re interested in the role—this is where that research into the organization comes in handy!
3. Use the S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.
Throughout your interview, you’ll likely be asked an array of behavioural or situational questions such as “describe a time you made a mistake at work” or “can you tell me about a time you were part of a team?” Especially when you have so many thoughts racing through your mind at once as you try to come up with an answer, it’s easy to sound jumbled and talk in circles. The S.T.A.R. method is a great guide to follow to provide your interviewer with clear, concise and thoughtful answers with examples, helping you to stand out amongst other candidates.
Start by describing a situation that you were in. Next, talk about the task, project, challenge or problem that you had to complete. This should be followed by the actions that you took to successfully complete the task. Here, you want to highlight any relevant knowledge, skills and traits that you have. Finally, explain the positive results of your actions.
4. Come prepared with questions.
Every interview will end off with the opportunity to ask your interviewer any questions, and it’s important that you come prepared with some. Asking questions is a great way to show your interest in the role and can help end your interview on a high note!
I hope my tips and tricks help you nail your next interview. You got this! And even if the interview doesn’t go as well as you hoped—don’t worry, that happens to the best of us—or you weren’t the successful candidate, remember to 1) be proud that you were one of the few who made it to the interview stage because this is a massive accomplishment in and of itself, and 2) take comfort in knowing you gained great interview experience that you can take moving forward. Best of luck!