Monday, January 28, 2008

Questions for Thought

The interviewing process is always a stressful time for an intern. You have to impress your future boss, while sticking to the universal interview rules: speak highly of yourself, but do not boast; compliment the interviewer or company, but don’t seem like you are sucking up; and have a lot of questions, but not questions that can be easily answered on the company’s website.

In preparation for an interview, people are usually concerned about how you are going to be perceived. Don’t forget that this is an opportunity for you to question them too! The interviewer should also be ready to make a good impression on you. He/She must be able to demonstrate his/her company’s greatest qualities. You are there to make sure that you will be a good fit for them and vice versa.

Make sure to have a list of questions ready that will allow you to get a better feeling for the company and your future internship:

Here are some questions that I think are crucial to understanding the realities of the internship:

1.What skill(s) will I develop here?
While this is an internship and grunt work is sometimes inevitable, you have to expect and demand some sort of learning experience. Remember, you are not there to waste your time. There are always places with better internship programs.

2.Will I be able to sit in on important meetings?
Being allowed to sit in on meetings shows that they respect your desire to learn and absorb information. Whether or not you are able to voice your opinion in the meetings, it is a great way to understand the industry.

3.Do you often offer jobs to your interns?
This question is very important. It shows that you are serious and hopefully that they are serious too. If their answer is yes, you know that there is a greater potential of you being more involved in the company. If they are thinking about hiring, then they will probably assign you more important tasks in which you can demonstrate your abilities.

For more questions check out this article:
http://www.networktwenty.com/work/unpaid_internships.html

--Lauren

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