What is one way a candidate can make a lasting impression during an internship interview?
To help internship candidates make a lasting impression during an interview, we asked hiring managers and business leaders this question for their best advice. From following and referencing the company’s social media to being confident, there are several ways you can leave your internship interview on a high note and make a lasting impression.
Here are 11 interview tips to make a lasting impression:
- Follow and Reference the Company’s Social Media
- Look Up Your Interviewers
- Be Prepared
- Show Genuine Interest
- Bring Energy With a Smile
- Ask Questions
- Be the Consummate Team Player
- Practice Body Language
- Show Off Your Potential With Real Examples
- Use the STAR Interview Response Technique
- Be Confident
Follow and Reference the Company’s Social Media
One way to make an impression during an interview is to follow the company on social media at the time you apply for the role, or even before you send in your application. This tactic provides a passive way to do research, as you can follow company updates and insights effortlessly while scrolling your feeds. Mentioning these posts and identifying yourself as a follower within the meeting gives the impression that you are generally interested in company affairs and plan to continue to pay attention to organizational happenings rather than merely cramming research solely for the interview. Of course, you should also still do focused and deeper research to complement more casual social media listening.
Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding
Look Up Your Interviewers
When you are getting ready for an interview, you should always look to see any information you can find on those conducting your interview. This can help you find specific questions to ask near the end of the interview that can show your initiative to learn as well as how invested you already are in the organization. It can reveal a lot about a candidate’s willingness to learn and become a great fit within the company!
Brandon Brown, Grin
Be Prepared
If you want to make a lasting impression during an internship interview, make sure to come prepared. Learn about the company, their values and conduct some research on your interviewers. This will be a good exercise for you to see if this would be a good fit for you. It’s important to dress professionally in something that makes you feel comfortable but also a fit for the company’s environment. . Get plenty of rest before the interview and don’t be afraid to talk about your areas that interest you most (in line with the job description of course!) and where your weaknesses lie and steps you take to improve them. Finally, be yourself as authenticity is essential during an interview.
Sara Shah, Journ
Show Genuine Interest
A candidate can make a lasting impression during an internship interview by being prepared and showing genuine interest in the company and the position. By asking thoughtful questions and expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity, a candidate can leave a positive impression that may lead to an offer.
Matthew Ramirez, Rephrasely
Bring Energy With a Smile
Many candidates get nervous during their interview, which leads to a stiff or formal feeling. If you want to leave a lasting impression during an internship interview, make sure you bring lots of energy. The easiest way to do that is to make sure you smile. Don’t overdo it by smiling the entire time, but smile as you introduce yourself, as you talk about things that excite you, and as you conclude. It doesn’t take much to stand out – a smile can make all the difference.
Logan Mallory, Motivosity
Ask Questions
One way to make a lasting impression during an internship interview is to be prepared and ask questions. When meeting with potential employers, come equipped with questions about the company and the role you’re interviewing for. Not only will this show that you’re interested in the position, but it will also help you get a better understanding of what the company is looking for in a candidate. Demonstrating that you’ve done your research on the organization will leave a positive impression on your interviewer.
Claire Westbrook, LSAT Prep Hero
Be the Consummate Team Player
My best advice to make an impression on people during an internship interview is to position yourself as the ultimate team player. The greatest responsibility of interns is to support full-time employees and learn from them. Generally speaking, interns won’t be tasked with important, regular duties. What companies want to see is collaboration, support and a willingness to jump in and help out from their interns. So give them just that during the interview! When asked about your strengths or the value you would bring, discuss how whenever an opportunity presents itself to jump in and help out, you take it, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. I can say from experience that all of the intern candidates who have ultimately secured jobs with us all showed during the interview process how they weren’t afraid to go the extra mile. Pitching in and helping out others is what gets you remembered.
John Ross, Test Prep Insight
Practice Body Language
Interviewers will evaluate you, and your body language is a huge indication of your character whether you intend to or not. The way you carry yourself through your body is telling of your work ethic, professionalism, and confidence. Slouching or having a closed-off posture will make you seem unapproachable to your interviewer. On the other hand, standing or sitting tall with your arms and legs uncrossed will make you look confident and friendly, making a stronger impression on the interviewer.
Joe Spector, Dutch
Show Off Your Potential With Real Examples
As an internship seeker, you need to show the interviewer your potential for the specific role applied. Interviewers want to know how you will bring solutions to the company’s problems, so give them that hope. Ask questions highlighting your eagerness to learn. Use examples of your unique problem-solving strategies and come armed with result-driven answers for any interview question that gets thrown your way. Remember, personality, education, and experience are not everything during an interview but showing off your potential of helping grow a company makes a lasting impression.
John Tian, Mobitrix
Use the STAR Interview Response Technique
STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. That is whereby, in response to behavioral interview questions, you answer by describing a situation in which you were involved, your task or responsibility, the actions you took, and the final results. To interviewers looking for proof of your abilities and skills to determine if you are a worthy addition to their team, the STAR interview technique helps you craft concise answers and share your accomplishments without sounding boastful. You may have skills on paper and an excellent presentation that go a long way in convincing any panel, but those don’t impress people as much as story-telling. To make a lasting impression, take advantage of the STAR interview method.
Ryan Yount, Luckluckgo
Be Confident
Be confident, yet humble. Employers are looking for employees who know their worth and abilities, but are willing to learn and be honest in regards to what they don’t know. If you want to make a first impression, be honest about what you know you are good at, but humble about your shortcomings.
Russell Lieberman, Altan Insights
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