During an interview for an internship, a variety of questions are asked to assess your knowledge and skills in connection to the position and industry. If you give real and passionate replies to the interview questions, your chances of being selected increase. You may get ready for an interview by reading through these often requested intern interview questions. In this article, we at founderactivity will help you look at 23 internship interview questions and sample responses.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.
– Steve Jobs
When selecting an intern, look for candidates with good work ethics, experience working in a team environment, and career aspirations that line up with the duties required of them. Excellent applicants for your internship could also have transferrable talents from their extracurricular activities, community service, or college courses.
What is an internship?
An internship is a chance for students, new graduates or other people to learn about the sector and try out different tasks. These temporary positions are generally offered by businesses during the summer or part-time throughout school semesters, frequently in exchange for academic credit or base hourly pay.
Numerous factors make internships advantageous. Your skill set is frequently expanded by the experience, and you gain understanding of a certain industry. Internship experience on your CV after graduation might make you stand out from other job candidates. If you did well during your time as an intern, the company you worked for could even offer you a position.
What Types of Questions Are Asked During an Internship Interview?
Although it can seem like there are many different questions you will need to be ready to address, internship interviews will most likely focus on your knowledge, training, and experience.
The secret to a good interview is preparation, which may also calm your worries. It would be advantageous if you could get in touch with a worker or former intern. At the very slightest, practice some hypothetical questions and prepare some possible responses.
Common Types of Internship Interview Questions
You may be able to have a better understanding of the kind of questions that may be asked during a job interview and how to appropriately react to them by studying these sample internship interview questions and answers. Naturally, you will need to tailor the responses to reflect your own educational and professional background.
- Hypothetical Questions
- Situational Questions
- Skills Questions
- Education Experience Questions
- Career Experience Questions
Hypothetical Questions
1. What measures would you take if you and another intern couldn’t agree on how to proceed with a project?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I would first go back and go at previous emails with meeting notes on the project to see if any future steps were made apparent. The other intern and I would ask to meet with our boss to make sure we are all in agreement about what we need to be working on to advance the project if I can’t locate any notes on what the next steps should be.”
2. In five years, where do you see yourself?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I hope to be employed in digital marketing in five years. I would like to be working in a position that specializes in managing social media campaigns at that time.”
Situational Questions
3. Can you describe a period when you had to overcome a hard obstacle in order to finish an assignment at work or in school?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “We had one week till the due date for a group assignment when I recognized that some of the data could have been biased. I scheduled a night where we all went over our data together after organizing the group. The mistakes turned out to be less significant than we had anticipated, and we were able to resolve them together.”
4. Can you describe a time when you managed a project using Excel?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I used Excel to keep track of all the various data points we were gathering for a group assignment for my marketing class. This gave me the opportunity to examine the data and produce graphs showcasing trends, which we could then focus in our group presentation.”
Skills Questions
5. What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “My inability to present in class and talk in front of groups of people is my most significant weakness. I joined the debate club at my college to try to combat this. This relates to my assertiveness, which is one of my biggest strengths. When a problem arises, I start thinking of a solution right away.”
6. Do you have any leadership experience?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I have been the editor-in-chief of my campus newspaper for the last two years. I handled a limited production budget, directed a group of 10-12 student writers and was in charge of ensuring sure all publishing dates were reached.”
Education Experience Questions
7. What were the reasons to select your major and college?
SAMPLE ANSWER- “I believed I wanted to become a physician in high school, so I picked my college because of its top-notch pre-medical program. In college, I came to the conclusion that, despite my continued love of biology and science, I was not cut out for a career in patient care. Research piques my curiosity considerably more.”
8. Which college programs do you believe gave you the best preparation for this position?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “My two-semester Introduction to Finance course from this past year, in my opinion, equipped me for this internship. While interning, I intend to put the knowledge I gained in this class to work.”
Career Experience Questions
9. What two key competencies did you gain from your most recent internship, employment, or volunteer position?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “In my previous position as a part time worker, I think the two most crucial skills I acquired were communication and time management. In this position, I gained knowledge on how to handle challenging customer encounters professionally, how to express myself properly when a problem occurs, and how to successfully manage my time while serving customers at once.”
10. Could you briefly describe your duties as the president of the university club you mentioned on your resume?
SAMPLE ANSWER – “As the Young Environmentalists Club’s president, I assisted in choosing the service projects we should undertake, developed the measures for project success, and oversaw the funding for each project.”
Internship Interview Questions and Answers
A question that may be used as an icebreaker to get you comfortable during an internship interview. Straighten your posture and respond in a loud, steady voice. During an interview for an internship, an interviewer may ask the following questions to you:
1. What led you to apply for this internship?
The interviewer is aware of your desire to obtain job experience by applying for an internship. You may have individually applied for this position or you might have received a lead from a contact in your network. Give specific details about your motivation for applying for the position. Inform the interviewer if someone in your network suggested the position.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I find it fascinating how your business leverages social media to draw in its target demographic. My master’s degree in marketing and communications is now being pursued. Working with you on the marketing team will allow me to develop my abilities and improve my CV because I will have experience working for one of the 50 largest businesses that heavily utilize social media for marketing.”
2. Why do you believe that you are the most qualified candidate to fill this role?
Since they could be part of academic requirements, internship positions are in high demand. To get job experience, many people enroll in internship programs. If you have applied for an available internship position, you may have a lot of competition. To respond to the question in three to four words, outlining each element, conduct research on the role’s needs, the company’s history, and its work culture.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I have discovered from my experience that your business is renowned for its cutting-edge social media marketing. Through my classroom and extracurricular experiences, I have developed solid experience in focused social media advertising. In my past marketing internship assignments, I made a lot of contributions, learnt a lot and did my best to support my former companies. For instance, I assisted a company that was my former job to increase their social media participation by 25 percent. I can use my work experience to this position since it aligns with your employment criteria.”
3. Describe your knowledge about the organization and its industry.
You will be required to conduct research and be prepared for internship interview questions. While getting ready for an interview, look through the websites of the firm and those of its competitors. Look for news stories that reference the firm or its activities and bring them up in the interview to show that you have done your research.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “Among the 10 largest public relations firms in the nation is this business. Due to rising client awareness, more rivalry and the availability of several channels for campaigns, public relations has changed during the past twenty years. Additionally, five times for your creative methods, you were recognized as the top PR agency. Most of your clients now have respectable and wholesome brand impressions because to the positive, effective and beautiful campaigns you have created. I decided to apply for an internship with this firm as one of the case studies for my master’s degree in communication. I am hoping that my internship will further acquaint me with the subtleties of public relations.”
4. Describe how you would use your interpersonal skills and teamwork abilities throughout your internship.
You can be the newest or youngest team member in your organization as an intern. Instead of testing you as a stand-alone intern, the interview process will assess your interest in and capacity for teamwork. Answer enthusiastically and without hesitation.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I finished two solo projects and four group projects throughout my prior internships. I also participated in fundraising efforts as an intern for a charity and a start-up. Every part has been quite enjoyable for me and I have learned a lot from them.
As a leader, I developed the self-assurance to actively listen, take initiative, provide criticism, exercise patience, inspire team members and make wise judgments. As a team member, I gained experience keeping to deadlines and working well with others. I am prepared to multitask and assist other team members as needed in carrying out their responsibilities.”
5. Describe your academic background and how it applies to this position.
If this is your first internship position, interviewers could ask you this question. You will have to prove your ability to grasp ideas and concepts. Respond with relevant facts relating your curriculum vitae to the business and the position.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “Business-to-business marketing, public relations and marketing research are three main classes that I took that were helpful in understanding marketing. I discovered that marketing contains a variety of elements, all of which are essential for company growth. With this information, I can complete my internship successfully and collaborate with several departments. I can also be more attentive and understand the importance of everyone’s contributions here better.”
6. How do you plan to make an impact during your internship?
Candidates’ responses to this question reveal whether or not they have leadership qualities. Because interns are an essential component of the organization, it is necessary to know if they possess leadership qualities.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I want to pinpoint the most important potential growth areas that might improve the operating procedure. I will lay out the resources needed to accomplish operational objectives. To ensure that each technique is implemented in a timely manner. Also I will organize a team, assign responsibilities, get resources, define key performance metrics and develop a timeline.”
7. What abilities do you have that will enable you to succeed in this role, and how do you intend to use them?
Candidates’ responses to this internship interview questions reveal whether or not they possess the necessary abilities for the position. This is important so you can assess the amount of training needed for skill development and determine whether the applicant is a suitable match for the role.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “In addition to writing, planning, data analysis, and public speaking, I also have leadership abilities that I can apply at work. In this position, I plan to use my technical and communication talents to manage group projects, research and resolve business issues, spot patterns and deliver results.”
8. What benefits do you want to get out of this internship, and what are you work expectations?
This question reveals two things about your intern: what they want to achieve from this position and what they think the job will entail. In order to avoid wasting either of your time or the interviewee’s, this reveals if you can live up to their expectations.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “My aims include being able to understand how to recognize business challenges. How to select approaches to deal with them and how to organize and carry out the strategies required to accomplish these objectives. I can obtain practical knowledge of what it takes to advance business operations by knowing this.”
9. What are your intentions once your internship is over and you have obtained your degree?
The response to this internship interview question reveals whether your intern has the potential to work for your business in the long run. Finding this out is essential since you are spending time and money in the applicant and can hire individuals who have received the necessary training faster.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I want to finish my last college semester after this internship and put the leadership, project management, communication and technical skills I will acquire. Through my coursework, volunteer work and extracurricular activities to use. My goal is to work for your organization as a business analyst when I graduate.”
10. Tell me about an instance where you had to take the initiative to handle a challenge in a group situation.
You may evaluate a candidate’s capacity for problem-solving and teamwork based on their responses. It is critical to assess whether the applicants have the capacity for teamwork and problem-solving.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I volunteer at an animal rescue. We needed to expand our audience and raise adoption awareness. However, money was scarce. I gathered the support of my peers, learned that the shelter was not utilizing social media and that its blog was not being updated frequently, and developed a content and social media marketing strategy that could be put into action. With a limited budget by using free advertising tools and platforms. As a consequence, after three months, adoptions and awareness both rose by 15%.”
11. Which current business trends, in your opinion, require attention, and why?
The response to this internship interview questions allows you to assess the candidate’s ability for research. In order to make smarter business decisions, candidates must be aware of industry advancements and research skills can help in this process.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I observed that live streaming is becoming more popular as a means of attracting customers to businesses. Today, live video content marketing can instantly show customers how to use a service or product and engage audiences with original content. Content marketing is essential for any organization to create leads. I think your company can take advantage of this cutting-edge chance to engage customers and create leads.”
12. Describe a time you had to learn how to perform a brand new task.
Interns lack sufficient significant job experience. Since many of them are in college or have recently graduated, they should have knowledge on how to pick up new knowledge and abilities. This internship interview questions can help you determine how an intern applicant approaches problem-solving, their comfort level with work outside of their competence and their willingness to seek out advice when necessary.
SAMPLE ANSWER – “I had always been interested in biology in high school, but it wasn’t until I started college that I fully grasped how research was carried out. By writing a thorough, functioning lab report for my first biology lab, something I was perfectly comfortable with doing. I carefully read all of the directions when I first received the assignment. I posed questions from my professor during office hours and requested to see a sample lab result.”
13. Are there any projects or achievements you are proud of, and why?
I enjoy asking people this question because I want to know what makes them happy. Interviews may be stressful and it is not always easy to predict how an intern will do on the job. This internship interview questions is intended to make you grin and offer you a chance to boast a little.
Related: How to ask Killer Interview Questions from your Employer
In-depth Internship Interview Questions
If the interviewer thinks you would be an excellent intern, they could explore more and ask questions. These internship interview questions could make reference to or relate to genuine workplace circumstances that you might experience during your internship. To convince the interviewer that you should be recruited, you should emphasize your advantages in each of your responses. During an interview, detailed inquiries like the following may be made:
14. Talk about the last time you had to settle a dispute with someone else. What was the outcome of that conversation?
15. Give an example from your history that best demonstrates your eligibility for the internship.
16. Tell us about a situation where your efforts helped your team succeed.
17. How would you manage to meet a deadline?
18. Give an example where you would need to set and accomplish your goals. What was the outcome of employing this strategy in the end?
19. Describe a time when your schedule altered and how you handled the situation.
20. Describe how you plan to use your interpersonal skills and teamwork throughout your internship.
21. Do you think your internship will inspire other interns? How, if so?
22. How would you deal with a challenging intern who, in your opinion, is preventing you from progressing within the company?
23. Describe a situation when you had to handle many duties at once.
What to do after an Internship Interview
Finally, writing a thank you note after the internship interview is a vital last step in the process. It is customary politeness to follow up in this manner to express thanks and professionalism. You can mail or send an electronic thank you message, but be sure you do it right away. The company can immediately get your message if you send an email but writing a handwritten note gives a personal touch. Select the strategy you believe will work best for your circumstances.
A thank-you message serves as a reminder of your interview to the company and conveys your enthusiasm for the internship. Additionally, it provides you with the opportunity to speak out for yourself or show off your attentive listening abilities.
Although it need not be extensive, your message must include the essential details:
- Mention the job you interviewed for and express gratitude to the interviewer.
- Discuss a particular issue that you believe the interviewer found important. To demonstrate that you can meet the demands of the organization specifically, relate this concept to your personal experiences or hobbies.
- Include your contact information and state that you are available to answer any more questions or provide any other information.
- Finish by stating your interest and your anticipation of hearing from them shortly.
Internship Interview Questionnaire
The Internship Interview Questionnaire allows candidates to provide their personal and contact information, work experience, skills and qualifications needed for the internship. This information helps employers to assess whether a candidate is suitable for the internship and make a decision about whether to offer them the position.
Download the Internship Interview Questionnaire below to help you prepare in advance:
Tips for Answering Internship Interview Questions With Confidence
Any stage of your career may be stressful, so it makes sense if college students are a little apprehensive before their interviews.
You could also be asked specific questions during an internship interview that leads to quicker to the position you are interviewing for, so be prepared with relevant examples and experience to answer any “necessary” abilities or particular projects and responsibilities mentioned in the job description.
To help you gain more insight into what a day in a life an intern looks like, check out the video below.
Related: How to prepare for your Second Interview with Questions
How to prepare for an internship interview
There are several steps you can take in the days leading up to your interview to make you feel more confident and prepared during the meeting. These steps might include things like researching the company and the interviewer, practicing your answers to common interview questions, and choosing the right outfit to wear. Taking the time to prepare in advance will help you feel more confident and ready to ace the interview.
1. Research the company
Finding out about the company’s mission, vision, and goals is an essential aspect of interview preparation for internships. You may use this information to develop intelligent interview questions, demonstrate interest in the firm and respond to the interviewer. Visit the business website to familiarize yourself with the material before beginning your investigation.
2. Gather samples
It’s essential to submit samples of your work while applying for internships in fields like publishing or advertising. Do not worry if you have nothing to display. Not all businesses demand work samples, and if you are looking for an internship, interviewers probably will not assume you have a lot of real-world experience. But if they gave you a task to finish before the interview, make sure to put up your best effort.
3. Practice the interview
You can research frequently asked questions and evaluate your answers even though you will not be able to anticipate every question an interviewer may ask. Instead of memorizing the answers, just prepare your major points in advance. This will enable you to respond in a concise and clear manner. You can also work on your presentational skills. It’s preferable to talk with confidence and project a welcoming, open body language.
4. Think of questions
Make a list of well-thought-out inquiries regarding the business and job description after doing your study. These questions will enable you to assess whether the internship satisfies your needs and demonstrate your genuine interest in the role. You may ask open-ended questions like, “How is the workplace environment?” or “What are your company’s aims for interns?” as examples.
5. Dress appropriately
Before the interview, choose your attire in accordance with any instructions provided by the firm (such as business professional or business casual). It is a good idea to presume that business casual dress is required if they provide no further information. To lessen anxiety before the interview, think about choosing your clothes in advance.
6. Be organized and on time
Consider arriving at minimum 15 minutes before to your scheduled interview. Do not forget to prepare for parking, transportation and walking to the interview. If more than one interviewer attends the meeting, bring multiple copies of your papers, including your CV.
In conclusion, if you keep in mind that the hiring manager is aware that you are applying for an internship or entry-level work, it could help you feel more confident before an internship interview. They do not anticipate you to possess the expertise of someone who has held the position for a long time. They are really interested in how you think critically, solve problems, and—most importantly—learn. You use each of these abilities on a daily basis as a student.
Above all, take into consideration that the interviewer wants to learn more about you and make sure you will both benefit from the internship. Therefore, be yourself, take a big breath, and have faith in your ability to succeed.
What do you call a boat whose captain has no idea
what he is doing and works for free?
The Internship
