When I think about big moments in my career, like interviewing for an
internship that I really wanted, or interviewing for a job that was a next
step up in my career. Maybe it was negotiating a raise, or when I moderated
a panel for a bunch of Chief Financial Officers for some of the top tech
companies. Or spoke on stage to a room full of HR professionals. The number one
thing that helped me show up with confidence, in each and every one of
those situations, was how much I prepared and practiced. So in this video I'm going
to share with you some of the most important things that you should be
doing to prepare for your internship interview, and how you can practice so
that you show up to your interviews confident and ready to go. The advice
that I'm sharing applies to all interview settings, with the exception of
a couple tips that really only matter to an in-person interview (like having
physical copies of your resume ready to go). But if you're looking for even more
of the virtual interview tips that I have shared in the past (this applies to
both phone and video interviews), then definitely check out this video. I will
give you all the guidance that you need in order to show up prepared for your
virtual interviews. If you haven't subscribed to this channel yet (I highly
recommend it), I put out new videos every Monday to help you take control of your
future one internship at a time. So hit that red button below, and then hit the
bell next to it so that you get notified as soon as my future videos go live. And
then give me a like by hitting that thumbs up, if you want to learn how to
show up with confidence to your interviews. Hey there, I'm Jenna Rein from
theinternhustle.com, and this is Initiative Muscle Monday. Helping you to
start each week with an intentional step toward a successful future. Let's do this!
In this video, I'm going to cover 5 actions that you MUST take to prepare
for your internship interview. But before I go over these 5 actions, I want to
kick this video off with some thought-provoking interview advice. Things to
help you get in the right headspace, and the right mindset, as you go into your
interviews. So to start, remember, it's not all about
you. It's about the company. And I know that this seems to be counterintuitive
when you think about going into an interview and the fact that the company
is asking you questions about YOU to determine if you're a good fit. But
here's what I mean by this... The more nervous you are, the more you're making
this all about your own ego and thinking ahead to "What if I get
rejected?"... So instead of going into your interview with all of those nerves and
thinking about the worst-case outcome that you could have from this situation,
I want you to calm your nerves by reminding yourself that you have value
to add to this company. And you've done your research, and you know what you can
do to help them. And not showing up as your best self during this interview
would be doing them a disservice. Because they could miss out on how great you are,
and they could wind up never even giving you a chance. And then you don't get to
help them. So, this is not to say that I want you to come off cocky and arrogant.
That is an absolutely NOT for your interview. But just remember that you
already got the interview. They already liked something about you. Now it is your
time to show them your best and most confident self, and close the deal so
that you can both start adding value to each other. Next, put yourself in the
interviewer's shoes. When you're at the interview, remember that they're busy
people and it is not their full-time job to interview you. Look, even recruiters
have more responsibilities than just interviewing candidates. So keep this in
mind, so that you're just conscious of their time and you're understanding of any
circumstances that may be happening behind the scenes that you're not privy
to. For example, your interviewer may have an important project deadline to hit, and
this interview is cutting into their time that they have to complete it. Or
maybe they weren't even on the schedule to interview you in the first place, and
they got pulled in last minute and they are now missing their lunch because of
it. I'm not sharing these examples to make you feel bad, but I want you to be
aware -- There are often other things happening behind the scenes that you
don't realize or understand. So be in tune with what's going on around you, and
you will have a better perspective on your entire interview experience. Again,
it's not all about you. The third thing that I want you to remember, is that the
interview is meant to determine if you're a good fit. For the role, sure, but
also a good fit for the company. Remember, they already read your resume,
and your cover letter. And they know about your skills and your experience.
Now, they want to determine if you're someone that they would want to work
with. They're evaluating your behavior. So, it's super important that you are
positive, and kind, and enthusiastic about the company and their mission.
And that you establish a connection with the people that you're interviewing with.
Let me say that last part again... Establish a connection. We will talk about
doing your research in a little bit, but make sure that you're using the research
that you have done to connect on a human level with the people that you sit down
to interview with. No one wants to work with a robot. So smile, because this
brings the energy up in the room, and find ways to connect. And that ties well
into my final point -- to get you in the right headspace and the right state
of mind before you go into your interview -- and that's being clued into
the behaviors and the language of someone in the specific role that you're
interviewing for. And you want to be able to demonstrate this to the company. For
example, if you're interviewing for an internship in sales operations, you want
to be personable and strategic. Salespeople are a friendly and outgoing
bunch. They're personable, so you need to be
able to show that you can work well within that environment, and demonstrate
this with your personality throughout the interview. And you should also have a
good understanding of typical tools that a salesperson would use, and really be
able to speak to those. So if you don't know what CRM means, or you've never seen
Salesforce before, then make sure that you brush up on all of those things
before you interview for an internship in sales operations. Act the part. People
will respond positively to you in an interview, because it shows them that
they don't need to waste time getting you up to speed on all of the basics.
Hopefully those first four points that I shared with you have you thinking about
how you can show up to an interview a little differently and more confident.
Now, I'm going to give you the 5 actions that you MUST take to prepare
for your internship interview. First step... Do your research. If you don't do your
research, then you're walking into a trap, and you only have yourself to blame.
Because you're the one that created that trap for yourself. If you don't know your
shit when it comes to the company, and the people that you're meeting with, then
you will most definitely have a facepalm moment (or two)...during your interview.
So first, ask ahead to get the names and titles for all of the people that you
may be interviewing with. Then, research these people. Look them up on LinkedIn,
check their work history, where they went to school, organizations that they like
to volunteer their time at. Get to know them.
And then use this to establish a connection. Like we already talked about
earlier in the video, establishing a connection is super important. Then,
research the company. Read their website, take notes on their mission statement
and their company values, read the executive bios, understand who their
biggest clients are. Then check their social media accounts as well. Follow
each of them, and read their latest posts. And know that some companies even have
specific social media accounts for their internship programs, or just careers in
general. So follow those as well, and make sure that you're familiarizing yourself with
the company culture. And make sure that you've also read up on the company by
Googling them, and reviewing any recent news or articles that have been written
about them. Pro Tip: Set up a Google Alert for yourself on the company so that you
get an email every time that they pop up in the news. And if you want to take your
research to the next level (which who doesn't?), reach out to alumni from your
school who have worked for this company, or former interns who've been with this
company, and then get their take. Everyone loves to help a college student, so most
people will reply to you. Why wouldn't you want some insider information and
company specific tips before you head into the interview? The second action
that you must take to prepare for your internship interview, is practicing
interview questions and answers. I have a video with 20 of the most common
internship interview questions, and how you should approach answering them. Watch it
after this one, make sure you do. I will link to it in the description below. But
you can't just watch my video on common interview questions and answers, or read
about them, and think that you're good to go. You have to practice. Think of it like
free throw shots in basketball. Everyone has to practice their free throws... even
the pros. You should go over a lot of practice questions, and again I share
some of the best ones with you in this video. But the top two questions that I
recommend you absolutely know your answers to, and feel confident answering,
are: Tell me about yourself and Why this company? or Why are you interested in
interning for our company? Know what you're going to say to these questions
for each company that you interview with. Also be prepared to potentially have
more than one person interviewing you at the same time. And I
say this because it means that the questions could be coming at you a lot
faster, because they're taking a tag-team approach on the other side at the table.
Don't freak out. This is a common interview practice. I've been in many
interviews where I've had multiple people interviewing me at the same time.
But just be aware that it is a possibility, and practice your interview
questions and answers so that you are prepared to handle whatever comes your
way. And the best way to practice is to do a mock interview. Utilize your campus
Career Center for this. After you graduate, you're gonna be kicking
yourself for not utilizing your Career Center more. Believe me. And if your
Career Center isn't an option for you, then practice with a family member or a
friend. Or film yourself and watch it back. You will learn a lot more about
yourself, and your behaviors, after you watch yourself back. Take it from someone
who films YouTube videos once a week... if you go back to some of my first videos,
you will see that I have come a lonnnng way. To help you catch these behaviors, and
overcome them, I'm going to be sharing a video next week on specific things that
you can practice and look out for in your mock interviews. Be sure that you're
subscribed to this channel so that you catch this video, and I will also link it
in the description below this video once it's gone live. Once you have taken the
time to practice your interview questions and answers, it is time for
action number three. You need to plan out logistics. What do I mean by logistics?
Look up directions and the drive time, or the best public transit route that you
can take, and give yourself enough buffer time on the day of your interview so
that you are not stressing out on your way to the interview because you're
running late due to traffic or getting lost.
Talk about a confidence killer! And if you are driving, ask them about parking
before the day of the interview so that you know what to expect when you get to
the building. My interview with the Chicago Bulls was at their unmarked
training facility in the Chicago suburbs. You needed a special key card in order
to enter the player and staff parking lot. If I hadn't checked in with them ahead
of time, I would have been driving around in circles trying to locate this
building and figuring out where to park. And I probably would have missed my
interview altogether. So just be prepared and plan out your logistics ahead of
time. Action number four, to help you prepare and show up with confidence,
dress to impress. Or as I like to say, dress how you want to be addressed. If
you don't take yourself seriously, why should someone else? Check out my
video on what to wear to an internship interview to get my advice on
professional attire and where you can get it (even if you're on a budget). And
don't forget to pick out this outfit at least the day before so that it's
wrinkle free, lint free and ready to go. Look good, feel good. Speaking of things
to get ready the day before your interview... the fifth and final action for
you to take, to prepare, is to pack your materials. I want you to print multiple
copies of your resume, and your references, and the cover letter that you
worked hard to customize for this company.
I recommend bringing at least five copies of all of these materials that you
have, but if you know that you're going to be interviewing with more people than
that, then pack accordingly. Also, pack the notes that you took while doing all of
the research that you did on the company, and the people that you're going to be
meeting with. It is more than okay to have these notes out and be referencing
them during your interview. Employers actually love this, because it shows how
prepared you are. In addition to your notepad, make sure that you're packing a
pen, so you can take some notes during the interview. Then grab some mints and
some student business cards if you have them. I have a post about student
business cards, if you're curious about what you should be putting on them, and
how you can make them, and I will be sure to link that in the description below
this video. And finally, make sure that the notes that you're bringing with you
include the questions that you want to ask them at the end of the interview.
This is one of the most important things that you can do to prepare. Have these
questions tailored to the company and the individuals that you're going to
be speaking with. And you can check out this video on my channel if you're
wondering what the heck I'm talking about, and you would like some examples
to get you started. Let me know in the comments below, what other questions you
have about interviewing, and I will be sure to address them in a future video.
Thanks for watching. Go on and nail your interviews. And if this video gave you
some new insights today, please give it a like and share it with a friend or two. Hit
that red subscribe button below so that you don't miss out on future videos.
In support of your hustle, I'll see you next Monday.