Want to kick-start your dream career? Going through how top internship interview questions and answers that work can get you your dream career started.
Employers know that the best way to start a career or a new career (if you are changing career) is through internships. Internships are proven to be effective in getting real world experiences in any field.
Can’t figure out the common internship questions that you are likely to face in your internship interview? Not to worry, our guide on top 10 internship interview questions and answers that work has landed a lot of our readers their dream internships.
What is an Internship?
An internship is the position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.
If you are new to the workforce, the best way to start building real world experiences, industrial technical skills is through an internship. They are also effective in building professional network that will in a long run help you in your professional career.
Internships Interview Questions and Answers
Below are common internship interview questions are likely to come up in your internship interview. We also provide sample answers to each question to help you in acing the interview.
Internships Internship Questions #1
Tell me about yourself
Tell me about yourself is one of t he common interview questions that is asked in any interview. It is a popular internship interview question that is asked to lean about a candidate.
It is an open-ended question that you can use to give brief detailed targeted information about yourself, and how it relates to the internship you are interviewing for.
Sample Answer
“Okay, I’m Jennifer, a final-year student at Covenant University who is currently studying computer science. I discovered programming when I was nine, and since then I have been immersed in solving problems using code.
In college, I participate in the campus computer club, where we discuss the latest developments in software and hardware, and share minicomputers that we have built. I have maintained a GPA of 3.9 in my class. I am also a volunteer mentor for a program that helps high school students get started with programming.
In the future, I want to become a software engineer. After reading about your internship program, I found that many of your values—such as long-term growth and investing in your employees—resonated with me deeply. I also think that your workplace would be a great place for me to develop hands-on professional experience solving difficult problems.”
Internships Internship Questions #2
Why are you applying for this internship?
This is a crucial question you should have long asked yourself before going for internship interview. An internship is an amazing opportunity to get real world experiences in your desire career, build professional networks, and might possibly earn you a permanent employment.
An internship should be an opportunity for you. If the internship does not have any connection with your dream career, it is advisable to quit the internship interview since you will not only be wasting your time on what wouldn’t add value to you in your future, you are also robbing someone an opportunity to kick-start his/her dream career.
Sample Answer
“I grew up watching the news and being fascinated by journalism and I knew without a doubt that my ultimate dream in life was to someday be the person bringing those stories to the world. I’ve taken journalism and writing classes every chance I’ve gotten and the desire to take this passion and turn it into a career is my ultimate goal in life. I’ve spent the past four years learning the academic side of journalism, and the chance to see first-hand how a newsroom is run and what it takes to make every broadcast come together as an intern with your station is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Your station is known for integrity and truth in reporting and those are values I hold myself to as well.”
Internships Internship Questions #3
Why did you choose to interview with this company for this position?
This is also one of the common internship interview questions that will come up in your next internship interview. It is an open-ended question that you are free to express your mind. To best answer this question, research the company to know their culture, values, vision, and mission and also how they operate that you find interesting.
Sample Answer
“I find that your company is innovative and values continuous learning, and my goal is to work in a forward-thinking company. Companies that consistently innovate often lead in their industries and constantly grow. I value continuous learning and want to grow as a prolific business leader with an innovator. I believe your company and this position can help me to achieve this.”
Internships Internship Questions #4
What do you expect to gain from this internship?
Another of the common internship interview questions that you will be asked in your coming internship interview is what you expect to gain from the internship.
We all know that a job is the ultimate goal, but that shouldn’t be what you should be talking about in your answer. Talking about practical real world experiences, technical skills, professional networks you will build during the course of the internship is something good.
Sample Answer
“My expectations involve being able to learn how to identify business problems, how to choose strategies to address these issues, and how to plan and execute the tactics needed to achieve these goals. By learning this, I can gain real-world experience of what it takes to drive business operations forward.”
Internships Internship Questions #5
How do you plan to make an impact during your internship?
Hiring managers ask this question to know if you possess leadership skills which is crucial in a workplace.
Sample Answer
“I plan to identify key areas of opportunities that can enhance the operational process. I’ll map out the necessary resources to achieve operational goals. I’ll also rally a team, delegate tasks, procure resources, identify key performance indicators and create a schedule to make sure that each tactic is being achieved in a timely manner.”
Internships Internship Questions #6
What are your long-term goals?
This question is usually asked to know how ambitious you are to work in a company for the future.
Sample Answer
“I’ll be graduating this year with my degree in marketing. I recently enrolled in a graphics design training, so am hoping to find a full-time job as quickly as possible, ideally with an advertising company such as yours where creativity and innovation are rewarded. I’m hoping that I will be able to roll that first job into a long-term relationship where I can continue to grow and expand my career horizon”
Internships Internship Questions #7
What are your plans after completing this internship and graduating from school?
This is a question that is asked to know what your plans for the future are
.Sample Answer
“After this internship, I plan to complete my final semester in college and apply leadership, project management, communication and technical skills that I’ll gain in my academic, volunteer and extracurricular activities. My plans after graduation include pursuing a career as a business analyst for your company.”
Internships Internship Questions #8
What skills do you have that will help you excel at this position and how do you plan to implement them?
Sample Answer
“I have a variety of skills that I can use on the job, including public speaking, writing, planning, data analysis and leadership skills. I plan to apply my communication and technical skills in this position to lead team projects, research and solve business problems, identify trends and present findings.”
Internships Internship Questions #9
Why should we consider you for this position?
This is also one of the internship interview questions that is asked to know how confident you are, and the knowledge you have that can be valuable to the company when given the internship opportunity.
Sample Answer
“When I saw the internship listing in y school’s SIWES office notice board, it was just as if you had me in mind. As a final-year computer science student, I have spent my past three years advancing my core skills on algorithm, data structures, project management, and also being creative.
I already had prior knowledge of programming during my high school days, and already started building small projects before going for college where I have been able to build 2 complex projects with my colleagues that the school uses. My school’s library management system and voting system are products of my work and teammates’. So I strongly believe I will be a valuable asset as an intern software developer in the company.”
Internships Internship Questions #10
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
Sample Answer
“As a computer scientist, I have quite had some accomplishments like building software that my school is using, and taking my juniors on programming training, but the most soul-satisfying for me was when my software won the best software in 2018/2019 NACOS Event.”
10 Interview Questions with Answers That Work
Conclusion
Getting familiar with the top internship interview questions may be all you need to ace your next internship interview. The above internship interview questions are the top internship interview questions that are likely to come up in your internship interview.
Hope you found our guide on top internship interview questions helpful?
What is your take-away from this guide?
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