I love helping students prepare for internship interviews and, part of this is identifying questions you need and want to ask. Many people think of a internship interview as a high-stakes question and answer session where they must impress and convince the company to hire them. Before we jump into questions to ask at an internship interview, I want to challenge you to begin to think of the interview differently. It is a two-way conversation. While the company will want to make sure you are a good fit for the position and company culture, you (as the intern candidate) need to make sure the company and position are a good fit for you! Make sure an internship position and the company are a good fit by asking good questions during an interview!
10 Questions to Ask at an Internship Interview
1. What have been past interns’ favorite experiences with your company?
This question will keep the conversation light and give you great insight about past inters’ experiences. In fact, you may even have a past intern on the interview panel! Many companies will hire interns to be full-time employees after graduation. If you are fortunate enough to get a former intern on your interview panel, you’ll definitely want to hear about their experiences!
2. Can you provide examples and stories of the company culture?
By asking this question, you will get insight regarding the work environment. Company culture is very important and needs to be a good fit for you. Personally, I find that work environment and company culture make up 50 percent or more of my overall job satisfaction. A perfect-fit role with a toxic work environment will still leave you miserable. Ask this question, and another drill-down question if needed, to ensure the company culture is a good fit.
3. How closely does this role work with colleagues? Can you tell me about the team size?
These questions will provide additional insight about the culture but on a more intimate level. Try to gather information about who you will be working with most closely and how frequently collaboration occurs. Then, gauge how that fits with your work preferences and personality. If you are an extrovert, you might like a high level of collaboration and team interaction. If you are more introverted, perhaps you are looking for a more autonomy.
4. May I have a tour of the company/workspace?
First-hand perspective is extremely valuable. If you are interviewing in the HR office, ask for a tour of the company or workspace! Being able to observe the operation, environment, and workspace will help you make an informed decision about whether or not the company culture is a good fit.
5. I would enjoy learning more about you. Will you tell me about your professional journey?
This question is a great way to get a glimpse of the supervisor’s personality and background. If the manager responds with a history of working his/her way up within the company, you can probably assume that he/she is well-respected and/or that the company promotes from within and might offer you similar opportunities in the future. If he/she as worked for a lot of different companies, you might try to find out more information through your network following the interview.
6. Please tell me about the onboarding process for this role.
This is one of the most crucial questions to ask at an internship interview! I like this question because it provides information about structure and planning. I appreciate when an organization has already thought ahead to what the training will look like for the chosen candidate. Will it be a formal training off-site by the third party? Will it include travel to another corporate location? Will all training take place on-the-job? Get a feel for how thoroughly you will be prepared and trained.
7. Growth and development are foundations of internship programs. How are these elements included in this experience?
Life-long learning is important. Stagnation creates boredom for many and can lead to dissatisfaction. Asking about professional growth and development can be a good gauge for how heavily the company prioritizes growth and investing in interns. You want to ensure you will be doing more than grabbing coffee and filing papers.
8. What does success look like in this position? How will it be measured?
This question can provide insight to expectations and targets. Depending on the role you are interviewing for, this question can be reworded to fit the job and industry. I like to know that emphasis is placed on quality work over quantity. Perhaps you like a challenge or benchmark to work toward. The answer to this question will help you determine if your preferences and values align with the company’s!
9. What is/will be the biggest challenge in this role?
If you ask the previous question and still feel like you need more insight about the role, ask about the biggest challenges. It is ok to ask tough questions!
10. When do you expect to make a decision? What is the anticipated start date?
Don’t leave yourself wondering…ask these two questions! It will put your mind at ease just in case you don’t hear anything for a few days. These questions also express a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the potential to accept an offer.
Final Tips for Questions to Ask at an Internship Interview
Many times, intern candidates plan on asking their list of questions at the end of the interview. Rather than making it such a structured and rigid question and answer session, I encourage you to make it as conversational as possible. It will be more comfortable for both parties. In fact, you will likely be able to work some of the questions above into in the interview conversation as topics arise rather than waiting until the end and going down the list.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help preparing for your interview. You can prepare interview stories in advance and get feedback on responses to common interviewing questions by scheduling a career coaching call! I really enjoying helping candidates prepare for an interview so they walk in with confidence! Let’s chat and ensure you are ready to make a lasting impression!
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