Best Interview Questions To Ask An Intern

Best Interview Questions To Ask An in eigener sache Over the decades, the concept of an internship has evolved significantly. What once was a part-time summer job for college-level students has become a variety of learning opportunities offered year-round for traditional and non-traditional candidates.Before your company starts the recruitment process, its important to understand how internships have changed, the types of candidates in todays job market, and the best interview questions to ask in order to hire the best intern.Questions to Ask an Intern CandidateInternships have evolved over time (read on for the history and current state of internships in the United States). Have the questions you should ask internship candidates changed as well? The answer is yes and no.Tzu siche will always be questions you cant ask to ensure your company is bedrngnis discriminating. This article gives guidance on questions that are off limits. Also, there will always be questions you should ask. T he famed Tell me about yourself question can be a great conversation starter that will walk you through the candidates resume and guide you to relevant experience and skill-based questions.Experienced-based questions can often be more revealing than skill-based questions. They can reveal a variety of transferable skills, which are important to keep in mind if a long-term goal of your internship program is to fill full-time positions. If one goal of your internship program is to become a mentor, allow candidates to treat your conversation partly as an informational interview. Encouraging candidates to ask you questions will give them insight into how their careers could progress.The QuestionsHere are 30 general questions to ask prospective interns in order to get a sense of their work ethic, values, strengths, weaknesses, and more.1. What is your greatest strength?2. What is your greatest weakness?3. Tell me about yourself.4. Why should we hire you?5. Why are you leaving or have left your job?6.Why do you want this internship?7.How do you handle stress and pressure?8.Describe a difficult work situation/project and how you overcame it.9.What are your goals for the future?10. Why do you want to work for this company?11.Are you the best partie for this job? Why?12.Describe your work style.13.Do you prefer to work alone or on a team?14.How much do you expect to get paid?15.How do you measure success?16.If the people who know you were asked why you should be hired, what would they say?17.What are you passionate about?18.What can you contribute to this company?19.What have you learned from your mistakes?20.What do you know about this company?21.Tell me about a time you platzdeckchen difficult goals?22.Tell me about the relationships youve had with the people youve worked with.23.What have you done professionally that is not an experience youd want to repeat?24.Is it better to be perfect and lateor good and on time?25.What single project or task would you consider you r most significant career accomplishment to date?26.Whats your definition of hard work?27.Who is the smartest person you know personally? Why?28.What is sohonigweinhing youd be happy doing every single day for the rest of your career?29.Whats the biggest decision youve had to make in the past year? Why was it so big?30.Do you have any questions for me?The last question is especially important because the answer to this question also reveals whats important to the candidate and how quickly they can think on their feet. Are they wondering about company culture or compensation? asks The Balance. Are they curious about growth potential, or learning opportunities? There are no right or wrong answers, but personality and communication style are important factors when considering hiring someone to join your team, and you can get a sense of behauptung factors with their answer.A lot of the other questions on the list make it easy to learn more about the candidate, too.While its important to hire for skill (or, for an internship, a willingness to learn skills), its also important to hire someone whos likely to be happy in the job for which youre hiring.Likewise, itsimportant to see how a candidate approaches decision making, to see what their values are, to see what they aspire tobe by forcing them to articulatewhy someone elseis smart,to test them for self-awareness and to learn what hard work and success really mean to them. These will all help you decide whether or not a candidate would fit into the company culture, especially if youre looking to possibly hire them full time after their internship concludes.A Brief History of InternshipsThe idea of an internship dates back to the 11th Century. Thankfully, InternMatch (since acquired by WayUp) developed this infographic that summarizes how colleges and universities transformed trade apprenticeships into the norm for students of all disciplines who are looking for real world experience. The infographic shows the numbe r of college students who completed an internship before graduation increased from three percent in 1980 to 80 percent in 1999. Thats a 96 percent increase. Today, its more likely a college student has completed multiple internships than just one or none at all.Internship ModelsSummer has always been an ideal season for internships because most college students are on a 12-week break from school. Managers develop a program based on company values and goals and align it with curriculums so students gain valuable experience and skills during their time outside of the classroom. Although, year-round internships are just as popular since more and more employers require at least one year of experience for entry-level jobs. The key difference between summer internships and year-round internships is the time an intern is scheduled to work each week.Virtual InternshipsAs much as it feels like work-from-home and remote jobs are relatively new workforce policies, virtual internships have alre ady been around for a number of years. In 2012, The New York Times published a story about these learning opportunities that require just an Internet connection, a computer and a video conference tool, such as Skype, for checking in with the internship manager. The newspaper reported the benefits are less expensive and in many ways more productive experiences for both companies and students, and flexible hours that allow interns to manage a full semester of classes and part-time jobs that pay. It also shines a light on missed opportunities, like insight into professional expectations, corporate culture, and bro etiquette. As for 2018, WayUp says one-third of employers are hiring virtual interns and close to three-quarters of students are open to the idea of holding a virtual internship.Gap YearsThe gap year phenomenon is another factor that is driving change the internship landscape. Organizations like the Gap Year Association and USA Gap Year Fairs encourage high school graduates t o take a year off before enrolling in a higher education, and explore careers and learn skills through traveling and volunteering. In a way, gap year programs are internships and co-ops for high school graduates.Fabor Labor Standards ActLastly on the different types of internships, its important to know if your definition of an internship program coincides with the U.S. Department of Labors definition under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Take the primary beneficiary test to determine if the extent of your companys internship program is considered an employee relationship, as the FLSA requires for-profit companies to compensate employees.Interns of 2018A few years ago, Hollywood director Nancy Meyers introduced the world to Ben Whittaker, a retired widower who decided to reenter the workforce by applying for an verbunden fashion start-ups internship program. In an interview with Bustle, Meyers shared the story about a young entrepreneur (Anne Hathaway) managing a 70-year-old in tern (Robert De Niro) came from her desire to have a person like Ben in her life.Changing Careers and Re-entry into the WorkforceThe Internis a piece of fiction, but the scenario is realistic. A 2017 survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam found that 93 percent of Baby Boomers are comfortable having a younger boss and nearly nine in 10 Millennials are okay with managing a person who is older. In 2016, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest living generation. So although the world may not see many 70-year-olds like Whittaker returning to the workforce as an intern, you or someone you know may find yourself in a relatable work relationship one day.Carol Fishman Cohen is the chief executive officer of iRelaunch, a company that helps professionals re-enter the workforce after a career break. In an article for Medium, Fishman wrote, Internships these days are not just for college kids on summer break theyve become an effective vehicle for professionals returning from a career break to engage with employers. Reentry internships can be used by the whole range of non-traditional professionals not only those relaunching after breaks for childcare or elder care, but also returning retirees, vets, military spouses, and expats.Elizabeth Lowman authored an article for The Muse and wrote about her experience as a 30-year-old intern. After relocating and struggling to find a new job in a poor economy, Lowman applied for a part-time, temporary position as an unpaid editorial intern. Having once dreamed of working for a magazine, Lowman shared, I realized that this was a rare opportunity that could help me achieve several goals at once I could get a taste for a job Id idolized for so long, keep my mind sharp and my body busy, and still have time to search and go on interviews for a full-time job. I even played with the idea that once the magazine saw my true potential, theyd snatch me up as a permanent employee.In my previous life in human resources, I recruited for an m aster of business administration internship that attracted candidates from Ivy League schools like Harvard Business School and Yale University. One year I interviewed a former professional NFL player who was enrolled in Harvards NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurship Program, which is an education track designed to help transition NFL players into their second career. The candidate, who is a Super Bowl Champion, told me that 75 percent of NFL players go bankrupt or get divorced after their professional career ends, and he didnt want to be part of that statistic. I can honestly say I had never considered this unique challenge of a professional football player before that moment.The point here is the workforce is changing and so are internship candidates. Remember to have an open mind when reading resumes and listening to candidates answer your interview questions.Exit InterviewsEven though your focus right now is to hire interns, its important to perform exit interviews when yo ur internship program ends its just part of the interview process. Another thing that will never change is the two-way nature of an employer-employee relationship.Ask interns if the program met their expectations and how it could be improved. Did they think it was a good fit for them? Did they feel like they contributed to the company mission? Was their job like the job description that the interviewers originally posted on the company website? Whatare some examples of the strengths and weaknesses of the company? Was it a good internship for people in their career path? What are some examples of the qualities they enjoyed and some examples of the qualities they didnt enjoy? What could the interviewers have warned them about?Also, ask how they would describe your companys environment and culture. If your internship program does not provide value and/or is unsatisfying, it wont produce quality candidates to fill your companys full-time roles, nor positive online job board reviews, no r word of mouth referrals for future interns. Ask for genuine answers.The Internship Interview ProcessAny interviewer may want to review these examples of common interview questions if theyre interviewing a job candidate to see if theyre a good fit for the company. The interview process, even for internships, could be long and grueling for a hire manager. But finding a good fit with the necessary strengths and understanding of the company mission who may just turn their internship into a long-term career could be ideal for an interviewer, especially if a major company goal is to retain new, young talent in any area.For more interview tips, check outThe Ultimate Interview Guide.--Kristen Farrell is a professional communicator who previously worked in human resources. She shares career lessons and everyday experiences on her blog kristen-farrell.com. When shes not writing, youll find her running, crafting, or spending time with her husband, Jonathan and cat, Trotsky.