Interviews for internships can be nerve-wracking to prep for. Based on my experience working as a Campus Recruitment Coordinator, I want to share some helpful advice for prospective internship candidates. As a coordinator, I got the opportunity to sit in on the calls where interviewers would discuss which candidates to move forward with for an internship offer. In this post, I want to discuss “The 4 Whys” that candidates should solidify ahead of their interview for an internship. These four Whys are what I noticed were common questions that hurt the chances of a lot of students. By knowing “The 4 Whys”, you will have a great foundation for your upcoming interviews.
Why [Company Name]?
You are guaranteed to be asked this question by your interviewer, especially if it’s a company in a competitive industry. Aim to have something better than a generic answer like “the culture”.
When asked this question, be genuine because interviewers can sniff out any bullshit you decide to spew. I’ll give you an example of an answer I gave when I interviewed with a company as a college student.
Interviewer: Why Company X?
Me: I want to work at Company X for three reasons. First, I have two mentors who work at Company X and both have provided me a lot of insights of not only consulting but about Company X. They rave about the experiences and projects they get to work on. Second, I served as President of a business club at my campus and we’ve had a tremendous amount of support from Company X employees. It tells me a lot about the culture at the firm and the kind of “pay-it-forward” mentality there is amongst everyone. Lastly, Company X has such a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, which I am a huge advocate for. I know Company X has a goal for 2025 to have an equal gender-based workforce, and it’s great to see a firm take action. For these three reasons, I want to work at Company X.
I listed three reasons why I wanted to work there. It may be overkill, but the interviewer liked my answer a lot.
In my answer, I did three things:
- Explained the personal connection I have to the firm (mentors)
- Complimented Accenture’s culture (employees helping the club I was in)
- Demonstrated my research about Accenture (mentioned the 2025 goal)
It came off as genuine because this was a firm I had a personal connection to through my leadership experiences and connections.
To come up with your answer, I would personally mention the following:
- A personal connection to the company
- The research you did about the company that intrigued you
- How the company aligns with your values/skills/experiences
Why this career field?
Oh man – if I could count the number of times students cannot explain why they’re investing their time and energy in pursuing a career field, I’d be going crazy. When I say career field, I mean investment banking, sales and trading, audit, tax, and anything else that’s hot right now.
Think about the following when coming up with this answer:
- How did you first learn about it?
- What hooked you into wanting to pursue it?
- What interests you about the job responsibilities?
- What are you actively doing to demonstrate your interest?
The interviewer is more than likely going to be someone working in that field. For example, investment bankers would interview investment banking internship candidates.
Why do I share this? Your interviewers will know what some good reasons are to pursue your field of interest. They will also know what some not-so-good reasons are.
Remember, you’re essentially telling stories in an interview. Make sure that the story on why you’re pursuing your intended career field of interest has solid reasoning that demonstrates the four points mentioned above.
I understand it’d be easier if we could be honest and say, “For the money,” but life ain’t that easy.
Why your major?
If you were forced into a major like I was, you’ll probably struggle to explain why. For some context, I originally wanted to major in English. My dad told me, “That’s a hobby. You should pick accounting because everyone needs an accountant.” Four years later, I got my B.S. in Accounting from Lehman College.
Assuming that you are in the same position, don’t worry! My dumbass came up with an answer, so I’m sure your smart self will too.
Anyways, the way I personally went about answering this question when interviewing for an internship was by being honest. I actually told interviewers my dad forced me to major in accounting. However, I would follow up by telling them that although my dad heavily influenced me, I found myself enjoying the classes I took. In addition, I explained how accounting is an in-demand job that I find myself suitable for since I’m great with Excel and have excellent communication skills (I didn’t have “excellent communication” skills at the time but a little white lie doesn’t hurt). Then, I’d connect it back to the job I was interviewing for.
Mention the following in your answer:
- What about this major interests you?
- What went into your thought process when deciding on this major?
- How do your interests and skills related to your major align with the job?
If you’re majoring in something you’re truly passionate about, it will probably be an easy question to answer.
If you’re majoring in something you’re not really that into, I encourage you to do some self-reflection on why you’re doing it. Don’t major in something to make someone else happy. Fuck that. Focus on your own happiness and pursue something you genuinely want to pursue. You don’t want to be me like me who realized when it was a bit too late that I absolutely hated accounting.
Why you?
I highly doubt an interviewer will straight up ask you this question, but it’s something you need to think about. Why should this large company pay you good money to work for them in an intensive career field? Why are you so special? What value do you bring? What have you accomplished? Why should they pick your ass over the other kids just as good as you?
Think about some of the things that you’ve done thus far in your college career. When I saw the resumes of the kids that got offers, I felt like shit. These kids accomplished so much as freshmen and sophomores. I’m not just talking that they did one internship or got a small scholarship. No, I’m saying that they did multiple internships, maintained a high GPA above 3.5, had leadership experiences, a couple of scholarships, played a sport, AND did volunteer work.
I encourage you to think about any accomplishments or skills you have. If you don’t have either, go seek it. No accomplishments? Participate in case study competitions, hackathons, apply to scholarships or gain a leadership position to be in charge of some project. No skills? YouTube is your best friend to learn anything and everything. I personally learned Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro through YouTube. Look for things to do to add to the value you can bring.
When you’re interviewing for an internship, you’re competing against a lot of other kids. These firms want the best and you got to make yourself a candidate they either don’t want to miss out on or will regret missing out on.
Final thoughts
These are the Four Whys to pass your interview for an internship. Remember to know:
- Why [Company Name]?
- Why this career field?
- Why your major?
- Why you?
My last bit of advice is to make sure you show enthusiasm when answering these questions through the tone of your voice.
Best of luck in your next interview! As a little boost of encouragement, I want to remind you that your interviewer is looking for reasons to pick you. They want to attract great talent and I’m sure you are that great talent!
Feel free to add in your thoughts and questions in the comments!
All views are my own – I do not represent any organizations mentioned in this post.
