What Internship Interviewers Actually Look For

Unlike experienced role interviews, internship interviewers are not expecting a long work history. They want to see: genuine enthusiasm for the company and industry, intellectual curiosity and a willingness to learn, clear communication and the ability to structure thoughts, evidence of initiative from university, clubs, projects or part-time work, and cultural fit. A well-prepared enthusiastic candidate beats an unprepared one with better grades every time.

Preparation Checklist

  1. 1

    Research the company thoroughly

    Read the company’s website (About, Products, News), LinkedIn page, recent news articles, and any annual report or investor materials. Know: what the company does and who it serves, how it makes money, what its recent major developments have been, who the key competitors are, and any current challenges or opportunities in the industry. Demonstrating this knowledge immediately sets you apart from candidates who did not prepare.

  2. 2

    Understand the role specifically

    Re-read the internship description carefully. Identify the 3–4 most important skills or qualities they are asking for. Prepare a specific example from your own experience (university projects, part-time work, volunteering, personal projects) that demonstrates each. The STAR format works well: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

  3. 3

    Prepare for the most common questions

    Tell me about yourself: A 90-second summary of your degree, relevant skills or experiences, and why you are interested in this company — not your life story. Why this company / this internship: Be specific. Reference something real about the company (a product, a project, a value) that resonates with you. Generic answers (“I love the company culture”) are immediately identifiable. Describe a challenge you overcame: Use a real academic or extracurricular example. Focus on what you learned and how you adapted. Where do you see yourself in 5 years: Express genuine interest in the field, not a specific title. Show you have thought about a career direction.

  4. 4

    Prepare 3 thoughtful questions to ask

    You will always be asked if you have questions. Having none suggests disinterest. Good internship questions: What does a typical week look like for someone in this role? What skills have previous interns developed that made them successful here? What are the most common projects interns work on? Is there an opportunity for the internship to convert to a graduate role? Avoid asking about salary or leave in a first interview.

  5. 5

    Logistics and presentation

    Confirm the interview format (in-person, video, phone), time, location or link. For video: test camera, audio and background beforehand. Dress one level above what you think employees wear — business casual at minimum for most industries. Arrive or log in 5 minutes early. Bring a copy of your resume to an in-person interview.

The day after: follow upSend a brief thank-you email within 24 hours. Thank the interviewer for their time, mention one specific thing from the conversation, and reiterate your interest. Most candidates do not do this — it costs you nothing and is noticed by most interviewers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Research the company culture first — a startup interview has different expectations to a law firm. When uncertain, business casual is safe for most industries: neat trousers or a skirt, a collared shirt or blouse, clean shoes. Avoid anything too casual (jeans, sneakers) or too formal (full business suit unless explicitly expected). It is always better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed for a first impression — you can dress down once you know the culture.
Internship interviewers expect limited work experience — that is the point of an internship. Draw on: university projects (group projects show teamwork, assignments show initiative), extracurricular activities and clubs (leadership, event organisation, committee roles), volunteering, any part-time or casual work (even unrelated work shows reliability and work ethic), and personal projects relevant to the field (a coding project, a blog, creative work). Frame everything in terms of transferable skills.