Chapter 1
Résumés, Cover Letters, and Interviews
by Kalpana Srinivasan and Erin White
It's February, and you've decided that this summer, you're going to turn in the old lawnmower and burger flipper in favor of something new: a briefcase, a reporter's notebook, a stage prop, or a computer. In short, you want a summer internship. You want to get started on the long, winding path you will call your career. You're pretty pleased with yourself for making such a wise decision; you feel like you are on your way. But before you become too smug, you suddenly realize that it's February! Although some summer internships have late and rolling deadlines, starting your search this late will put you out of the running for many of them. You want to make all the right moves, and being late in the game is not one of them.
The first rule in the world of internships is to start early, whether you're looking for a summer internship or one that takes place during the academic year. Some people barely finish their summer internships before whipping out cover letters and résumés for the following summer. By mid-fall, some students may have already applied to a dozen places. If you start considering a summer internship in late winter, you're putting yourself at a serious disadvantage in the internship hunt.
Consider early on what kind of work you would like to do and in what field. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, which places candidates from around the country in Washington, DC, internships, advises that planning is a critical stage of the process. Before you start anything, you should know yourself and what you want to do. What is important to you -- money, status, advancement, recognition, independence? Assess your skills and experience so that you can clearly define them on your résumé.
After you have decided on the type of internship you would like to pursue, browse through the numerous listings in this book. Keep in mind, though, that these listings are only a sampling of the countless internships available to college students. If you don't find what you're looking for here, we encourage you to draw upon other resources as well. These include the career services office and library at your school. The chapter that follows this one, "The Intern-Net," will give you useful tips on how to use the Web to find great internship opportunities. Most importantly, don't ever get discouraged as you search -- good things come to those who persevere.
The Art of Schmoozing
Making connections can be a critical career move at any stage of the game. When you first start your internship hunt, try to make as many acquaintances in your field of interest as possible. Start by calling employees and human resource coordinators at companies in which you are interested. If you already know people in the industry, now is the time to solicit their opinions and help.
Once you have laid this groundwork, start using those connections. Suppose you once had an informational interview with a metro editor at a newspaper during which she told you about her job and experience. If you now decide to apply for an internship at that newspaper, be sure to mention your meeting with her. If in the course of networking, someone recommends that you contact a specific person, be sure to mention who referred you when you do get in touch.
Many students find alumni connections to be extremely useful. Check with your school's career services office or alumni office to find the names of alumni who have either interned or are working at the places in which you are interested. Then call or write them. If they are former interns of the company, this is a great chance to find out what it's like to intern there and what kinds of experiences you can expect. Often, former interns have a hand in recruiting new interns.
THAT OH-SO-IMPORTANT FIRST IMPRESSION
Once you've decided which companies you want to work with, you must make them want you. Application requirements vary. Some require you to type a formal application, some require transcripts, some require recommendations, and some require just a résumé But they all contribute to a first impression.
"Communication skills, written and oral, are very important. Make time to take that extra writing class or speech class; it will be well worth it," advises Darrell M. Ayers, the intern program coordinator at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Since the Center takes interns from across the country, many candidates do not have the opportunity to interview in person. Instead they are represented by their applications, so these applications had better be good. "The written information you send and how you communicate on the phone are what sells you," Ayers says. You owe it to yourself, then, to make sure the application package you put together reflects well on you, and shows what sets you apart from everyone else.
Staying in Control
Students often find that the internship application process can be a harrowing one. The only thing you can do to keep yourself from stressing out is to stay organized. Here are a few guidelines on how to do so:
* Make a list. Use a spreadsheet program to create a checklist of all the internships you plan to apply to, their contact information, the materials required for application, and pertinent deadlines.
* Start early! Many organizations require that you write to them in order to receive the correct application materials. You should work on your résumé line up references, and arrange for transcripts to be sent early in the application process. Never underestimate the power of getting a head start on things -- the earlier you can put your application in the mail, the better.
* Stay organized. As information about each internship comes pouring in, create a separate file folder for each place. Keep a record of any contact you have -- this includes phone conversations and e-mail!
YOUR RÉSUMÉ
Résumés may seem like a standard, no-big-deal part of your application. However, your résumé is, in most cases, the first impression you give to a company. While résumé formats are pretty standard (there are only so many ways to jazz up a résumé without being tacky), it's the content that should be special. When internship coordinators look at your résumé, they will generally look for the basics (courses, major, GPA, skills, etcetera) as well as a neat, clean, easy-to-read format. At the same time, they'll be looking for what sets you apart from other candidates and what strengths you have to offer.
The following are a few suggestions for résumé writing, from the top down.
Name and Address
You would think that people would agree on how to write the name and address, but they don't. Some say to spell out the whole state name and never abbreviate, some say to put parentheses around your area code, and others abhor it. The common sense approach says it doesn't matter. Is the heading neat and appropriate looking? Will an intern coordinator know how to get in touch with you? That's all that really matters.
Here's a good way to do it. Put your name centered at the top in bold, capital letters. Put the rest of the heading in lower case, and not in bold. On the line beneath your name, write your street address. On the next line, write your city, state, and zip code. On the final line, write your phone number. Include your e-mail address if you have one.
If your home address is different from your college address, and if you think an intern coordinator may need to know both, you can include both addresses by placing one to the left and one to the right, under your centered name.
Objective
Some people include an objective on their résumé that states in one line what they are looking for in an internship or what they hope to achieve through an internship. An objective is not a necessary part of a résumé and may take up precious space. Showing is better than telling. Highlighting your experience and interests might better serve the same purpose that an objective does.
There are two schools of thought on the objective. Some consider it to be too broad or meaningless, or, if written very specifically, too limiting. Others like objectives, because they help identify where a person might fit in.
The decision to include or exclude an objective is a personal one, but in the interest of space, think about what, if anything, an objective adds to your résumé. Perhaps you are really interested in working at a certain company and would be happy in any one of several different departments within the company. An objective may pigeonhole you, not allowing the scope you need to be considered for different kinds of positions. On the other hand, if you're focusing on a very specific internship position, and can clearly match the requirements of the job with the statement in your objective, go for it. Also, if there are a variety of internships that you're interested in, you could create a few versions of your résumé with different objectives to match.
Education
Put your educational background in reverse chronological order, and include your major. You may also want to point out areas of concentration or focus in your studies, published works, and special honors, specifically those that pertain to the field in which you want to work.
Regarding your GPA: Some employers will be more interested in your grades than others. But as one intern coordinator points out, if you have good grades, there's no reason to hide them. If you think your GPA may work against you, leave it off, but be prepared to answer questions about academic work in ah interview. In general, internship coordinators will want to know about your academic performance in order to measure your work ethic and skills.
Work Experience
This should also appear in reverse chronological order, listing the starting and ending dates and places of your employment and a description of the work you did. These descriptions are the place for you to highlight your experience and skills. Don't go into a detailed description of the organizations for which you've worked; instead, focus on what your responsibilities -- and preferably accomplishments -- have been. Use industry-specific jargon to show off your familiarity with the field in which you aim to work. Avoid personal pronouns and full sentences (not, "I developed a reliable spreadsheet system to aid the reporters" but "Developed reliable spreadsheet system to aid reporters.")
The following is a list of strong résumé words to choose from in describing your work experience:
achieved, acted, administered, advised, analyzed, arranged, assisted
balanced, budgeted
changed, collected, composed, conducted, confirmed, consolidated, controlled, converted, counseled, created
decreased, demonstrated, designed, developed, directed
edited, eliminated, established, expanded
facilitated, forecast
handled, helped
implemented, improved, initiated, installed, interfaced, introduced
joined
launched, led
maintained, managed
negotiated
obtained, organized, outlined
performed, positioned, prepared, presented, produced, promoted, provided
raised, realigned, recommended, reconciled, recruited, reduced, reengineered, reported, represented, researched, restructured, revised
scheduled, specialized, strengthened, succeeded, supervised
targeted, taught, trained
utilized
wrote
Room permitting, include all of your employment experience (except, of course, any jobs that you left after a couple of weeks), even the jobs that may not specifically apply to your field. A complete list will indicate the breadth of your work experience, and your flexibility in different work environments.
Skills
Computer skills are vital in today's workplace, so don't forget to list any software applications you are familiar with, any programming skills you may have, and the extent of your experience using the Internet. Employers are also generally interested in your proficiency in foreign languages.
Honors/Awards/Extracurriculars/Hobbies
Here's another shot at rounding yourself out as a candidate. Do you ride horses, white-water raft, or paint mosaics? Were you involved with your school's ballroom dance team, bowling league, or singing group? Did you receive special honors for your ability to analyze Greek epics, your skill in swimming, or your perfect GPA? Such details might jump start the conversation iff an interview. They also add a little life to a fiat piece of paper -- showing you as the multidimensional creature you really are. Warning: It's not a good idea to pad your résumé with activities that your roommate (and not yourself) participated in. You never know when an internship coordinator may actually ask you about your stint as the world chess champion.
RÉSUMÉ DESIGN
A résumé is not exactly the place to let your interest in cubist art express itself. Résumé design should be neat, readable, and graphically appealing. Figures 1, 2, and 3 show sample résumés for your reference.
A simple résumé design can be created on a word processor or using word processing software on a computer, it can even be done on a good typewriter. As long as you can type and use the spacebar, you should be able to handle this. For the more graphically inclined, desktop publishing software (such as QuarkXPress® or PageMaker®) allows you to play around with typefaces, point sizes, and spatial elements, just don't go overboard or use elaborate typefaces. Simple and legible are the keywords here. It also makes it easy to redesign your résumé in the future.
For most internship applicants, a one-page résumé will suffice. Any more than that gets longwinded and may turn off employers who are looking for a concise and accurate description of your background.
Again, if you are applying for different kinds of internships, you may need to come up with a few different versions of your résumé. For example, if you were applying for internships in science and public policy, one version of your résumé would highlight scientific research and course work and the other would emphasize experience and course work in public policy.
Finally, once you're happy with the content and design of your résumé, don't send out any copies until you've proofread. Proof it twice, and have someone else look at it a third time. Sloppy grammar and spelling won't impress anyone.
The Functional Résumé Option
Not everyone uses the traditional chronological résumé format; some opt for the "functional" format. A functional format organizes your experience by type. This format is helpful for people who have a variety of relatively unconnected work experiences, or who want to emphasize skills not used in recent jobs. It's also handy for people who have gaps in their work history -- and for that reason, it can seem suspicious to some employers. But since students aren't really expected to have a solid "work history," you might consider this option.
REFERENCES
Some applications may require you to provide references, so be ready to approach a few people who know you or your work well and would be willing to vouch for you. These people might include a professor for whom you did research, a colleague who knows your work well, or a supervisor from a previous job or internship.
First, make sure these people feel comfortable about providing a recommendation. They may feel they are not the best choice for the job. In that case, consider finding another person. If someone seems only lukewarm when talking to you, chances are that person is not going to provide a glowing picture of you to a potential employer. People who are not very familiar with you and your work or whom you haven't talked to for a long time may also be poor choices. You don't want a vague reference. ("I knew Linda when she took my class three years ago, but I don't remember her that well.") Someone who taught you an introductory course many years ago may not be able to say much about your skills and personal development. Similarly, a supervisor from your job several summers ago will have less insight than someone who has worked with you recently and can attest to the strengths you suggest in your résumé.
Consider what the intern coordinator will be most interested in: your specific accomplishments in the field, your ability to interact with other people, and your motivation and drive to succeed. Discuss these elements with your reference writers so that they have some basic guidelines. For example, if you are applying to a company that is looking for young, ambitious self-starters, try to convey this to your reference writers: "This company has asked me to include some references from people who are familiar with my abilities and who also know my character. They are interested in how I handle challenges or new situations and how I approach independent projects." Depending on your relationship with your reference writers, you could be more direct and explain specifically what you think they want in an intern. At any rate, try to avoid reference writers who might be too general and lump you in with all the other "hard-working, bright, personable" applicants out there. Also be sure to give each of your references a copy of your résumé. This will give them an idea of your past experience and qualifications, especially those that are applicable to the position you are seeking.
Even if you aren't required to include recommendations with your application, it's a good idea to touch base with a few people so that you can offer them as references.
GET ORGANIZED
Once you have your résumé and references in order, you can set up an internship file. Make a checklist of all the places you are applying to, all the contact info, the deadlines, and the needed application materials. You should call or write companies to make sure you have all the necessary information, forms, etcetera. Take care of the paperwork as early as possible, ordering necessary transcripts and filling out forms. With that in place, you can begin completing applications and composing cover letters.
THE LETTER THAT COVERS IT ALL
The cover letter, like the résumé, seems pretty standard. But it stays with your file, and to a potential employer, it's like "hearing" your voice on paper.
Cover letter formats vary more than résumé formats. Some people take a narrative approach, explaining their interests and past experiences, as well as their passions, convictions, and hopes. Cover letters can become pretty stirring. But before you begin to write beautiful prose, think about these basic questions: Why are you interested in this particular internship? What makes you qualified to intern at this company? What do you have to offer to the company, and what do you hope to achieve as an intern? What do you think you will gain from this internship? How will this apply to your future?
These important questions will drive you away from the form-letter mentality. This is your chance to sell yourself to a company, and you want to be as convincing as possible. This demands a little legwork. What does the company specialize in, what are they known for, what are the features of their internship program? How do all of these relate to you? If you don't know enough about the company or group, you won't be able to explain your reasons for applying there.
Demonstrating your knowledge of the company shows potential employers that you've done your homework. But it also shows that on the basis of what you know about the internship and what you know of your own interests, you have found a good match. An internship might offer a lot of hands-on experience or chances to work with an expert mentor or opportunities to improve your interpersonal and communication skills. Any of these would be good reasons for wanting an internship. You want to not only make yourself stand out as a candidate, but also show why a company stands out for you.
Some organizations may also ask for an essay in addition to your cover letter. For example, the Smithsonian Institution, which offer hundreds of internships in various fields, requires applicants to supply a 500- to 1,000-word essay on why they are seeking an internship and what they hope to do if they are chosen for a position. That essay, in many ways, functions like a cover letter, says Elena Piquer Mayberry, the intern services coordinator. But she stresses that cover letters and essays are not just writing samples to test whether you can formulate an articulate sentence. "I need to know more about the person than whether they can go through a creative writing exercise." Elena says the essays are meant to show applicants' strengths and interests and show whether they are right for the position. The essay reveals "where we fit into your life and where you fit into ours," she says. "Sometimes I get the essay in the form of a cover letter. Frankly, I don't care if it's in the form of a poem. Fine, be creative, but tell me about you; give me clues."
Keeping all of these factors in mind, you can start writing individualized, one-page cover letters or answering essay questions. You may be able to create a template that contains some basic information, like descriptions of your past experience. From there, you can tailor your cover letters to each company. As one intern coordinator says, in the computer age, there is no excuse for not customizing your cover letter for a specific opportunity.
"The most important thing is to tailor your cover letter and résumé; students often have one generic résumé, and this can be really detrimental. If they have something in their portfolio specific to the job they are applying for, they should highlight it," says Margaret Dinneny, vice president of candidate services at Crimson & Brown Associates, which specializes in diversity recruitment.
Internship coordinators want to know that this experience is more than a way to kill time. "Bring out in your cover letter why you are applying to that company," Dinneny says. She adds that doing research is key, because it "reflects your understanding of the company -- not just its history but what's going on in the company now and what you dan add to that." For example, you may read the Wall Street Journal or business sections of other papers to track the latest achievements of the company in which you are interested. Where are they making new acquisitions, what new areas are they targeting, what are some new strategies they are using? This reveals interest not only in the company but in the industry as a whole.
The cover letter is the perfect place for you to carve out your hypothetical niche in the company. For example, in your cover letter to a marketing company that recently opened an office in the Pacific Rim, you might mention your own interest in this area, any pertinent geographic or language study you may have done, or your willingness to travel and be on the cutting edge of the field. This isn't to suggest that you should lie about proficiency in Mandarin, but if there is a match between your personal interests and the company's, the cover letter is a great place to highlight it.
Most of all, show yourself to be a self-starter. How are you going to make this internship a part of your life? How will it help you in the broad sense to learn, or what horizons do you hope to expand? How will a summer in a museum internship influence your plans to study art history as a graduate student? What new frontiers do you hope to explore doing research at a science institution? According to James L. Ward, intern coordinator at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, "Beyond the basic knowledge of plant culture and identification the most important qualifications of a successful applicant are enthusiasm to be an important part of the staff, a willingness to be a 'self-starter,' and the ability to find valuable opportunities in basic gardening tasks. Secondly, the more pertinent the experiences available [here] are to the applicants' goals, the better."
And for your own sake, you want to make clear what you hope to gain from the internship. If you are serious about doing hands-on work and not baby-sitting the phone or fax, you need to make this known. You may eliminate some jobs that you wouldn't have been interested in anyway.
THE INTERVIEW
If you play your cards right with the cover letter, you'll be called in for an interview. Keep the following points in mind as you prepare to meet your interviewer.
Be Confident
Confidence is the most obvious and most important quality to display during an interview, but it's often the most elusive to achieve. How do you "be confident"?
Having some substance to back up your style is one way. it's much easier to be confident if you know what you're talking about. The key? Research, research, and more research. Use the Internet, run a search on LEXIS-NEXIS, read the newspaper, and get a copy of the company's annual report, for starters. Talk with employees, interns, other people in the field, and people who have interviewed for similar positions. Look for information not just about the company, but the field as well. To set yourself apart from other candidates, you should be able to talk about the things that matter to your interviewers and to their colleagues -- not just about yourself and why you would like the internship.
Once you have the information, practice delivering it. Jot down a list of questions you anticipate, and prepare answers. Ask other people for potential questions. See if your school's career services office offers mock interviews. If not, ask friends to interview you and tape it. Although verbal feedback on your performance is better than nothing, you can often recognize your flaws more quickly by watching yourself in action. "I found out that I said uh too much," says a George Washington University student of his mock interview.
All those clichés about body language -- a firm handshake, eye contact, a warm smile, an open posture -- really do make a difference. Even if you're not completely confident, body language can help you fake it.
Also, don't shoot yourself in the foot by being overly modest. "It's a problem especially with female applicants. I get so many women that come in and say, 'I don't want to brag about myself.' And I say, 'Well this is an interview; that's what you're supposed to do,'" says an employment coordinator for a large newspaper. "Don't be arrogant, but you've earned these things -- you should talk about them."
What to Wear
Err on the side of overdressing. Even if you are dressed more nicely than anyone else in the office, your appearance will show that you are serious and enthusiastic about the job, and that you are savvy enough not to underdress. How do you know what the office dress standard is? One Brown University student suggests getting the company's brochure, if it has one. Brochures usually depict workplace scenes and picture employees dressed in attire the company considers exemplary. Another way to find out what to wear is to ask employees or former employees.
If you're a woman, wear pants if you prefer, but be aware that some interviewers still consider pants inappropriate business attire for a woman.
Although it's never possible to be too prepared, be careful about sounding too rehearsed. If you're so polished you have to fake spontaneity, do it. "Even if you've heard a question 20 times before, you can still say, 'Oh, that's ah interesting question,' or 'Hmm, that's a tough one,' or 'Hmm, let me think about that one'" says one recruitment director.
Handling the "Tell Me About Yourself" Question
Some interviewees hate this open-ended question because they don't know where to begin. But almost every interviewer will ask it, so you should come prepared with an answer. This question is your golden chance to tell your interviewer exactly why you are a uniquely qualified candidate without having to frame your responses according to his or her questions.
Before the interview, think of four or five personal characteristics you want to convey to the interviewer and then pick personal anecdotes to illustrate them. Want to show him you are responsible, can work with other people, and are willing to take risks? Tell him about the organization you manage, the team you play on, and the white-water rafting trip you took.
How to Handle Questions
Getting through an interview may be a problem if you have not done enough prep work. One way to prepare is to anticipate the questions you will be asked during the interview, as well as some answers to those questions.
Your answers should seem spontaneous. Never answer too quickly, a sure sign that you've only been waiting to give your prepared answer. After every question, take a few seconds to reflect on your answer before blurting it out. In many instances, you will probably be able to adapt your pre-formed answer to the situation.
Here are some questions you should anticipate in any interview:
* Tell me about yourself. Go over your résumé for us.
* Why are you interested in this internship?
* What other internships have you applied to?
* Why did you choose your school? What do you like most about it?
* What are your strengths and weaknesses?
* How would your friends describe you?
* What do you feel are the most important issues in this field?
* Give an example of a recent mistake and what you learned from the consequences.
* Give an example of an activity or job in which you had to work on a team.
* Give an example of a situation where you have demonstrated leadership skills.
"I've interviewed for a lot of political internships and they expect things like, 'I got to work for Senator so-and-so and I got to take a picture with him,'" says a Brown University student. "But if you can throw out, 'I went to Mexico and I went bungee jumping' that's something not a lot of people have done, and people remember me by that. That helped me get the Clinton-Gore internship."
Even less glitzy accomplishments can help set you apart if you present them in the right way. "I use student organizations to show that I'm not just a boring business student -- I talk about being a musician, that I play intramural sports," says a George Washington University student.
Picking a "Weakness"
You know it's coming: "What's your biggest weakness?" Despite this question's seeming invitation to dishonesty, most interviewers ask it, if only to gauge how much you know about interviewing. If you are prepared and experienced, you will have an answer ready. The key is to make it not seem like a stock answer, "it is not a good idea to belt out that answer immediately after the question is asked" says a Princeton University student. "It should seem like you had to think for a few seconds to come upwith your biggest flaw."
One "weakness" interviewers say to avoid is claiming to be a perfectionist, one recruitment director says she and a colleague once interviewed 12 consecutive applicants, and asked each to name a weakness. "Eleven of the 12 said, 'perfectionist.' You know, the first couple people you can believe, but...."
You should also avoid anything that is too much of a weakness. If you are interviewing for a proofreading internship, don't say you have problems with accuracy. Avoid weaknesses that portray you as inflexible or unable to work with people, because employer's prize these skills. "Don't ever say you have a conflict with your supervisor -- that's probably the worst thing," says one employment coordinator, "That shows an interviewer you can't get along with people. We know there are horrible bosses out there who are impossible to get along with, but we don't want to hear that in an interview." Instead, she suggests, say something like, "In my over zealousness I bite off more than I can chew; I don't delegate enough; I take all of the responsibility."
The key is to find something that is actually a weakness of yours, albeit not one that will eliminate you from candidacy, and show that you are aware of this weakness and have worked to overcome it. Interviewers say that describing how you are tackling your weakness can be even more important than the weakness itself. Talk about workshops you have attended, goals you have set for yourself, self-analytical conversations you have had with mentors or peers -- just make sure to give details so interviewers can recognize the sincerity of your self-improvement efforts.
If one of your weaknesses is a less-than,impressive GPA, making excuses for it in an interview is not a great idea. Defensive behavior may lead employers to think you have something to hide or are embarrassed by the work you've done. If your GPA is on the low side, and if your interviewer asks for specifics about your grades, you should be willing to discuss the matter, if you seem to have no problem and are comfortable with your grades, your interviewer will probably follow suit. If you get flustered about it, on the other hand, he or she will sense something is wrong. Also, keep in mind that the person interviewing you might have had a similar GPA! Better to play it safe and assume it's not an issue unless someone makes it one.
Dealing with Your Lack of Experience
Many students fear that their lack of practical experience in the field for which they are interviewing will hurt them. True, someone with pertinent experience will probably have an advantage. But just because you don't have experience per se doesn't mean you don't have skills and interests that appeal to employers.
Talk about your involvement with extracurricular organizations to show interviewers that you can work with people. If you've attained leadership positions, use them to demonstrate your leadership abilities. Discuss relevant books and articles you've read or pertinent courses you've taken to demonstrate your interest in the field.
Past work experience, even if it seems unrelated, can also be a plus if e other hand, he or she will sense something is wrong. Also, keep in mind that the person interviewing you might have had a similar GPA! Better to play it safe and assume it's not an issue unless someone makes it one.
Dealing with Your Lack of Experience
Many students fear that their lack of practical experience in the field for which they are interviewing will hurt them. True, someone with pertinent experience will probably have an advantage. But just because you don't have experience per se doesn't mean you don't have skills and interests that appeal to employers.
Talk about your involvement with extracurricular organizations to show interviewers that you can work with people. If you've attained leadership positions, use them to demonstrate your leadership abilities. Discuss relevant books and articles you've read or pertinent courses you've taken to demonstrate your interest in the field.
Past work experience, even if it seems unrelated, can also be a plus if framed in the right way. "Make a correlation between what you've done in the past and what you could do for us. Like, if the only job you've ever had was at McDonald's, OK, but say, 'I learned how to deal with people, how to deal with angry customers...'" one employment coordinator says.
If It's Not Going Well
If the interview is going badly, the worst thing you can do is sit there and fret about how badly it's going. If you're off on a tangent or don't feel like you're presenting yourself well, don't be afraid to stop and say so to get the interview going in the right direction. "I think you just need to be honest. If things are just going horribly, you can say, 'Things are getting off track here -- what you really want to know about me is this,'" says one recruitment director.
Interviews Gone Bad
An aspiring magazine writer recalls two internship interviews best forgotten:
"I was interviewing to work at Seventeen magazine, and I had an interview with the daughter of a TV celebrity that went terribly. She had been out sick and was so disorganized that she had barely seen my résumé. She began by reading that I went to Yale, and was very impressed because she had gone to Brown and had always wanted to transfer to Yale. She had never even tried to transfer because she thought it was impossible. Needless to say she hadn't noticed that I had transferred to Yale. I thought it would be dishonest not to mention it (since it was right there on my résumé. It all went downhill from there.
"Then I interviewed at Rolling Stone. I was so excited that I brought everything with me: clips, copies of our campus paper, the previous magazines I had worked for. The interviewer, who had begun as an intern, spent the entire interview telling me how overqualified I was for the position of faxing and clipping newspapers all day long. I spent the interview trying to convince him that I really wanted to be there and do that, after I had all but told him I would be bored out of my wits. At least I got a great tour of the place before I left."
The Stress Interview
It's every interviewee's worst nightmare: the stress interview. If you're not familiar with the term, a stress interview is a deliberate attempt by the interviewer to make the interviewee feel uncomfortable. It is supposed to measure a candidate's reaction to pressure and hostility. There are several ways to deal with a stress interview, but the most important thing to remember is to keep your cool. Interviewees who lose their nerve fail the test.
"There are two schools of thought on the stress interview. One is to ignore the fact that your interviewer is tapping his pencil, looking out the window, or yelling at you. The other thing to do is to call them on it -- 'I'm noticing you're tapping your pencil....' This is obviously for the person with a lot of chutzpah," says an interviewer at a Washington, DC, nonprofit organization.
A student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says he took the chutzpah route and found that it worked well in a particularly high-pressure stress interview. "He starts out by asking me a question about my last job. In mid-sentence, he cuts me off, laughing. This continued for over an hour, the room getting hotter, him flip-flopping madly between technical and touchy-feely questions, never letting me finish my answer, racing to the whiteboard and back, starting chit-chat and then cutting it off with insane laughter. Finally he said, 'You don't seem to be doing well on the technical stuff. Just how did you get the GPA you got at MIT and not know the answers to these simple questions?' The real answer was that he wasn't even giving me space to think, but I replied cockily, 'Well, sir, my high school English teacher always told us that grades don't measure how much you learned, but how much you lost' This triggered bouts of insane laughter from him and probably won him over. But at the end I was sweat drenched and completely worn out. I found out later that he often reduces people to tears as part of his interview technique, and that me being cocky with him was probably the best defense mechanism there was."
Phone Interviews
An in-person interview is generally better than one conducted over the phone, but sometimes logistics make phone interviews your only option. Since you cannot use facial expressions and body language to convey emotion over the phone, you must rely more heavily on vocal intonation. Think about keeping your enthusiasm and energy level higher than you would in an in-person interview. "Somebody who face-to-face might just seem calm and competent could just sound incredibly low-energy on the phone," says one interviewer.
Also, on the phone, it's harder to gauge how the interviewer is reacting to your questions. To compensate, one interviewer suggests taking time at the end of the interview to ask if you have gotten certain points across. If you really want to stress your leadership skills, ask your interviewer if he or she has gained a strong sense of your leadership abilities. If not, expand upon what you said earlier and hammer home your strengths.
One upside to a phone interview (besides not having to dress up) is the fact that you can use notes. Keep your résumé in front of you for quick reference. Have research notes handy, as well as possible answers to anticipated questions.
What to Do at the End
When you reach the end of an interview, make sure you feel like you've made the impression you wanted to make. If you're uncertain, don't feel bashful about asking if you can clarify or elaborate on certain points.
Ask Questions of Your Own
The interviewer is bound to ask you if you have any questions. Never say no. Come to the interview with questions ready, and not just with ones about what you would be paid and when you would start. Ask questions that let you show off your research and interest. For example, a Brown University student read newspapers to prepare for a Department of State internship interview. During the interview, he asked questions about the proliferation of weapons in the former Soviet Republics and the expansion of NATO.
Good examples of general questions include:
* Could you describe a typical work day?
* How much responsibility can an intern expect to be given during the summer?
* What types of projects will I encounter during this internship?
* How much ownership of these projects will I have?
* How much say will I have in determining my projects?
* What are my prospects for full-time employment following an internship at this company?
* What types of intern events are held during the program?
* How much interaction will I have with top management?
* Will there be any opportunities to travel during the internship?
* Do you have a mentorship program?
* What type of evaluation system do you use for interns? What criteria are used in this evaluation process?
* Please explain the rest of the recruitment process. When and how will I be notified of the company's decision?
Avoid asking about issues such as salary or other benefits. These are generally discussed after an offer of an internship is made.
The Follow-Up
When you leave the interview, whether it went horribly or splendidly, it's over -- but you're not done. Be sure to get a business card from your interviewer. This will allow you to keep track of the people you have met, especially when you sit down to write a follow-up note. The follow-up letter is a crucial part of the interview, and in a close-call situation, it can sometimes sway the employer your way. As soon as you get home, write a short letter thanking the interviewer and briefly noting some aspects of your conversation. "The thank-you note is important for an extended phone interview and critical for an inperson interview. I tend to think a handwritten note is nicer. The key is that it's prompt -- you write it when you get home" one recruiter says.
Some interviewers prefer handwritten notes; others consider typed letters to be more professional. Use the tone of the interview and the personality of the interviewer to determine the most appropriate format.
Saying Thank You
Most people agree that thank-you notes are a must. You might mention someone you met or some topic that came up during the interview to show you were paying attention. This will help distinguish you from the other candidates. Even if you don't get the internship, you could still send a note thanking the company for showing you around and telling them you will keep in touch in the future.
You could also phone in your thank-you note, or use e-mail, which has the added benefit of showing off your familiarity with technology. It also saves you the hassle of trying to track down busy people.
Learn from Your Mistakes
If you don't get the internship, don't be afraid to ask your interviewer why. A great way to improve is to ask interviewers what you did wrong and what you did well. Most will be happy to give you feedback. Even if they won't, you have nothing to lose by asking. And the information you might gain will help you to land the internship of your dreams eventually.
Copyright © 1999, the Yale Daily News
