5 Best Internship Questions and Answers for Interviewing Newbies

Internship programs are the perfect opportunities for newbies to gain experience. These candidates are either still in the middle of their studies or have graduated recently, eager to join the workforce. Most interns may not be a ‘plug and play’ hire since they still lack the level of skill needed for the job role. However, their fresh perspective is an asset that should not be ignored. If your business is experiencing a workload overload and you need extra hands, hiring an intern may be a big help.

Candidates for internships may not have a long history of work experience but asking the right internship interview questions will help you identify the right person for the role.

These interns are likely coming from the Gen Z generation. Here’s how to make your company more attractive to them.

When screening an applicant for an internship position, you need to consider several factors for your internship interview questions. Since you won’t be able to rely on their work experience, your questions have to be wired on different aspects such as their college experience in organisations and their other achievements. You can also take into account how well they communicate because it will tell a lot about how they get their ideas across and how they work with other people.

1.Tell me about your college experience so far. What organisations are you a part of?

What this reveals: Passion and interests

This question is a good way to know if the candidate is applying for the right role or the right industry. Take note of the organisations that they’ve been a part of and assess whether or not the skills they’ve gained there can be transferable to the position they are applying for.

2.What made you want to apply to our company?

What this reveals: Company knowledge

Giving somebody an internship program is also giving them a chance to work for the company in the future as a full-time employee. It would be helpful if the candidate did their research about the company because that would show how serious they are.

3.What would you say is your edge over the other applicants?

What this reveals: Inherent skills

A candidate’s base skills will always be a good place to start because these are the things that can be worked on and improved given time. If a candidate has the base skills then enough exposure and training will hone them. With this internship interview question, you will be able to gauge how confident they are about their skillset.

4.How do you begin and end a project?

What this reveals: Work style and work ethics

Listen to the steps the candidate takes when undertaking a new project. This shows what they do to ensure that tend product of their project is successful. This can include doing in-depth research or interviewing peers.

5.Tell me a time when you had to take the role of a leader. What was the outcome?

What this reveals: Leadership capabilities and sense of responsibility

While they may not have working experience yet, there are many opportunities for prospective interns to gain leadership experience, whether in student organisations or the classroom. An applicant that has leadership potential is an asset because they have a working knowledge of how to communicate well with a team. Take note of how they handled deadlines, their team members, and how they reacted to the results, whether good or bad.

The internship interview questions provided will help you assess the credibility of an applicant without relying on their past professional experience. Since these people are still building their careers, it’s important to focus your attention on other aspects of their experience that may prove to have potential.