September 8th, 2009 | 2 comments | Social Media

So you’ve found an internship – now what? You go through the application process, maybe you just call and express interest – the process is different for each position.

You go through whatever steps you need to, and now you’re invited in for an interview. Congratulations! This is just another step to bigger and better things.

Now, depending on what you’re interviewing for, you may be asked to do interviews over the phone. If that’s the case – read this.

If you’re doing them in person – the tips from the post above still apply – but you’ll be answering questions face-to-face.

Now, I know what works for me, and we’ve all googled “interview tips” a thousand times. So I’ll spare you the standard advice: do research before you go (duh), dress the part (really? You can’t wear flip flops to an interview?), and ask questions.

I asked some of my colleagues and mentors for any advice they’d like to share on the topic, here are some of the tips:

1. Showcase your social media skills – many digital communications-focused companies LOVE to see (appropriate) posts from job candidates to include “going to the interview of the job of my dreams”, “just had the best conversation with a thought leader in PR”, etc.
2. Be enthusiastic. There are so many people that are super-talented but don’t know how to sell themselves. That’s fine. You’ll learn. But come in there with a positive attitude – show that you’re a go-getter, and it’s a no-brainer. Everyone wants to be surrounded by positivity – whether or not they’ll admit it.
3. Be willing to learn. People should come into an interview not only with what they know but also what they think they can learn from the position. Especially in the more junior level. It’s a major turn off when someone interviews for an internship position and doesn’t seem like they are excited/open to learning from others.
4. Have a point of view. It is great to read all of the blogs/industry news. Even better if you can provide a point of view on recent topics vs. just know what’s being said about the topic. (See this:
5. Write a thank you note. Hand-written, the day of, no later than the next morning after your interview. Show that you listened and learned during the conversation.

So come in there educated, dressed the part, enthusiastic, willing to learn, aware that “I don’t know” isn’t an answer (always have a POV) and follow-up.

And of course, you can always read through the wackiest interview questions to get yourself pumped up if you’d like.

Next up? Part three – be the best intern they’ve ever had.

While you wait – check out these posts to get yourself started in the social media scene if you aren’t already:

• Find a Mentor
  
• Why You Should Blog
• Build Your Network

Tags: Social Media