Hiring an intern can be challenging, it’s a completely different kettle of fish than interviewing a full-time employee for your company.
You want somebody who is motivated, enthusiastic and will bring value to their assigned department. The best way to find an intern like this is to make the most of the interview. We have put together 6 must ask questions that will help you find the best prospective hires:
Q. – Can you talk me through previous projects you have worked on in college or in a previous role?
Why? – Remember interns won’t have a lot of experience so asking them about a project they have worked on will show off their tangible skills that they can bring to your company. Things, like meeting deadlines or working as part of a team, are ones to look out for in a good intern.
Q. – How would you go about marketing out product to potential clients?
Why? – Ok, you can be a bit more specific with this question. Give them a hypothetical situation/problem related to the department they will be working in and see how they answer it. This will help you pinpoint interns that are creative or that have good problem-solving skills.
Q. – What do you expect from this internship?
Why? – This is an important question to ask. You want the candidate to be able to set realistic expectations. Do they want a permanent job after the internship is over? Do they expect to be working directly with a certain Manager or the CEO? You need to know what they are looking for so you know if it is something that you can offer.
Q. – Explain a challenge you have had to overcome and how you did it.
Why? – This is a classic but particularly critical. You want a candidate who can absorb information quickly and has a hunger to learn. An answer to this question will help you understand how driven a prospective hire is.
Q. – Tell me about an accomplishment you are proud of?
Why? -When interviewing a potential intern allow them to talk about something they have accomplished. Instead of just having close-ended questions this gives you the opportunity to get to know the candidate a little better as they can choose what they want to discuss with you.
It could be work-related or even something completely different. Either way, it is a good way to get to know whether or not they will be a good fit for your team.
Q. – Do you have any questions?
Why? – Let your candidates ask questions and evaluate them based on the questions they are asking. Have they done their research about your company? Are they looking for ways to add value to their time at your company? or is this something just for them to fill a gap on their CV?
