Thoughtful Inquiries: Smart Questions to Ask at the End of Your Internship Interview

An internship can be an important step in starting your career, whether paid or unpaid, offering valuable life experience and professional connections. The interview process provides a valuable opportunity for you and the company to learn more about each other. Asking the right questions at the end of an internship interview demonstrates your interest, helps you assess the opportunity, and can even set you apart from other candidates.

Demonstrating Interest and Initiative

1. Inquiring About the Onboarding Process

Every company has a unique process for bringing on new employees. Asking about this process, specifically training, during your internship interviews will help you determine which internship better aligns with your career goals. Some employers may require you to complete paperwork or testing before your start date. Knowing what to expect ahead of time allows you to prepare for your internship onboarding more effectively. Since many employers set the duration of internships in advance, it will be beneficial to know how much training they require before you can begin the main responsibilities of your internship. For instance, you may need to learn specialty software to input orders for a sales firm.

2. Expressing Eagerness to Start

It is always a good idea to show your interviewer you think ahead. This question shows employers you are eager to begin work. Knowing their answer can also guide you in any follow-up measures you can take.

3. Seeking Clarification on Next Steps

Assessing the Internship and Company Culture

4. Understanding Company Culture

A company’s culture refers to its values, ethics, goals and working environment. Each company you interview with will have distinct characteristics. A better understanding of the company culture and how it fits your personality can lead to a better internship experience. You might ask:

Are senior bankers approachable for coffee chats?
Do they have a mentor at the firm they can turn to?
What's the social scene like?

5. Defining Daily Responsibilities

Each internship will have its own unique daily routine. Having a detailed answer about your regular tasks will help you make an informed decision about accepting an internship. Some organizations might assign high levels of responsibility, while others might ask you to answer the phones.

6. Identifying Key Traits for Success

Personal traits are important in deciding whether the internship would be a good fit for you. This question shows your interviewer that you want to fulfill their expectations. Your interviewer’s answer will also provide insight into their standards for your performance and behavior.

7. Acknowledging Potential Challenges

The job description doesn’t always speak to the difficulties a position may present. By asking for the challenges of the position, you ensure that you have the most well-rounded view of your upcoming role.

8. Exploring Available Resources

Knowing what resources the company provides will help you make the best use of your time as an intern. It will also show how invested the employer is in their interns.

9. Understanding Performance Evaluation

As with permanent employees, employers often check on the progress of their interns and whether they are meeting expectations. This question shows your interviewer that you want to be successful in the position and are open to feedback.

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10. Gauging Future Opportunities

The potential for a job offer after your internship might be a deciding factor in choosing between two internships.

Building Rapport and Gaining Insights

11. Asking About the Interviewer's Experience

Asking your interviewer questions about their own experience at the organization can help you build rapport and gain direct feedback about what it’s like to work there. Learn everything you can about your interviewers beforehand. Memorise their path to IB, school, internships etc, bear in mind you're basically tryna be these guys in a couple of years' time. You might ask:

If they did a summer internship at that firm, what was their experience like?
Is there a particular industry / product they're focused on?
How did they develop those sales skills?

12. Inquiring About Approachability and Mentorship

You might ask:

Are senior bankers approachable for coffee chats?
Do they have a mentor at the firm they can turn to?

13. Understanding the Social Dynamics

You might ask:

What's the social scene like?

Probing Deeper: Questions to Uncover Potential

14. What are you most passionate about learning - personally or professionally - and why?

The workforce is evolving at a rapid pace, with new roles and opportunities evolving each year. Not to mention, the average tenure at an organization, especially among young workers, is getting shorter. Organizations need to invest in building a talent base of people who are genuinely interested in sticking around to grow their careers. The challenge, however, is that entry-level professionals have a very limited view of how their careers are going to evolve. Recruiters need to be forward-looking on their behalf. When asking this question, look for responses that shed light on your prospective intern’s passions. See if there is a fit between what the student cares about - even if it’s an area outside his or her major - and areas in which you expect your company to grow. Try to visualize a very clear growth trajectory for this person at your company.

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15. Can you walk me through the impact of a project that you worked on in a previous role?

An intern could one day become a manager or director within your organization. One way to identify leadership qualities early on is to see whether the person you’re interviewing has passion for it. Instead of focusing on what the prospective intern has done, try to assess his or her level of enthusiasm when talking about past contributions. Pay attention to the parts of the narrative that explain (1) how the student identified the ‘problem’ to be tackled, (2) how the student developed the solution, (3) how the student collaborated with team members, and (4) how the student prioritizes outcomes and results. The answer to this question will help you pinpoint interns who take initiative, collaborate with team members, and are driven by results.

16. In what ways would you like to create value as an intern?

An intern project may end up becoming a new product, feature, service, or marketing plan for your company. It’s important for all employees, no matter how junior, to feel comfortable expressing their ideas. The answer to this question will tell you whether the student has done their homework on your organization. Look for answers that demonstrate depth of awareness and passion about your company’s core product lines, showing that the student has taken the time to read up on your company. In addition to learning about the intern, you’ll also set a great management precedent - that new hires should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. You’ll help your prospective interns feel excited about working at your company.

17. Why did you pick your major?

Your interns, over the course of their careers, will likely change directions and jobs multiple times - pursuing paths that are quite different from what they studied in school. In many professions, an intern’s major won’t be directly applicable. What’s more important is this candidate’s ability to learn on the job. Still, the reasons why your intern picked his or her major can tell a compelling story. Perhaps this person is an exceptionally talented writer, which is why she majored in English. Maybe she wanted to tackle her biggest weakness, which is why she majored in statistics. Don’t fixate on the major itself. The answer to this question will demonstrate how this person evaluates tough decisions - a skill that will be applicable to any professional role.

18. How would your best friend describe you?

Even more important than the work that the intern will produce is the energy that he or she will bring to your organization. You’ll want someone on board who will bring positive energy to your team. Ask this question to learn what your intern is like in a social environment. Will he or she make the office culture and team events more fun? Give the applicant an opportunity to share a story - let her know that she’ll be encouraged to bring her whole identity to the office.

19. What’s an accomplishment you’re most proud of?

When speaking with a potential intern, allow them to share something they’ve accomplished either at school or in their extracurriculars. By keeping the question open-ended, you’ll help them feel empowered because they can choose what they want to discuss with you. Maybe it’ll be work related or maybe based on something completely different. Either way, this question is sure to garner a good response you can use to judge whether or not the candidate will be a fit for your team. This type of question is especially strong, says Jordan Burton, the founder of Burton Advisors LLC, because it requires the person to paint a picture of a specific experience versus a simple yes or no question, which won’t give you much valuable information during an interview.

20. What was your biggest mistake?

Here’s another open-ended question that can elicit strong answers from a strong candidate. This will challenge your internship candidates to think over a difficult period either from school, other internships, or in their extracurriculars, which can illustrate how they would handle adversity. This is another powerful question to ask during an interview because probably won’t get you a canned response. Instead, the candidate will be put on the spot and need to think hard about their response, which will get you a true sense of how the candidate would perform in a pinch.

Turning the Interview into a Discussion

Employers may expect many of these commonly asked questions and will likely give you fixed answers. This question can open up a more candid conversation between you and your interviewer. The main tactic is to turn the interview into a discussion - because that's what it should be.

Preparation and Follow-Up

Show you're serious about the opportunity by researching the organization ahead of time. Learn about their mission, values, culture and recent projects. After updating your resume and submitting countless applications, you’ve finally landed an internship interview for your dream co-op or internship. Being organized is part of making a great first impression. Come prepared with three examples of “success moments” for yourself. Confidence can set you apart, but honesty is just as important. At the end of most interviews, you’ll be invited to ask questions. Regardless of how you think the interview went, you should follow up to thank the interviewer. Internship interviews can feel intimidating, but with the right preparation, you’ll feel more confident and ready to succeed. Do your homework, practice your answers, bring your best self - and don’t forget to follow up.

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