Follow Up Questions for an Internship Interview

Hey everybody, I’m Brian Clapp VP of Content and Engaged Learning at WorkInSports.com and this is the Work In Sports podcast. 

Happy Monday everybody – I have to apologize for not having a Monday show last week. As most of you know we are in the midst of a merger with iHire, which is incredible, we are going to have so many new tools and products to make your sports job search better than ever, but these mergers and tough, and time consuming.  

There are so many details we need to be prepared for, and Monday last week I just got too jammed up. I’m sorry, I apologize, forgive me. I don’t like missing production days! I love this show and all of you, and I don’t take our connection for granted.  

But trust me, this merger, and all that we are adding...it’s game-changing, and so worth it.  

Today’s question, and it’s a good one, from Janell in Missouri. 

“Hi Brian, thank you so much for your show and the effort you put into its creation, it’s clear how much you care and want to help others. I have a question for you about interviewing for internships. I’ve heard you talk about asking follow up questions at the end of a job interview, and I wonder, do you ask different questions when it is for an internship versus a full-time job?” 

I love this question, now, I know I say that a lot, but I really love this one.  

Why?  

Because Janell brings up a very valuable distinction between what you want to know when you are in the internship process vs. full-time job process. It is different and we need to discuss it! 

Top Level Discussion: Motivation 

When you are applying for a full-time job and in the interview cycle, you are trying to discover long-term fit. Will this culture support your growth? Are there career growth opportunities? Does their business have a long-term revenue plan so they will exist in the coming years? 

You want to know these things before you commit!  

For an internship, your motivation is different, your timeline is different. You need to make sure that your questions revolve back to the theme of, is this the right opportunity for me, right now.   

As a college student you may only have the opportunity for 2-3 internships, you can’t waste that time stuffing envelopes for a nothing company. You need to maximize your opportunities, and the best way to know for sure, is to ask questions.   

Quick tip: 

• Sticky notes! Most job and internship interviews right now are utilizing video interviews, for obvious reasons. Here's a low tech strategy to keep yourself on track! Put sticky notes all around you computer screen with prompts for follow up questions, topics you want to bring up, experiences, anything to trigger your memory just enough to push you further in the interview.
• Have more questions ready than you think you need. If you only prepare for 2-3 follow up questions, and the interviewer handles them during the interview, what are you going to do, other than sweat profusely? Prepare around 8 follow up questions and you'll always have something to ask at the end, and sweating becomes optional.

Follow up Questions to Ask After an Internship Interview 

1: What type of responsibilities and expectations do you have for interns at your organization? 

2: Are there cross-training opportunities in multiple departments or are we isolated to a particular group? 

3: What does the training and professional development look like for interns? 

4: Is there a history of past interns becoming full-time employees? 

5: If yes, are there certain traits or qualities that made them stand out? 

6: What does a typical week look like for an intern on this team? 

Listen in to the Work In Sports podcast episode 368 for more information and details on all of these talking points!