Based on several reports that have been printed and research conducted as to what are the factors that lead to succeeding in a given race of the internship and those who fall out, what makes them lag behind, the conclusion is common in most, attitude. Although there are several other benchmarks on which applicants are assessed and short listed during the recruitment and selection phase, one of the most prominent factors that outweigh the rest is what behavior, passion and value is the applicant bringing to the work environment. Companies say that skills can be trained on the job, attitude cannot be changed, hence finding the right attitude is more important than the skill set. Many famous companies have pitched in their favorite picks in applicants and how the click happens; here are a few of them:
1) Prior knowledge of company-
Recruiters prefer applicants who have done some amount of homework before walking into the office for an interview. Knowing the history of the company along with a brief insight of the job description for which the prospective internee has applied is a major plus. Candidates who simply walk in and have no idea about the values, missions, goals, services and ethics of the company seem to make the wrong impression and get a no from the panel most times.
2) Passionate about majors chosen-
The next important factor is the college major chosen by the applicant, whichever field it maybe, marketing, finance or any other the amount of passion and learning related to it adds value. Many candidates are seen choosing majors without proper guidelines or interest in it. Just because it is being popularly placed in high ranking jobs or the circle of friends chose it, doesn’t justify the field of study. Recruiters want better answers and scope for the hot seat of an intern to be filled.
3) Embrace natural personality, no pretending-
The candidate who seems to be pretending in front of recruiters becomes quite obvious. It is a turn off for many recruiters as confidence and positive attitudes in an interview are essential to leaving the place with a promising answer. Many large companies open programs such as American Travel Tour Internshipslook for candidates with the ability to smile and give honest answers with sufficient IQ and EQ level. Making up and faking any sort of academic or voluntary activity to leave an impression easily acts negatively and leads to negative consequences as recruiters are trained professionals who can identify these traits.
4) Practice most frequently asked interview questions-
With nervousness at a peak when giving a highly competitive internship interview, even the most simple and common interview questions become difficult to answer. Candidates should be prepared industry-wise to tackle and answer the basic interview questions that are asked frequently. This can be done by either by doing adequate online research or asking around from those who have already experienced an interview with the given company or in the industry. Being prepared boosts your confidence level and increases your chances of performing better.
5) Know strengths and weaknesses-
It is vital to know the personal strengths and weaknesses as well as on the professional level when asked by the recruiter. It is no doubt a difficult task to spell out one’s own personal weaknesses, but done tactfully, the purpose can be fulfilled. Hence, candidates should be prepared with these answers which are true and come naturally. Recruiters of huge companies look for fresh candidates only to enhance and add value to the current flow of work; with the same kind of responses the concept of fresh candidates is defeated.
