Three ways to stand out in a scholarship, internship or summer job interview

For many students (and even adults!) interviewing for a scholarship, internship or summer job is nerve-wrecking. What’s the number one tactic for overcoming that nervousness?

Preparation.

As someone who has interviewed hundreds of people over the years — from preparing students for various interviews to interviewing professionals for various leadership roles in my corporate job at a large company — I’ve noticed the same things tend to stand out with a stellar candidate no matter what the interview is for. Here are three of them:

1. They did their research: They researched about the opportunity they were going after. You’d be surprised how students walk into an interview without running a few Google searches and doing some research on some of the basic facts about the opportunity. Students should know the basics so that they can spend their time in the interview having a deeper conversation.
2. They’ve practiced their responses: It’s completely obvious when a candidate walks into an interview without practicing how they would respond to frequently asked interview questions. They stumble. Their responses are full of “umm’s” and “uhhh’s.” And, they look panicked each time a new question is asked. Even if a student doesn’t have a practiced response for every question that is asked, it’s important to get into interview mode and practice some sample responses.
3. They’re confident: Everyone gets nervous during an interview. But, the candidates who stand out are the ones who can push through that nervousness and get comfortable with humbly sharing all the amazing experience and personal characteristics they have to offer.

All of these things can be practiced and improved to stand out during an interview.

Interested in getting some practice? Make sure to follow my Facebook page, where I post interview tips, free trainings, and helpful resources.