Internship Interviews Are 10x Less Stressful When You Already Know The Questions You’ll Be Asked. Here Are 2 Ways To Get The Questions Ahead Of Time.
Say goodbye to sleepless nights before interviews.
I used 2 methods - 1) Mock interviews w/ Alumni; and 2) Chatting up JRs & SRs at School - to land three investment banking internship offers on Wall St. coming from a college with a below-average brand name.
These methods are fair game, so you should use them to make sure it’s YOU who goes in with the pocket Aces, not the dude interviewing in the room next to you.
1) Alumni Mock Interviews
I swear - talking about the “good ole’ days” of college is like cocaine for adults.
Email an alumni that works at that company and ask for interview advice. Trust me - they’ll be eager to hop on the phone and re-live their glorious college prime through you.
I emailed Alum I related to because they were in the same sports & student orgs.
They steered me in the right direction so I didn’t spin my wheels prepping for the wrong types of questions. They also gave me a heads-up on the personalities of my interviewers.
2) JRs & SRs at School
The mentor I reached out to said I was like “the younger brother he never had”.
We see younger versions of ourselves in starry-eyed freshmen & sophomores and will go out of our way to help eager young ones. After all, we could end up being co-workers someday if successful.
For Upperclassmen, these intense interviews stick in our minds like glue. We’ll be able to remember it like it was yesterday. And 99% of the time - companies will use the same exact questions.
If not, the general structure will stay the same, the numbers might be slightly different. They are lazy and don’t think twice about it…(speaking from personal experience)
Point is - Alumni & Upperclassmen ARE EAGER to help you out. Use your resources & don’t make interviews harder than they have to be.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are two effective strategies to prepare for internship interviews, particularly in investment banking:
1) Alumni Mock Interviews: - Connection: Reach out to alumni who have worked at the company you're interviewing with. Alumni are often willing to share their experiences and provide specific insights into the interview process. - Preparation: Alumni can guide you on the types of questions to expect and the interviewers' personalities. This insider knowledge can help you tailor your preparation effectively. - Engagement: Engaging with alumni also helps in understanding the company culture and what made them successful in their roles, which can be invaluable during your interview.
2) Interactions with Juniors and Seniors (JRs & SRs) at School: - Peer Advice: Upperclassmen who have recently gone through similar interviews can remember the questions vividly and are usually eager to help underclassmen succeed. - Relevance: Since many companies tend to repeat or slightly modify their interview questions over the years, getting insights from peers can give you a significant advantage. - Relationships: Building relationships with peers can also lead to ongoing support and potentially beneficial networks in the future.
These methods not only reduce the stress associated with the unknowns of an interview but also significantly increase your chances of performing well by going in better prepared.
Sources: nervous about S&T internship beginning in a few weeks - how to calm my t*ts?, How do you CRUSH your interviews?, 6 Tips To Boost Your Confidence And Nail Your Next Job Interview, Just got an IB offer, how do I prepare?, Incoming intern stress
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