Chances of Getting an Internship

I will tell you my story of getting an internship. My undergraduate program consisted of a six months full-time industrial training module. It allows us to experience the industry, trends, and opportunities. Continuously, the procedure is monitored by the university and the relevant authorities to make sure the outcomes of the program. Initially, there was a list of opportunities listed by the module coordinator. The list was long. There were plenty of opportunities to be a part of an engineering team. My purpose was not that simple. I wanted to be recruited by a few companies on the list. Because I always want to do exciting things that I am passionate about. I got three paid offers from robotics and industrial automation teams. My family, my mentor and the university were behind the scenes.

The first thing you have to understand is yourself. Ask these questions from you. What are the technology verticals that you are passionate about? What are the skills that you already have to be a part of an engineering team? What are your strengths and weaknesses? I would recommend you to take notes about all of these. After understanding about you It’s better to look outside.

How to select a company which is doing things that you like? When this question came into my mind. I started researching about the companies and what they do. Browsing company websites, searching for company pages, and reaching out to the employees might help you to get more accurate data about the companies and jobs they are offering. Then shortlist the companies that match with you and wish to apply. This list may be long because this is our first time.

Now, You are in a better position to prepare your resume. Your resume will have the followings,

• Name and contact details
• A small paragraph which describes you
• Technical and personal skills
• Projects that you have done
• Internship experiences if applicable
• Education background

Try to express yourself at your best. Be unique and highlight why you are the best match for the company. I would suggest preparing separate documents for each company. Also, a well-prepared resume will be one or two pages. When applying for companies, attach a cover letter that attracts recruiters to read your resume. That would increase the possibility of getting a chance.

Good luck! At this point, you have achieved a milestone in your internship search. You can continue the research that you did about the companies. Soon recruiters will reach out to you and arrange interviews. For an interview well dressed, there is no such thing as being over-dressed when it comes to an interview. Interviews may be virtual or physical. It depends, but you have to dress well.

1. Physical Interview

An interview is challenging for anyone. So, feel free to make mistakes. No one is perfect. Prepare for common interview questions with answers. I would not recommend you to remember this but practice answering questions in Infront of a mirror. Sleep well before the interviews, do not stress yourself much by thinking about the results.

On the day, the interview is held, be there at least fifteen minutes earlier. I recommend you to carry a pen, a blank A4, and at least two hard copies of your resume inside a transparent file. Pen and paper are for you to note down anything important. Stay stand, and it will make you feel relaxed and confident in the lobby. Always open for small talks with the interviewers.

When you get into the office, be relaxed and shake hands firmly. Interviewers introduce themselves to you and ask you to take a sit. I recommend you not to sit until they invite you to do so. (It is their territory). Be thankful for them to have you in the interview before answering the questions. Keep eye contact with the panel. It is time for you to showcase yourself. Just do it.

2. Virtual interviews

It is your territory. You will be more confident than a physical interview. You can minimize the video and keep it near to your webcam. So, the interviewers may feel you are looking at them even though you are looking at your video. That’s the main difference between physical and virtual interviews.

Most probably, It is common to have two interviews.

1. Technical Interview

There will be a panel of senior engineers of the company and a moderator from the HR team. They will test your technical skills.

Some interviewers may ask about the projects in your CV. There is a possibility to ask for a solution for a real-world problem. In this scenario, Please do not hesitate to ask questions from them and clarify before answering. The panel may expect questions from you. Please take this as an opportunity to showcase yourself. Try to come up with the best possible solution. There may be programming and some tests on-premises.

2. HR Interview

Most companies may invite you after a technical interview. So, your attitude matters a lot. Be prepared to tell them what you can do for the company. I would recommend you to get to know about the interviewers hence it is better to know their background knowledge. If they are not from an engineering background, Try to answer the questions in a general approach. What you are saying to them should be understandable for them in my experience. You may sometimes ask for an expected salary, in my opinion, it is good to tell a range. Otherwise, you will have to move forward with the company packages.

Finally, you will get an offer. It depends on how you performed in your interviewing phase. If there are two or more offers, you can consider,

• What is aligned the most with your passion
• Allowance
• Company culture and people in the team
• Future opportunities

I know you may want to do it all at once because you earned them. Be grateful for your performance and improve yourself with the company. That is what is valued the most. This article may help you soon. I will love to hear if I have missed something here. It is all about sharing the experience.