Landing an internship can be a major stepping stone towards building your career. It’s a chance to gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills, and start growing your network. But getting your foot in the door requires an interview, which can be nerve-wracking.
This can be especially daunting when you’re interviewing with a company overseas after studying abroad. In this blog, we’ll walk you through common internship interview questions to help you prepare and make interviewing as easy as sending money internationally with Remitly.
Why preparing for an internship interview matters
Walking into an internship interview without preparing is a bit like taking an exam without studying. It heightens anxiety, limits your ability to perform well, and can be detrimental to your chances of success. Fortunately, they can be a little easier when you’ve already prepared for college interviews.
These types of interviews are usually more about potential than experience. That means a little preparation goes a long way to helping enter the room with a sense of clarity and calm—and hopefully stand out from all of the other candidates.
It’s not just about having the right answers, though. It’s about showing that you’ve thought things through. Taking time to research the company, understand the role, and reflect on what you bring to the table will help to ensure that you’re equipped to handle common internship interview questions.
Besides knowing what you’ll say, practicing your responses out loud, preparing examples, and brushing up on interview etiquette can all help you to present yourself with more confidence and poise.
The more familiar you are with the process, the easier it will be to focus on what really matters during the session: showing your enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and the unique perspective that you bring to the table.
Common interview questions for internships
Internship interview questions cover a range of topics. Some will be about you, others will be about how you think or approach situations, and others will focus on the role or industry you’ll potentially be working in.
Understanding the different types—and knowing what questions you might expect—will help you to prepare thoughtful responses so that you can make a lasting impression.
Questions about you
Interviewers often kick things off with a few personal questions to get a feeling for who you are, how you communicate, and what exactly it is that motivates you.
Although they give the interviewer some insight into your background, that’s not all these questions are about. They give you an opportunity to demonstrate self-awareness, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn.
Here are two examples:
Tell me about yourself
- What it’s testing: Ability to summarize your background and connect your experience with the internship
- How to answer it: Briefly walk through your academic journey and professional journey, if applicable, and end with why you’re excited about the opportunity
- Example answer: “I’ve been studying marketing for three years at [college or university name], and I love making TikToks in my spare time. While I’ve been studying, I’ve worked on several student projects where I got to manage social media accounts and track engagement. I’m hoping to build on that experience in a real-world setting like this internship.”
What’s your greatest strength and your biggest weakness?
- What it’s testing: Self-awareness, honesty, and your approach to growth
- How to answer it: Choose a genuine strength that’s relevant to the role, along with a weakness that you’re actively working to improve, incorporating a bit about that effort into your answer
- Example answer: “One of my strengths is definitely being organized. I’m good at keeping track of tasks and deadlines. As for weaknesses, I sometimes take on too much because I want to prove myself—and because I think my organizational skills can help me! But I’ve been learning how to communicate more clearly about my workload and ask for help when I need it.”
Situational or problem-solving questions
Situational and problem-solving questions are designed to explore your soft skills rather than assess your experience. They help the interviewer understand how you think, work with others, and handle uncertainty, and usually start with phrases like “Tell me about a time…” or “What would you do if…”.
The best way to answer these questions is by using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) method: describe the situation, explain the task, walk through the action you took, and end with the result.
Using the STAR approach will help you tell clear, focused stories that highlight your strengths, even if your experience only comes from school projects, part-time jobs, or volunteer work.
Here are two examples of situational and problem-solving internship interview questions:
Describe a time when you worked in a team
- What it’s testing: Collaboration, communication, and how you contribute in group settings
- How to answer it: Choose a situation where you had a clear challenge or goal. Focus on how you helped the team move forward and what the outcome was.
- Example answer: “For one of our university group projects, we had to create a marketing plan for a business that sold art prints online. Everybody jumped straight in, but I noticed that we were starting to fall behind because roles weren’t clearly assigned. I suggested that we divide tasks based on each person’s strengths and set up quick weekly check-ins to allow us to stay on track. At the end, we got the top mark in the class for our presentation.”
How do you approach a challenge?
- What it’s testing: Problem-solving mindset and resilience
- How to answer it: Choose a scenario that shows you’re able to stay calm under pressure, think critically, and know when to ask for help
- Example answer: “When I was struggling with a coding assignment last semester, I started by breaking the problem into smaller parts and tackling them one by one. I also asked a tutor for feedback on parts of my code when I got stuck. In the end, I submitted my project on time and improved my understanding of the topic.”
Questions specific to the role or industry
These types of questions help interviewers gauge whether you understand what the company does, what will be required of you, and how well your goals align with theirs.
Here, it’s best to connect your interests and skills with the company’s mission, culture, and work. That doesn’t mean memorizing their website, though, it’s about identifying what excites you about the role and how you see yourself contributing.
Why do you want to work at our company specifically?
What it’s testing: Your understanding of the company and your motivation for working there
How to answer it: Point to something specific about the company (e.g. its mission, ongoing projects, culture, or past impact) and explain why that resonates with you
Example answer: “I admire how [Company Name] prioritises social impact alongside growth. I’m especially drawn to the mentorship culture that you’ve built, which I read about on your blog. It seems like the kind of place where I could learn a lot and also contribute in a meaningful way.”
What would make this internship a success for you?
What it’s testing: Your goals, mindset, and sense of initiative
How to answer it: Share what you hope to learn, contribute, or achieve. Be realistic about this, but still show your ambitions
Example answer: “For me, success would mean learning how to apply the knowledge I’ve learnt in the classroom in a real-world setting, building strong working relationships, and contributing meaningfully to at least one project. I’d love to walk away with new skills, more confidence, and a clearer sense of where I want to take my career.”
Internship interview preparation steps
Preparing for an internship interview can feel overwhelming—especially if it’s your first one. Breaking the process down into manageable steps not only makes it easier to tackle, but can also help you feel more in control and confident when you get into the room.
1. Research the company thoroughly
Doing your homework on the company and role shows initiative and helps you give more tailored, relevant answers to the interview questions.
Start by reading the company’s website and any recent news about it. Check their social media pages, blog, and press releases to understand their culture and priorities. The more you know, the better you can show how your interests and strengths align with the company’s mission and goals. You can also look at websites like Glassdoor to get a closer look at the company.
2. Review the job description to identify essential skills or qualifications
Review the job description that you used to tweak your cover letter and resume for the internship, and highlight any skills or responsibilities it mentions.
The job description that was shared in the job advert will be a key tool here. It tells you exactly what the company is looking for, from technical skills to soft ones like communication or teamwork.
Be sure to take note of repeated terms and phrases, and think about examples from your own experience that match these keywords. This helps you to come up with responses that demonstrate you understand what the role involves and why you’re a good fit.
3. Practice mock interviews with a friend or mentor
Practicing your answers out loud in front of someone else can help you get comfortable with how it feels to respond to questions in person. Try to simulate the interview environment, wearing interview clothes, and sitting face-to-face with your ‘interviewer’.
Doing this with a friend or mentor gives you the opportunity to get helpful feedback on your tone, how clear your answers are, and what your body language is saying. It will also help to build your confidence, which can make a big difference on the day.
4. Prepare your own questions to ask the interviewer
Asking thoughtful questions shows that you’re engaged, curious, and serious about the opportunity. It also allows you to figure out whether the role and company will be a good fit for you.
Consider asking about the team’s working style, what a typical working day looks like, or what past interns have gone on to do. Avoid questions you could answer by Googling them, and instead, aim for ones that show your genuine interest.
5. Figure out what you’re going to wear
What you wear can influence the first impression that you make on the interviewer. So, it’s worthwhile giving it some thought.
For in-person interviews, aim for neat clothing that suits the company culture. Professional roles, like in the law or accounting fields, might call for a shirt and tie or a blouse. For virtual sessions, keep your attire neat, and make sure your background is clean and distraction-free.
When in doubt, it’s better to be slightly overdressed than too casual. The right outfit will make you appear more professional and could help you feel more confident, too.
Bonus internship interview tips for success
Beyond dressing for the part and answering the interviewer’s questions well, there are some other details that can make a big difference:
- Arrive early: Be there and ready before the interview is set to start. Be sure to provide plenty of travel time if you’re interviewing in person, and log in and check your tech if your session is virtual.
- Follow up with a thank-you email: Reiterate your interest with a personal, professional message that you send straight to the person who interviewed you.
- Reflect on the experience: Every interview helps you build skills like communication, self-awareness, and professionalism to serve you throughout your career.
Interview practice makes perfect
Preparing for an internship interview might feel intimidating, but it’s also a great chance to grow. Every interview—even the ones that don’t lead to an offer—builds your confidence, sharpens your communication skills, and teaches you something new.
Plus, the skills that you learn during your interview can put you in good standing later on in your career, like when you’re starting your own small business or trying to find investors for a new venture.
Go in prepared, stay curious, and treat the experience as part of your learning journey. With each interview, you’ll get better at showing employers who you are and what you bring to the table. And that’s a skill worth developing.
FAQs
What are the basic questions they ask during an internship interview?
Internship interviews usually include questions like “Tell me about yourself,” “Why are you interested in this internship?” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” These questions help the interviewer to assess your motivations and fit for the role.
What are the best answers for strengths and weaknesses questions?
For strengths, choose qualities that align with the role’s requirements (e.g., teamwork or problem-solving) and support your assertions with examples. For weaknesses, mention an area you’re actively working on to improve to show self-awareness and commitment to growth.
What are good questions to ask at the end of an internship interview?
Ask about the company’s culture, expectations for interns, and opportunities for growth with questions like, “What does a typical day look like for an intern?” or “How do you support interns’ professional development?”