Interviewing for Internships and Jobs
You can also allow the Instructor of the Internship Course to make those connections for you as well.
Be patient with whom you contact. Allow the company to have a few days to respond.
If not, you can resend another email with a follow up phone call.
Don't get impatient. They aren't thinking about You as much as You are thinking about You.
Immediately respond when they call you. Within the business day if at all possible.
Agree to whatever time and date the firm suggests for the interview. Take off from work or school to go to this interview. Remember you are competing with a lot of other individuals with these internships.
Prepare your portfolio with 10-12 pieces of your best work. Gear your work towards the company you are going to interview with...don't take a bunch of photos if you want to do work in web or motion. Think about the company and the type of work they do. Research the company before you go. Have printed resumes ready to give to several people. There is usually more than one person doing the interviews.
If the company has requested that you email jpgs, PDF or link to website, prepare a 5-10 pages PDF with NO ERRORS of your work and email it with YOUR CONTACT INFO. Your resume, cover letter and work can all be done in PDF.
Please respond PROMPTLY to any further communications from the firm.
DO A DRIVE BY of the location at which you plan to interview. Whatever it takes so that you don't get lost the day of the interview. KNOW WHAT FLOOR AND SUITE NUMBER the firm is located in.
Read above links for examples of questions TO ASK the interviewer ONLY AFTER they say "Do you have any questions?". RESEARCH THE FIRM, THE PERSON, KNOW THEIR JOB TITLE. Know the company's major accounts. Current campaigns, other locations of offices, but you don't have to MENTION these, just will appear informed as you follow the conversation, and can add any enthusiastic comments about work you particularly admire at their firm.
DAY BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:
Call to confirm interview, IF you are postponed, get a new date and time while on the phone. Write it down immediately.
Do a drive by to see where they are and leave early enough to park and get to their office without running. Nothing worse than a sweaty, heart pounding run before you sit down to sell yourself and your work. Early bird gets the job.
DAY OF THE INTERVIEW:
Dress professionally. It can be casual but just know that this is your "first impression."
Arrive 15 minutes EARLY.
DURING THE INTERVIEW:
Follow the interviewers lead.
Quietly LISTEN. LISTEN. LISTEN.
Answer briefly and succinctly if asked a question.
You are there to hear THEIR informed opinions. Not to give yours.
Focus on the person who is interviewing you and company.
Ask the interviewers advice and what they looking for in an employee.
BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THESE BASIC QUESTIONS with conviction:
"Do you want to go into print, motion or interactive?, and Why?"
"Do you want to stay in Atlanta to work?"
"Are you hoping to work in a large firm, or a small firm? Why?"
"What other firms are you interested in, or have been to?"
"Why are you interested in our company?"
Have fun and be yourself.
When you get your resumes ready and your pdf's ready (or your portfolio links ready to accompany your resumes) make sure the work truly represents who and where you want to go for the internship. Know your internship company's needs.
1-If you did your resume in word document, remember you can create a pdf of that to accompany your pdf resume. Put them all together so the company doesn't have to open multiple pdfs. Try to keep your pdf resume to a minimum of approx 10-12 pieces of work. Less if you want. All you want to do is tease them with your gorgeous work....then when you get invited to the interview you can show them more. Don't give it all away up front.
Organize your pdf according to how you want them to view your work.
2-Make sure your pdf work is large enough for them to see. Do an email test....email yourself first to see what it looks like before sending it on to them and me.
2a-When you save your pdf make sure you save it with your name on it
(Stan Anderson/GSU/resume/portfolio.pdf) or something like that so it identifies your when they save it off to their desktop for future reference.
3-Copy me on your emails so I will know what you sent just in case the company contacts me about you for some reason.
4-After your email to your internship company (you might even want to follow it up with a "snail mail" note), allow them some time to view it and respond. Send a follow up email to ask if they received your materials for the internship.
5-Spell everything correctly on your resume and in your email correspondence.
6-When they contact you (and they will) make sure you answer them promptly.
Drop everything you're doing and try to meet them for your scheduled interview. Remember you are competing for this internship with others.
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