Students: Career Planning: Internships: Sample Questions

How do I Evaluate the Quality of an Internship Opportunity?
Get the facts! In order to identify the best internship for you, ask questions! Here are some questions to ask BEFORE you accept an offer. Be sure to word the questions in a way that is comfortable to you and to ask questions specific to your field...

What experiences and skills do you look for when hiring entry-level employees?
(Take notes! You'll need this information for your next couple of questions)

What are the intern's duties?
(Listen for clearly defined duties. Beware: "Duties as assigned" Are the duties designed to give you the same experience and skills the employer listed for you in the first question?)
How will these duties make me more marketable in this field?
(Listen for how these experiences may be promoted on your next resume. Again, compare the employer's answers to what they look for when they are hiring entry-level employees.)

If I do a great job in my primary responsibility, will there be opportunities to assume new responsibilities?

Who will be my supervisor and mentor?
(It's important that the employer recognizes that they would also be your mentor. This is also a teaching relationship.)

How often will I meet with my supervisor/mentor to discuss my progress, questions, concerns etc?
(Listen for answers that indicate the supervisor/mentor has quality time to spend with you. Also listen to see if you will be provided adequate supervision-remember: you're not supposed to be the resident expert on your job!)

What kinds of training will I receive?
(On-the-job training is nice, but as an answer to this question, it's also a bit vague. You need to know who, what, when, where, etc. Make sure you're not in a sink-or-swim environment.)

Will I be attending staff meetings and related professional activities when possible?
(It's important that your co-workers understand your responsibilities to the organization. By attending their meetings, etc. you will begin to understand their roles and responsibilities. Many internship employers include their interns in conferences, workshops, and seminars - great perks!)

Will I have the opportunity to work in several different areas of the organization?
(Becoming cross trained is valuable to your internship experience! In addition it will give you the "big picture" of the organization for which you intern.)

What could I do between now and the start date to hit the ground running once I begin?