By Alyssa Cardon, Class of 2017
If we remember nothing else from our time at the Marriott School, the one thing we take away will be the importance of getting an internship. Working as interns at some point before we graduate not only enhances our education, but certainly maximizes our employment opportunities when we graduate. That being said, understanding the importance of internships only builds the pressure we feel to secure that internship opportunity.
I certainly felt both overwhelmed and underqualified going into the process of getting an internship. However, if I survived “recruiting season”, anyone can. For the purposes of this article, I want to focus my advice on interviewing, I distill the best advice from my experience as a Global Supply Chain Students and help you get a great internship this summer.
Tip #1 Remember: Recruiters who interview you already want to hire you
Yes, the purpose of an interview is to allow the company the opportunity to get to know you. However, if you are focused too much on worrying how they perceive you, the recruiter’s job becomes harder. Interviewing is a lot like dating in this regard—just remember that companies would not invite you to an interview if they didn’t already want to hire you based on your resume. The interview is just the chance for you to find out if you will fit, and making the recruiter’s job easier.
I saw this principle in action as I watched two equally qualified Supply Chain students walk out of an interview with the same company. One left saying, “I did horrible! I couldn’t get my words out.” The other candidate was heard saying, “I’m already excited about what I could do for them.” The first guy had it all wrong—why was he worried so much about what the interviewer thought about him? He lost valuable time to learn about the company, the job, and where he could add value. The second interviewee clearly understood that the interview is NOT the first date—it’s the second. Second dates provide the opportunity to establish compatibility, not first impressions.
My advice? Go into the interview confident because you know the company wants to to engage you and validate their assumptions as a potential candidate. They wouldn’t have asked for an interview if they weren’t interested! Knowing that, you can focus on finding out if you would be a good fit, rather than fighting to prove your worthiness.
Tip #2 Find out what the company wants
I wish I had understood this. I wasted my time in interviews with companies I knew little or nothing about. Use Glassdoor.com, BYU Alumni, and last year’s returned interns from that company. Don’t go into the interview expecting to learn everything from questions and context clues. As in dating, you have to show real interest in the company if they are going to believe in your commitment. Perhaps I believed too much in my own attractiveness as a candidate, but I did little to no research before going into my interview, and my lack of offers showed it. In fact, one interviewer even called me out on looking up the company for the first time on google right before the interview. Ouch.
The one company I did do my research on was ultimately the company I signed with. I called two alumni listed in the Marriott School database, I spoke with various former interns from the previous summer, and I learned everything I could about what they were looking for before I went into the interview. I believe my knowledge and preparation demonstrated the tenacity and desire to work that made up for any perceived faults in my qualifications. My regret is that had I done that for other companies, I could have garnished more offers and not wasted so much time in unproductive interviews.
Tip #3 PAR stories
I always hated the idea of PAR stories. They sounded canned and I had no idea how to turn my boring life into a compelling PAR story. However, I came to understand the importance of PAR stories when I finally put the effort into creating and telling one in an interview. When my interviewer called me back with an offer and said, “We couldn’t stop talking about your Excel story,” I thought, “Excuse me? That was a PAR story.”
That was when I realized that the reason we tell PAR stories is to be MEMORABLE, not rigid. No one remembers or recognizes what you relate as PAR stories, they remember them as the experiences that make you an asset and demonstrate your skills. The point of a PAR story is not to make you boring but rather to help you cut to the chase and set up the story to climax and end in a brief and compelling way.
No one will remember you for saying you have advanced Excel skills, nor will they remember you rambling about all the experience you have in Excel. However, they will remember the story you told about writing a macro that saved your company 12 hours of work a week, over $1,000,000 after one year of implementation, and 14% reduced risk of loss that ultimately got you a raise. Telling that story in PAR format helps you make it memorable.
To summarize, I just want you to move forward with confidence. As a BYU student, you are already way more qualified than the competition from other schools. Recruiters who request an interview want to want to learn more for a potential offer. They want to see your knowledge, and they want to remember you. I could talk about interviewing all day, ultimately these three tips, if understood will get you the offer you hope for.