Darien High School Senior Internship
Making the Call (yes, Call) to Schedule Your Interview
Where to Begin:
- Consider what you are interested in
- Possible career or maybe a hobby
- Network!
- Talk to your friend’s parents, a teacher or coach that may know someone in your area of interest; research online; cold call a site using their main number if you cannot find an internship specific contact
- Be prepared when calling
- Find a quiet place; have your contact’s name and number ready; research the site; have something to write on and with to take notes; you may want to write down what you are going to say: State who you are, that you are a high school student at Darien High School and any information they may want to know about the program (see Senior Internship Program website for details); Have your calendar handy; ask to set up an interview so you can get to know the company, what you can bring to be prepared and get directions
- Thank them
- Tell them you look forward to meeting them on the interview day and say goodbye
Basic Interview Tips:
- Be on time
- Know the location of the company; allow extra time for traffic; plan to arrive about ten minutes early
- Make a good first impression
- Dress professionally; use a firm handshake; make eye contact when you introduce yourself; smile
- Be prepared
- Bring a resume and transcript; anticipate speaking about yourself “Tell me a little more about yourself” and “Why do you want to intern here” are potential questions; If asked if you have any questions, ask about your responsibilities if they have not disclosed this already or what they like most about their position or occupation
- Talk enough, but not too much
- Answer questions with more than a “yes” or “no”; be enthusiastic about the opportunity, but don’t go overboard; don’t interrupt – wait for the interviewer to finish their question or thought
- Thank Them!
- Thank the interviewer and follow up with a thank you note in the next few days