Students preparing for internships/employment: What does it mean to "prepare" for an interview and "do your research"?
Here is what the interviewer means from observations drawn from interviews:
1. When you are asked what you know about the company, please give a basic but informative and CORRECT overview. Tell the interviewer what exactly they do or make. He or she doesn't expect you to know in-depth information about the company, but that's the least you can do to prepare.
On the other side, don't go overboard and recite the website, the interviewer will definitely notice.
2. When you are asked "Why" you would like this position, please use the correct company name when stating your answer. On top of knowing the company name, you should have a real answer. "I'm interested in getting my foot in the door in a growing manufacturing company."
3. For students looking for internships, you might be asked to say the skills you would like to learn in a potential internship. You find that most of the time the candidates fail to answer this.
Everyone should know the purpose of their internship. Here is an easy way to figure this out: conduct a search on job boards and pick out a position that you strive to be one day. Look through the requirements. Any skills listed in there that you don't have? Bingo! Those are the skills you should be looking to pick up in an internship.
Good luck!
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