If you have courage and knowledge, I would approach every internship or entry level interview in the same way. Here is how I would do it:
Step 1: I would get in front of the hiring manager (not the recruiter) and say this, “Listen, I know I only have a 30 minute interview with you, so I would really like to go up to the white board and show you exactly how I would do this job.”
Step 2: Go up to the board and show him/her. That’s it.
Here are 5 quick reasons as to why this is effective:
5. Unusual.You are sure to standout because chances are no one else will have the courage to do this. It is risky and it shows extreme confidence. It is different and definitely worth mentioning to colleagues in the hallway.
4. Results. It shows that you are all about results. Not talk. Shows that you are not about acing an interview, rather you are all about acing the job.
3. Knowledge. If you can complete this in the interview (with decent accuracy) it confirms that you can do the job from day one. The manager won’t have to waste time explaining the basics. Sure, you are not going to get it perfect, but you are sending the message that you have a basic understanding and can easily be taught.
2. Courage. It takes confidence and courage to carry this out in an interview. Do you want to work with someone who is confident and courageous? Me too.
1. They work with you. You suddenly take the hiring manager from interviewing you to working with you. He/she can visualize exactly what it is like to work with you on a project.
The interview is a great chance to land the job, but remember: it is about the job, not the interview.
_____________________________________
Not quite this radical? Check out 8 internship interview tips.
