Three Ways to Dominate Every Internship Interview

I heard Niyi on the self-help podcast The Art of Charm and was totally inspired by his mindset. The topic of conversation was primarily based on his thought that beliefs really will shape what you do or don’t do. Although the whole interview was informational and motivating, I want to specifically highlight his “Triple Threat” strategy that every student and intern should practice before an interview. This three-step practice could make or break your chances of landing the internship of your dreams.

Getting what you really want stems from being in control of your emotions. Let’s start with talking body, shall we? (Tove Lo reference intended, obvi).

Concentrate on body language.

Niyi’s first step to the Triple Threat is being aware of how you’re using your body. Think of how your body looks before an interview. Are you biting your nails from nerves? Are you hunched over reviewing your resume for the 100^th time to make sure you know yourself as well as that piece of paper does? Do your facial features resemble a deer in headlights because you’re visualizing yourself being super awkward? Let’s hope not.

Niyi went into great detail about the importance of imagining what your body looks like when you feel most confident -- what you’d look like if you’d already landed the internship. I’d imagine your posture would be impeccable, your facial features excited and you’d be radiating so much confidence that deodorant would be the last of your worries. When you visualize how you’ll look and feel after already accomplishing what you want, you have a superpower of sorts that will work to your advantage.

Focus on what makes you awesome.

One of the biggest differences between successful interns from unsuccessful interns is what they focus on. Why spend time focusing on what could go wrong in an interview when you could focus on the awesome things you’ll do and say in the interview. See the difference? Be aware of where your focus goes before an interview -- and at all times, really. Spend your time focusing on the things your most confident self would focus on: Why you’re the best candidate for the job, the things you do best, what you can bring to the table, etc.

Choose your words carefully.

Last but certainly not least, be aware of the words you use and think of when preparing for your interview. Words have a strong effect on how you feel. If you go into the interview thinking, “I’ve got this, no one is more prepared than me,” you’ll start to physically act more confident. Tell yourself things that you would say in your most confident state of mind. Practice how you would respond to questions in the interview and consciously be aware of your verbiage. If you cannot visualize, feel and speak like you’ve already landed the internship -- practice every day until you can. And once you can – still practice every day.

Sidenote: For that extra confidence boost, Niyi suggests playing music in the background. Create a Spotify playlist titled, “Got the job,” with Aloe Blacc’s “I’m the Man,” yano?

Although I’ve walked you through Niyi’s Triple Threat strategy specifically for the mindset before an internship interview, this strategy can be used in every aspect of your life. As Niyi said, “Success is not really that complicated, but it doesn’t mean that it’s always easy.”

Feel, think and speak confidently. Before you know it, you’ll be gearing up for internship day one.

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