What Employers Think About Interns
Your major is not the deciding factor, you are.
Matt Scherer runs a successful PR firm in San Antonio, Texas. He says, “When I look for someone to work with me, I am looking for someone who is willing to learn. While a major in public relations would be ideal for me, it's not the deciding factor in my selection process.”
Trey Colson is the Vice President of Marketing at Mercantile Commercial Capital, LLC in Altamonte Springs, FL. He says when considering interns, “specific majors aren’t of utmost importance to us. Generally, we look for students with an interest in business, but specific tracks of study have varied for our interns -- finance, real estate, business administration, marketing, etc. We’ve found that the quality and character of the individual outweighs how they look on paper.”
Bridgette Mongeon, a Houston based sculptor, often hires interns and apprentices. She says more than anything else passion stands out in a person.“Having a passion for what you do and a knowledge that your efforts can make an extreme difference to your boss, and the many others that you touch through those products, is more important to us than your experience. We can teach you computer programs, and PR, but we can't teach you passion."
Most of the employers we spoke with agreed they preferred hiring juniors or seniors as interns, but many were willing to hire freshman and sophomores as well.
Research the company before the interview.
Employers are not impressed by candidates who have no idea what type of company they are interviewing with. At the very least, spend a couple of hours reviewing the company’s web site.
Ford says, “I can’t tell you how many times students have come into an interview and I’ve asked ‘So you had some time to look at the website like I asked – right?’ and I get ‘No, I didn’t have any time to do that.’ It’s very annoying. The first request that the company has of you and you have trouble with that? Not good.”
Know what type of internship position you are applying for.
Don’t go into an interview expecting the employer to look at your resume and place you somewhere. Know what position it is that you want and convince the person interviewing you that you’re the best candidate for the job.
Lose the attitude and demonstrate a willingness to learn.
An overwhelming number of employers commented on the sense of entitlement that many college students bring with them to the interview. Colson said, “During the interview process, students have actually told me that will only work on high-level planning and strategy and won’t do any sort of ‘grunt work.’ To me, that’s a person who is not willing to pay their dues. We don’t punish interns or treat them as lesser beings, but we do feel they need to crawl before they walk. If they prove capable of completing the small tasks, they’ll be given larger, more important ones.”