I have participated in several interviews for several positions, from summer jobs in high school to summer internships in college and full-time job interviews. some interviews have been for scholarships as not all interviews are job-related. The biggest takeaway that I have gotten from any interview was the job that I did not get.
When preparing for an interview, it is important to ensure that you have a resume that is strong and has relevant achievements, but is not too long; one page is usually good. It is also important to research the company that you will be interviewed by. When I did not get a summer intern position, it was mainly because I did not talk enough in the interview and did not ask many questions. This was because I had spent too much time thinking about answering questions rather than asking them. When asking questions, it is also important to know what you are asking about and make sure the questions are relevant.
Answering the interviewers’ questions correctly is also very important, as they will ask about your utility or qualifications for the job to see that you are fit. It looks a lot better if you are able to answer the questions confidently. While answering interview questions you should always be honest with your responses as many companies will check with your references and if you make false claims the company usually does not want to hire you. One of the most important parts of the interview is to be sure that you show up early/on time. This is the first impression the company get of you so you want to make it a good one.