Business Internship Interview Questions and How to Prepare
Most business internship interviews mix three kinds of questions: why you want the role, how you have handled situations before, and — for some fields — basic technical knowledge. Preparing a handful of stories covers most of it.
Questions you should expect
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why this company, and why this role?
- Tell me about a time you worked on a team that disagreed.
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake and what you did about it.
- Describe a project you are proud of.
- Where do you see yourself after graduation?
- What questions do you have for us?
Answer behavioral questions with STAR
Situation, Task, Action, Result: set the scene in a sentence, say what you needed to do, spend most of the answer on what you did, and finish with what happened. Prepare four or five stories that you can adapt to different questions.
Technical questions by field
- Accounting: how the three financial statements connect, and debits and credits.
- Finance: walking through a DCF, what drives a company's value, and a recent market event.
- Marketing: a campaign you admired and why, and how you would measure success.
- Business analytics: a SQL query, a chart you would use for a question, and how you checked your data.
- Consulting and management: a short case — sizing a market or explaining a drop in profit.
After the interview
Send a short thank-you email within a day, mentioning something specific from the conversation. Then record the interview in your applications tracker so you do not lose track of next steps.
Sample answers
Tell me about yourself: "I'm a junior finance major at [school]. I got interested in corporate finance when I built a budget model for our student government, which helped us cut event costs by 12 percent. Since then I've completed a financial modeling course and led our investment club's research team. I'm applying here because your rotational program would let me see planning and treasury work, which is exactly what I want to learn next."
Why this company: name something specific — a product, a client, a recent announcement or a person you spoke with — and connect it to what you want to learn. "When I spoke with [name] at the career fair, she described how interns present to the CFO at the end of the summer. I want that kind of responsibility, and your focus on [industry] matches the projects I have done in class."
Questions to ask the interviewer
- What does a successful intern accomplish by the end of the summer?
- What kind of projects did last year's interns work on?
- How do interns get feedback during the program?
- What do you enjoy most about working on this team?
Questions students ask
What are the most common internship interview questions?
Tell me about yourself, why this company and role, a time you worked in a team, a time you made a mistake, and what questions you have for them. Business roles add a few technical questions for the field.
How should I prepare for a business internship interview?
Prepare four or five STAR stories, research the company and the role, practice the technical basics for your field, and prepare two or three questions of your own.
How long should my answer to tell me about yourself be?
About one minute: your year and major, one or two experiences that led you to this field, and why this role is your next step.
Track your applications and interviews →
Next: find business internships for your major or compare certifications for business majors.