Internship interview questions by field
The questions business internship interviews actually ask, sorted by field. For each one: what the interviewer is really looking for, and how to build a strong answer. Each one has a written sample answer too.
How to use this question bank
- Start with the behavioral questions. Every business internship interview asks some, whatever the field.
- Then open the page for your field and read what each question is testing before you write an answer.
- Draft each answer as a short story in four parts: the situation, your task, the actions you took, and the result, with a number if you have one. Interviewers call this the STAR method.
- Say your answers out loud, aiming for one to two minutes each, and record yourself once to hear where you ramble.
- Prepare two or three questions of your own about the team and the work, to ask at the end.
What every interviewer is checking
Whatever the field, an internship interviewer is mostly checking three things: that you understand the basics well enough to learn quickly, that you can explain your own experience clearly, and that you have a real reason for wanting this role at this company. Technical questions in accounting, finance and analytics test fundamentals rather than expert knowledge, so when you do not know an answer outright, say how you would work it out.
Questions students ask
How should I prepare for an internship interview?
Prepare four or five true stories you can tell with the STAR method, practice the technical basics for your field out loud, research the company, and have two or three questions ready for the interviewer.
What is the STAR method?
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.
Do internship interviews ask technical questions?
Accounting, finance and analytics interviews usually include a few, and consulting interviews include short cases. Interviewers expect the basics from your classes, not expert knowledge.
Start with how to prepare for a business internship interview, then practice the questions for your field.