The First 5 Minutes of an Internship Interview Will Make or Break You. Here’s a 4 Step Plan to Win Over Your Interviewer During The First 5 Minutes.

Drench yourself in strong cologne, then lace up your pink cowgirl boots and head to the office. Jk...

Interviewers will have their initial opinion on making you an offer within the first five minutes.

The director of my investment banking organization (has interviewed intern candidates for 30yr) let me in on the secret to making a stellar first impression. I used his tips to land multiple offers for investment banking internships for Sophomore and Junior year summers.

STEP 1 - Don’t Say “Good” When Asked “How Are You Today?”
They want to see if you pass the “airport test”. If you got stuck in an airport with them overnight, would they be bored?
Can be a quick comment about your morning jog, travels to the city last night, etc.
Longer this goes = better. Builds rapport for rest of interview

STEP 2 - SMILE :)
Law of Correspondence: Whatever your attitude is, people will reflect it back to you
Smiling = positive energy. Your interviewer will:

• Ask you easier questions the rest of the interview

• Leaving them happy makes them more likely to vouch for you in deliberations

STEP 3 - Perfect “Tell Me About Yourself”
This should be your #1 most practiced & planned-out question

• Methods: Rehearse w/ dog, recording myself on computer, mock interviews, calling mom You’ll find the Goldilocks balance between sounding too casual & too rehearsed

STEP 4 - Bring ENERGY!
Don’t let a tired interviewer drag your ray of sunshine down.
Especially important in stress tests:

• STORY - once, a managing director frowned the entire 45min of my interview. He acted bored and didn’t react to anything I said I somehow stayed up-beat with my answers for the whole interview He said they were testing my ability to be unphased. Now that I know him - he is the friendliest & bubbliest guy at the firm...