3 most important things when interviewing interns

So you’ve written up your opportunity, advertised your internship and the applications have been rolling in.

Now it’s crunch time!

The hardest part of the intern hiring process is interviewing your applicants, making sure you’ve got all the information you need to make that all important decision. And believe me, nothing’s worse than finishing a day of interviews and still being stuck on who you should pick.

So to help you out, we’ve taken what we’ve learned over the last eight years of hiring interns and put together our 3 top tips for interviewing interns…check it out.

1. First impressions = EVERYTHING.

It seems obvious but even though it’s a well known fact that first impressions count, some candidates still struggle with the basics. Given you’ve provided clear instructions on the time and place, there is no excuse for being even just a few minutes late. With our busy line of work those precious minutes can make a big difference, you need an intern who appreciates that! Similarly, their style of dress is important. You want an intern who matches the style of your firm, so try giving them some guidance of the dress code prior to the interview and see what they come up with! If your intern arrives in good time, dressed professionally, they’re on to a good start.

2. Body language can tell you a LOT.

Are they confident in saying hello? Do they give you a firm, steady handshake or do they seem a bit unsure on how to even shake a hand? Confidence and a great smile goes a LONG WAY in the events industry.  You need an intern who is keen to meet new people and capable of giving a good first impression of your firm. This leads us on to the interview itself… Do they make eye contact? We’re not looking for someone with a creepy stare here, but someone that can hold their own in difficult situations. An intern who looks at their feet and/or skirts difficult questions is a no-go. Lastly, their body posture. You want a millennial who looks happy to be there and who is raring to go… NOT someone who is slouching at the table, giving off that ‘couldn’t care less, I’m too cool for this’ kinda vibe.

Nope.  No thanks…move along, we are not interested.

All of this is such a big deal, since things like this could influence how potential clients view your firm, further down the line.

3. Did they do their homework?

In our line of work, we need someone who is prepared for the worst and able to save situations when things go wrong, like a superhero. A key element in achieving this is forward-planning. If your intern arrives knowing some info about your firm and past weddings you’ve produced, it’s clear that they’ve done their research – *GOLD STAR* Asking good questions is another great clue since it shows genuine interest in the firm, cue another – *GOLD STAR*.

Using this criteria, you can weed out those interns that might not be a good fit for your firm, leaving you an easier job of deciding who is!

Once you’ve interviewed your potential interns, the next important step is to think about intern training.

TAP into our amazing suite of online training tools to onboard your interns FAST with how your firm plans and designs weddings.

The Apprentice Program covers all the crucial topics of wedding planning in 6 short weeks, meaning that your interns will quickly be transformed into superhero apprentices, ready to save the day!

Sign up now to get your place confirmed for Spring, currently just $75/intern.

Let’s do this.