UCSI Co-Operative Report 2009

Career preparations
Be punctual
Ideally, you should
arrive approximately
15 minutes early. If
you even think you are
going to be late, call
before the scheduled
interview time to let
them know.
Be well-mannered
and courteous
Remember to be on your best behaviour
from the beginning to the end of the
entire interview process.
• Greet the interviewer(s) with a smile,
a firm handshake, and introduce
yourself
• Don’t sit down until you are offered
a seat
• Maintain natural eye contact as much
as you can (don’t stare!) and smile.
Listen well to
respond well
Listen carefully to what the interviewer
is saying to find out as much as possible
about the internship. Don’t be afraid to
ask him or her to rephrase a question
you do not understand.
If you’re totally stumped by a question,
it’s all right to ask for a minute to gather
your thoughts. It is even acceptable to
answer ‘I don’t know’ if you genuinely
do not know what the answer is; but
avoid doing this too often or you will
appear to be clueless.
Technical interviews
If you are applying for an internship
in an engineering, IT or science
company, chances are you’ll get
an interview containing technical
questions.
Know the basics of your subject
inside out
As you are not expected to have
much work experience, interviewers
are sure to quiz you in-depth about
your course. Revise the basics that
everyone in your year should be secure
in knowing, and place particular focus
on topics that relate to the employer’s
area of work.
If you have any project work or
vacation experience that is particularly
relevant to the company you are
applying for, practise summarising it.
You could produce a short digest of
the information and take it with you
to the interview. Use it to illustrate
your answers or leave it with the
interviewer when you finish.
You may not know the answer to
everything you are asked, but try to
show the interviewer how you might
go about solving problems or finding
the information you would need to
answer the question.
Be prepared to talk
While interviewers are interested in
your technical knowledge, they also
want to test your ability to think on
your feet and to communicate with
non-technical people. They might
show you a device and ask you to
imagine you have to explain how it
works to your grandmother, or show
you a circuit diagram and expect your
instant analysis.
The best way to prepare is to make
sure you know your subject matter
and fully understand the requirements
of the internship.
Technical interviewers often focus
on project work. Be ready to give a
brief summary of what your project
focused on, situations you faced,
how you overcame problems and the
final results. If you were involved in
a group project, make sure you are
able to talk about what your team did
and the parts that you yourself took
responsibility for.
You need to show that you can work
well with others and communicate
clearly, avoiding technical jargon that
may confuse the uninitiated.
Remember, interviewers are not out to harass you or catch you out. They want to
see your enthusiasm for employing your skills to find solutions. Prepare well, be
confident and upbeat, and enjoy the opportunity to talk with experts.
Article courtesy of GRADMalaysia. c GTI Media Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved.
UCSI University Co-Operative Education Report 2009 I 23