1. The first thing you should do if you did not do this beforehand is connect with the person that interviewed you on LinkedIn. This way, they can get a better feel for you and see more points that may not have been included on your resume. LinkedIn has many more fields and room for detail, so take advantage of that. Your summary is a significant component. There is no summary on your resume, so take the time to write a well-structured, error-free paragraph about yourself, your strengths and your interests. Make sure to include any links to articles you wrote or that feature you, an online portfolio or website, blog or any other media. Also, if you met any other employees during your interview at this company and received their business cards or remember their names, connect with them too.
2. Send thank you notes! Not only via email, but handwritten ones too. You need to differentiate yourself from the other candidates so you should buy nice, professional thank you cards at your local pharmacy and hand write a personal note. Your emailed thank you note should go out within 24 hours of the interview and the handwritten one should reach them within three to five days of that interview.
In your email thank you, go into detail about why this position would be beneficial to your development as a young professional, what you can learn from it to better your understanding of your major, and how your skill set and mindset can benefit the interviewer and their team or company. Of course you need to sincerely thank them and you can ask if they would like you to send them any further information or portfolio pieces. You can also add things that you may have left out during the interview that you think they would appreciate knowing. At the bottom of the email as a 'P.S.' you can say, "Hard copy to follow".
In your handwritten thank you, first make sure to thank the interviewer for their time. Then, write only two or three more sentences. I would suggest one sentence to be about something you liked about the potential position or company, another sentence about one task you would excel at doing, and the last sentence should say something like; "I hope to hear from you soon". Address it to the interviewer and put the company under their name. You are all set!
3. Send a follow-up email. Typically at the end of an interview, the interviewer will tell you when he or she hopes to make a decision by. Make note of that date and follow-up around that time, if you haven't already heard anything. From my experience, most employers make a decision for interns within two or three weeks, unless it's a huge corporation with several thousands employees. In your follow-up email, state that you are indeed following up about the position and be sure to let he or she know that you are still very interested.
4. If you were told that you were not offered the internship, but ended things on a good note with that person, keep in touch. Since you are still in college and only interning, there might be an opportunity during a future semester or you might want to contact this person prior to graduation to inquiry about any entry-level positions at their company. It is important to stay in touch and end this interview process on great terms. Stay connected on LinkedIn and continue to interact with them. If the interviewer liked you enough from the initial interview and sees that you are growing and evolving as a student, he or she will keep you in mind for future opportunities.
Implement these steps into your own life after you conclude an interview for your best shot at an internship position. Best of luck on your search for an internship!
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