You might be the best candidate for an internship, but if you are lacking in your interview skills, you could miss out.
As a studio that hires interns ourselves, our hope is to help you improve your interview skills and prepare for your next music industry interview! If you’re interested in interning here at Full Circle, you can also apply here.
What To Do Before
Research the Company
Before your interview occurs make sure to know artists, producers, and songwriters that the company is involved with. Oftentimes companies will ask you interview questions such as “What artists do you like on our roster?”. They want to know that you are interested in them as a company and not just applying to any internship that might pop up.
You should research the company and the internship. It’s important to understand what the company does and also the area you will possibly be interning in. Companies want to be sure that not only will you be a good fit for the internship, but the internship will be a good fit for you. Be prepared to answer questions about the areas that interest you most!
Practice
To ensure a good interview experience you should go through a list of mock interview questions and practice giving clear answers. Practicing going through a couple of these questions can help you seem more put together in your interview.
Here are some examples:
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- How will you make the most of this opportunity?
- What do you hope to gain from this experience?
- Why do you want to work for said company?
- What departments are you most interested in?
- Tell me about yourself/ your background.
- What are your strengths/weaknesses?
Update Your Resume
Make sure your resume is updated! It’s important to make sure your resume is recent and not outdated. Along with this you should personalize your resume and cover letter to the specific internship you are applying to!
Confirm the Interview
Follow up before your interview to confirm the time and place it is taking place. You want to be sure that if the interview is in the office you show up five minutes early to the office. And you would never want to show up to the office when the interview was online!
What To Do During
Dress for success
During your interview you should dress nice.
If you have an online interview, wear pants. It sounds silly but you need to dress as if the person interviewing you can see your entire outfit.
If your internship is in person make sure to dress appropropriate for the type of internship you are interviewing for. Knowing what to wear during the interview can make many people nervous. However, generally music business internships will require you to dress business casual!
Be kind
Be nice to everyone! When going to an in person interview remember that every person you run into is taking note of whether you would be a good fit at their company. Make sure to treat every person with kindness, even if they might be rude to you.
Show Your Personality
Show a bit of personality! The person interviewing you wants to know that you will be a good fit in their work environment. Be prepared to talk about your interests in music and your background. Don’t be afraid to tell the person interviewing you about your interests if they ask!
What To Do After
Say Thank You
Thank the person interviewing you immediately before leaving. Shake their hand and thank them for their time to show that you are appreciative of the opportunity to be interviewed!
Follow Up
After a few days, send a follow-up email thanking them again unless they tell you not to. Some companies will not offer a second interview if you don’t send a follow-up email! However, if they tell you during the interview not to send a follow-up email then don’t send it.
Wait
Not much is to be done after an interview is over except wait to hear from them.
Stay Positive
Keep in mind that even if you don’t get the internship, the interview process is still great practice for the future!
Do your research, practice, and thank people for their time. With preparation, you can nail any interview and make the most of every opportunity. Every interview is not only to gain an internship role, but also to gain experience interviewing. With practice, you can nail every interview you walk into!