Interviews and internships are some of the most important aspects of college and preparation is key! Do you get anxious or nervous before an interview? Do you find it hard to talk about yourself? College Material is here to help!

On this WBL’s College Material episode, academy manager J’kayah Hull sat down with Ashley Valle and Toni Asante Lightfoot, to discuss the ins and outs of internships and of course, nerve-wracking job interviews.

Hull and the panelists shared some tips and tricks for finding internships, like taking the time to research possible opportunities that really suit your interests. As well as looking for possible internship opportunities on career platforms such as LinkedIn and Intern Match.

“I’d spend a decent amount of time researching,” Valle said, “these internships, they really are early experiences, they are early essential building blocks for your resume and for your overall career path. They offer a hands-on experience that will count towards the experience required for a full-time position down the line, and they develop your skills in a way that is complementary to your education”

And of course, how to answer the dreaded interview question: can you tell me about yourself? Which can be hard for everyone since we are not used to promoting ourselves. Hull, Valle, and Lightfoot explained that the best way to approach that question is to talk about your passions, best qualities, and work ethic.

“You want people to know that you’re humane, you’re personable, and that you can be vulnerable in a sense to discuss what you’re passionate about,” Hull said, “ it lets them know that you have a decent work ethic and that you are able to commit to something that is beyond you at the end of the day.”

“I would just go in there and just say: What I don't know about the company now, my goal is to learn whatever it is I can,” Lightfoot said “ and to be a team player and learn from as many different people”

Watch the entire episode of Internships & Interviews below!

College material is a free virtual class for youth and young adults 12 to 22 that meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Washington, DC.