10 Internship Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Getting an internship interview invite is already a win. Now the real work starts.

The mistake most students make is assuming the interview will be lenient because they have no experience. It will not be. Interviewers at Ethiopian organisations, banks, NGOs, corporations, government agencies, ask structured questions and they are comparing you against other candidates. Preparation is what separates the ones who get the callback from the ones who do not.

Here are the ten questions that come up in virtually every internship interview, with honest guidance on how to answer each one.

1. Tell me about yourself

This is not an invitation to summarise your CV out loud. It is a chance to show self-awareness and communication skills. Cover three things briefly: your field of study, one or two areas you are genuinely interested in within that field, and why this specific internship caught your attention.

Sample answer: "I am a third-year accounting student at Addis Ababa University. I have been focusing on financial reporting and audit coursework and I have been particularly interested in how financial data is used to drive decisions in fast-moving organisations. This internship at your bank stood out because it involves real client-facing work rather than just filing."

2. Why do you want this internship?

Interviewers want to know you are here to learn, not just to collect a certificate. Name one or two specific skills you want to develop and connect them to what this organisation actually does. Generic answers, "to gain experience", tell them nothing.

Sample answer: "I want to understand how project proposals are evaluated in practice, not just in theory. Your organisation works on rural development projects and I want to see how financial feasibility assessments are done at field level, that is something I cannot learn in a classroom."

3. What do you know about our organisation?

Spend at least 20 minutes on the organisation's website before your interview. Know their mission, their sector, and one recent project or initiative. Candidates who cannot answer this question are sending a clear message: they did not care enough to look.

4. What are your strengths?

Pick two that are relevant to the internship and back each one with a brief, real example, even from university or volunteer work. "I am a hard worker" is not a strength answer. It is filler.

Sample answer: "I am good at breaking down complex problems into steps. In my research methods course, I was the one in my group who structured our methodology when everyone else was overwhelmed by the scope of the assignment. We submitted on time and scored the highest in the class."

5. What is your greatest weakness?

Choose something real that is not central to the core responsibilities of this internship. Then, critically, explain what you are doing about it. An unanswered weakness is a red flag. A weakness with a plan shows maturity.

Sample answer: "I tend to over-prepare before starting a task, which can slow me down early on. I have been working on setting a time limit for my preparation phase so I move into execution faster."

6. Describe a time you worked in a team

Use a real example from university, a community project, church group, or any organised activity. The interviewer wants to see that you can collaborate, handle disagreement, and deliver a result alongside others.

Sample answer: "During a group project in my second year, two members of our team had conflicting ideas about the direction of our research. I suggested we each present our approach briefly and then vote as a group. It took 30 minutes and we moved forward without the conflict dragging on. We finished the project and presented it together without any further friction."

7. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Be honest and specific. Show ambition without being unrealistic. Connect your answer to the field this organisation operates in, it signals that this internship is part of a deliberate plan, not a random application.

Sample answer: "I want to be in a financial analysis role at a development organisation or a bank. This internship is a deliberate step in that direction, I want to build practical skills that my degree alone cannot give me."

8. How do you handle pressure or tight deadlines?

Give a specific example rather than a generic reassurance. Even a university exam period or a group project deadline counts.

Sample answer: "During last semester's final exam week I had three major assignments due alongside two exams. I mapped out the remaining days, assigned time blocks to each task, and prioritised by deadline. I submitted everything on time and did not miss any of the exams."

9. What do you hope to learn from this internship?

This is closely related to question two but more forward-looking. Name two or three specific skills or experiences, not just "professional development." The more specific you are, the more credible your interest sounds.

Sample answer: "I want to learn how a real audit process works from start to finish, not just the theory. I also want to improve my ability to communicate findings to non-accounting colleagues, which is something I have identified as a gap in my own skills."

10. Do you have any questions for us?

Always say yes. Two or three genuine questions show curiosity and professionalism. Ask about the day-to-day work, what the team looks like, or what a successful intern has done in this role before.

Good examples: "What does a typical week look like for an intern here?" or "What do the interns who have gone on to full-time roles at this organisation have in common?"

Prepare answers to all ten of these the night before your interview. Read them out loud at least once, not to memorise them word for word, but so the ideas feel natural when you say them.

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