300 Questions to Ask Interns About Their Experience

Internships are like sneak peeks into a future career. But how do you know if your interns actually had a worthwhile time? Simple: you ask them. Questions about their daily tasks, team vibes, and even their future plans can reveal a lot. 

Whether you’re an employer, a curious co-worker, or someone considering an internship, these questions will help you get the real scoop on what an internship experience was like.

About Daily Tasks And Responsibilities

1. Can you describe your daily routine during your internship?
2. What were the main tasks and responsibilities you handled?
3. How did you manage your time and prioritize your tasks?
4. Did you feel that your tasks aligned with what you expected to learn?
5. How did you adapt to new responsibilities or unexpected tasks?
6. Were there any tools or technologies you had to learn to perform your daily tasks?
7. How did you feel about the balance between challenging and manageable tasks?
8. Did you get the opportunity to lead or manage any of your daily tasks?
9. Were you able to suggest improvements to daily processes or tasks?
10. How well did you think your educational background prepared you for these tasks?
11. Were there any tasks that you particularly enjoyed or disliked?
12. How did you communicate your progress or concerns regarding daily tasks?
13. Did you receive regular feedback on your performance, and how did it help you?
14. How did your daily responsibilities contribute to your professional growth?
15. How did you handle mistakes or setbacks in your daily tasks?
16. Were there any tasks you were anxious about but eventually got comfortable with?
17. What part of your daily responsibilities did you find most educational?
18. Did you feel you had the resources and tools necessary to fulfill your responsibilities?
19. How did you find the transition from an academic setting to a professional environment?
20. Did you work on any task that significantly impacted the organization?
21. How did you handle tasks that were outside of your comfort zone?
22. Were you able to apply theoretical knowledge to practical tasks?
23. How did you align your tasks with the goals of the organization?
24. Did you feel that you had too much free time, too little, or just enough to perform your tasks well?
25. How did you handle repetitive tasks? 
26. Did you find ways to make them more engaging?
27. Did you feel like your daily responsibilities were meaningful?
28. How did you handle deadlines and pressure?
29. Were there any ethical considerations in your daily tasks?
30. How did you seek help when you were stuck with a task?
31. Did you find that the daily tasks suited your working style and pace?
32. How would you describe the overall experience of handling daily tasks and responsibilities?
33. Did you receive enough guidance and support for your daily responsibilities?
34. Were there any specific skills you developed through your daily tasks?

About Learning And Development Opportunities

1. What learning and development opportunities were available to you during your internship?
2. How did you take advantage of the training programs or workshops offered?
3. Were there any skills or competencies you particularly wanted to develop?
4. Did you feel encouraged to pursue additional learning outside your regular tasks?
5. Were there any opportunities to attend conferences, seminars, or networking events?
6. How did the organization support your continuous learning and growth?
7. Did you have access to online courses or resources for self-paced learning?
8. What was the most valuable learning experience or training you participated in?
9. Were you able to tailor your learning opportunities to your specific interests or career goals?
10. How did you balance work responsibilities with learning opportunities?
11. How did learning and development align with the organization’s culture and mission?
12. Did you find any gaps in the learning opportunities provided?
13. How would you fill them?
14. How did the learning experiences prepare you for future roles or industries?
15. Were you able to apply what you learned in training directly to your work?
16. Did you find that the organization emphasized continuous learning and improvement?
17. How were your individual learning needs assessed and addressed?
18. Were there any cross-functional or interdisciplinary learning opportunities?
19. How did the learning experiences contribute to your personal growth and self-awareness?
20. Did you feel challenged and engaged in the learning opportunities provided?
21. How did you track your progress and achievements in learning and development?
22. Were there any group learning or collaborative training experiences?
23. How were learning and development integrated into performance evaluations or feedback?
24. Did you have opportunities to share what you learned with others within the organization?
25. Were there any “a-ha moments” where something suddenly clicked for you?
26. Were you ever invited to strategy meetings or brainstorming sessions? What did you take away from those experiences?
27. Were there any certifications or recognitions associated with the learning opportunities?
28. How did the organization promote a culture of curiosity and lifelong learning?
29. Were you able to contribute to or shape any learning programs or initiatives?
30. How did learning and development prepare you to transition from academia to the professional world?
31. What advice would you give to future interns regarding maximizing learning opportunities?
32. How do you plan to continue your learning and development after the internship?

About Challenges And How They Overcame Them

1. Can you describe a significant challenge you faced during your internship and how you overcame it?
2. What resources or support helped you overcome the challenges you encountered?
3. How did facing challenges contribute to your growth and resilience?
4. Were there any unexpected obstacles?
5. How did you adapt to them?
6. How did you handle failures or setbacks?
7. What did you learn from them?
8. Were there any challenges balancing your internship with other commitments, such as studies or personal life?
9. Did you feel well-equipped to handle the challenges, or did you need to acquire new skills?
10. How did you maintain motivation and focus when facing difficulties?
11. Were there any cultural or organizational challenges, and how did you navigate them?
12. How did you seek help or collaboration when faced with complex problems?
13. How did challenges differ between individual tasks and team-based projects?
14. Were there any ethical dilemmas or conflicts that presented challenges, and how did you handle them?
15. Did you face challenges communicating or presenting your ideas, and how did you improve?
16. How did you take feedback or criticism that was challenging to accept?
17. How did the challenges you faced align with or differ from your expectations?
18. Were there any challenges in technology or tools that you had to overcome?
19. How did you prioritize and manage multiple challenges simultaneously?
20. Were there any challenges related to diversity, inclusion, or accessibility, and how did you address them?
21. How did your academic background prepare you or fall short in handling the challenges you encountered?
22. How did you leverage your strengths to overcome challenges?
23. Did you discover any hidden strengths?
24. Were there any long-term challenges that required ongoing effort and adaptation?
25. How did the organization’s leadership or culture support or hinder your ability to overcome challenges?
26. Were there any challenges in understanding or aligning with the organization’s goals or values?
27. How did you reflect on and learn from the challenges you faced?
28. Did you feel that the obstacles were fair and conducive to your development?
29. How did you maintain a positive attitude or perspective when facing challenges?
30. Did you take any risks that led to challenges?
31. How did you assess those risks?
32. How did overcoming challenges contribute to your satisfaction and success in the internship?
33. What advice would you give to future interns regarding facing and overcoming challenges?

About Overall Internship Satisfaction

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with this internship?
2. What was the most rewarding part of your internship?
3. Were there any specific experiences that made your internship feel especially meaningful?
4. If you could go back in time, would you still choose this internship? Why or why not?
5. What are three words you would use to describe your overall experience?
6. Did you feel that you were treated as a valuable team member?
7. How did your internship experience compare to your peers’ experiences in other organizations?
8. Was the length of the internship adequate for you to achieve your goals and experience the work culture?
9. Was the workload manageable and aligned with what was expected for an internship role?
10. Were there any “real-world learning” moments you didn’t get from your studies?
11. Did the internship offer a fair balance between challenging tasks and achievable outcomes?
12. How much did you enjoy the social aspect of the internship, like team lunches or outings?
13. Was there anything about the internship that you found particularly frustrating or disappointing?
14. Was the work environment pace too slow, fast, or just right for your liking?
15. How well did your academic background prepare you for this internship?
16. What gaps in knowledge or skills did you identify?
17. Did you feel the internship was diverse and inclusive and made you feel comfortable being yourself?
18. Did you find the onboarding and exit process smooth and informative?
19. Would you consider returning to this organization for a full-time role or another internship, and why or why not?

About Team Dynamics

1. How did you fit into the team’s dynamics during your internship?
2. Can you describe the collaboration and communication within the team?
3. Were there any challenges in working with team members?
4. How did you handle them?
5. How did you contribute to team meetings and discussions?
6. Did you feel comfortable sharing ideas and feedback with the team?
7. How did the team support you in your learning and development?
8. Did you have the opportunity to work closely with any team members or mentors?
9. How did you handle conflicts or disagreements within the team?
10. Were there any team activities or bonding experiences that stood out?
11. What was the team’s approach to problem-solving?
12. How did you contribute?
13. Did you notice any strong leadership within the team?
14. How did it impact you?
15. How did the team handle successes and failures together?
16. Were there opportunities to work in different teams or cross-functional groups?
17. How did the team’s dynamics change throughout your internship?
18. How did you balance individual tasks with teamwork and collaboration?
19. Did the team have clear goals and expectations?
20. How did you align with them?
21. How did you contribute to a positive team culture?
22. Did you feel a sense of belonging within the team?
23. What role did you play within the team, and how did it evolve?
24. How did you adapt to different working styles within the team?
25. Were there any lessons you learned about teamwork during your internship?
26. How did you connect with team members outside of work-related tasks?
27. Did you receive or provide mentorship within the team?
28. Were there any challenges in remote or virtual collaboration with the team?
29. How did you handle feedback from team members?
30. Did you notice any diversity and inclusion efforts within the team?
31. How did the team handle stress or high-pressure situations?
32. Did the team encourage creativity and innovation?
33. What was the most rewarding aspect of working within the team?

About Projects And Assignments

1. Can you describe the projects and assignments you worked on during your internship?
2. How were you assigned to specific projects? 
3. Did you have any input in the selection?
4. What was the most challenging project, and how did you handle it?
5. Were you able to lead or manage any projects? 
6. If so, how was the experience?
7. How did you collaborate with others on project tasks and responsibilities?
8. Did you have opportunities to work on projects aligned with your interests or career goals?
9. How did you approach problem-solving and creativity in your projects?
10. Did you face any obstacles in your projects, and how did you overcome them?
11. How did you manage deadlines and timelines for your projects?
12. Were there opportunities to work on cross-functional or interdisciplinary projects?
13. How did you handle feedback and revisions for your projects?
14. Did you present your projects to others within the organization, and how was the experience?
15. Were there any projects that you felt particularly proud of?
16. How did you balance multiple projects or assignments?
17. How did the projects contribute to your understanding of the industry or field?
18. Did you have the support and resources needed for your projects?
19. How did you adapt to new or unfamiliar areas in your projects?
20. Were there any ethical considerations or constraints in your projects?
21. How did you ensure quality and accuracy in your work?
22. Did you have opportunities to innovate or try new approaches in your projects?
23. How did your projects align with the organization’s goals or mission?
24. Were there any collaborative projects with other organizations or external partners?
25. Did you have a mentor or guidance for your projects, and how did they help?
26. How did you reflect on and learn from successes and failures in your projects?
27. Were you involved in any long-term projects?
28. How did you handle the ongoing responsibilities?
29. Did you use any specific tools or technologies for your projects?
30. How did you handle the pressure or stress associated with projects and assignments?
31. How do you feel the projects and assignments contributed to your overall internship experience?

About Work Environment And Culture

1. How would you describe the work environment and culture at the organization?
2. Did you find the work environment to be supportive and inclusive?
3. Were there any specific values or beliefs that stood out in the company culture?
4. How did the work environment differ from what you expected before joining the internship?
5. Did you feel that the work environment encouraged collaboration and teamwork?
6. Were there any cultural challenges or conflicts, and how did you navigate them?
7. How did you adapt to the work environment, particularly if it was different from your previous experiences?
8. What were some memorable experiences or events that highlighted the organization’s culture?
9. Did you have opportunities to contribute to or shape the work culture in any way?
10. How did the work environment affect your productivity and well-being?
11. Were there any specific policies or practices that positively or negatively impacted the work culture?
12. How did the organization promote a healthy work-life balance?
13. What role did leadership play in defining and maintaining the work culture?
14. Were there any diversity and inclusion initiatives?
15. How did they influence the work environment?
16. How did the physical workspace (if applicable) contribute to the overall work culture?
17. Were there opportunities to engage in social or extracurricular activities with colleagues?
18. How did the work environment support or hinder creativity and innovation?
19. Did you feel a sense of belonging and connection within the workplace culture?
20. How did the work environment align with your personal values and ethics?
21. Were there open channels for feedback and communication about the work environment and culture?
22. How did the company’s mission and vision translate into the daily work environment?
23. Were there any unique traditions or practices that made the work culture stand out?
24. How did the work culture facilitate or challenge your ability to meet goals and expectations?
25. Were there resources or support for mental health and well-being within the work environment?
26. How did the organization adapt to the work environment in response to challenges or changes?
27. How would you improve the work environment for future interns or employees?
28. Were you encouraged to take initiative and be proactive within the work culture?
29. How did the work environment reflect the industry or market the organization operates in?
30. How did the work culture prepare you for potential future roles or workplaces?
31. Would you recommend this work environment to others, and why or why not?
32. How would you compare the work culture of this organization with previous experiences or expectations from your field of study?
33. Did the organization have specific initiatives or programs to welcome and integrate you into the work environment?
34. Was there a defining moment during your internship that particularly encapsulated the work culture for you?
35. How did your interactions with different departments or teams give you a broader understanding of the organization’s culture?
36. Did the organization’s sustainability and social responsibility approach align with your values?
37. How did it affect the work environment?
38. How were creativity and out-of-the-box thinking encouraged or discouraged within the work culture?
39. Was the decision-making process within the organization transparent, and how did it reflect the overall work culture?
40. Did the organization encourage flexibility, such as remote work or flexible hours?
41. How did it impact the work environment?
42. How did the organization prioritize customer or client satisfaction, and how was it reflected in the work culture?
43. Were there opportunities to learn from failures or mistakes within the work environment?
44. Did you feel the work environment allowed personal autonomy and independence in your tasks and responsibilities?
45. How did the organization approach transparency and honesty, both internally and externally, and how did it shape the work culture?

About Goals, Expectations, And Achievements

1. What were your primary goals and expectations at the start of your internship?
2. Did the organization set clear goals and expectations for your role?
3. How did you work towards achieving your goals?
4. What strategies did you employ?
5. Were there any goals that were particularly challenging or rewarding to achieve?
6. How were your expectations met or unmet during the internship?
7. Did you have opportunities to revise or update your goals as the internship progressed?
8. Were there any unexpected achievements or successes that stood out?
9. How did you track and evaluate your progress toward your goals?
10. Were there any specific projects or tasks pivotal in achieving your goals?
11. How did the organization’s goals and mission align with your personal and professional goals?
12. How did you handle any disappointments or setbacks in achieving your goals?
13. Were there any conflicts or contradictions between your goals and the organization’s expectations?
14. How did achieving your goals contribute to your overall satisfaction with the internship?
15. Did you feel challenged and motivated by the goals and expectations set for you?
16. How did the achievements during your internship contribute to your learning and development?
17. Were there any formal evaluations or assessments of your achievements and performance?
18. How did your achievements during the internship align with your future career plans or aspirations?
19. Did you feel that the goals set for you were fair and attainable?
20. How did achieving goals impact your relationships with colleagues and supervisors?
21. Were there any ethical considerations or values that guided your pursuit of goals?
22. How did you balance short-term tasks with long-term goals and expectations?
23. How did the achievements during your internship prepare you for the challenges and expectations of the professional world?
24. Did you feel ownership and responsibility for your goals and achievements?
25. How would you set goals differently for future experiences based on this internship?
26. What advice would you give to future interns regarding setting and achieving goals?

About Future Career Plans And Aspirations

1. How has your internship experience shaped your future career plans and aspirations?
2. Did the internship help you discover new interests or directions for your career?
3. Were there any specific projects or experiences that had a significant impact on your career aspirations?
4. How has the internship prepared you for the challenges and opportunities of your chosen career path?
5. Did you have opportunities to explore various roles or industries through the internship?
6. Were there any networking opportunities that contributed to your future career plans?
7. How have your career goals changed or evolved during and after the internship?
8. How did the internship align with your academic pursuits?
9. How has it affected your educational choices?
10. Were there any discussions or guidance on potential career paths within the organization after the internship?
11. How have the skills and competencies you developed during the internship contributed to your career readiness?
12. Did the internship affirm or challenge your pre-existing career plans, and why?
13. Were there any specific individuals who greatly influenced your future career aspirations?
14. Did you feel encouraged to pursue your unique career interests and passions?
15. How do you plan to leverage the internship experience in your future job applications or interviews?
16. How did the internship experience differ from your previous understanding of your future career?
17. Did you gain insights into the broader industry or market trends that may affect your career choices?
18. How do you plan to continue building on the relationships and connections made during the internship?
19. Were there any unexpected insights or revelations about your career preferences?
20. How do you keep learning and growing in preparation for your future career?
21. Did you feel that the internship provided a realistic view of the daily work in your chosen field?
22. How do you plan to apply the feedback and evaluations from the internship to your career development?
23. Were there opportunities to gain leadership experience or take initiative that might benefit your future career?
24. How have your achievements during the internship bolstered your confidence in pursuing your career goals?
25. What would be your advice to others seeking internships in alignment with their future career aspirations?

About Mentorship And Guidance

1. Did you have a designated mentor during your internship? If so, what was your relationship like?
2. How often did you meet with your mentor or supervisor for guidance?
3. Can you share an instance where mentorship greatly helped you in your internship?
4. Did you feel comfortable seeking help and asking your mentor or supervisor questions?
5. How did your mentor help you integrate into the company culture?
6. What was the most valuable advice or insight you received from your mentor?
7. How did mentorship align with the responsibilities and tasks you were given?
8. Were there any formal mentorship programs or structures in place?
9. How did your mentor assist you in understanding the industry and your role?
10. Did your mentor provide feedback, and how did it affect your performance?
11. What qualities did you appreciate most in your mentor?
12. How much guidance were you given for your daily responsibilities?
13. How would you improve the mentorship experience for future interns?
14. Did you have more than one mentor, and if so, how did their guidance differ?
15. How did your relationship with your mentor evolve over time?
16. Were there opportunities to network and learn from others besides your mentor?
17. How did mentorship contribute to your confidence and ability to handle tasks?
18. Did you have any role models within the organization apart from your mentor?
19. How was the mentorship experience different from your academic guidance or coaching?
20. Were you encouraged to take initiative and make decisions under your mentor’s guidance?
21. How did the mentorship experience contribute to your overall internship satisfaction?
22. Would you prefer to stay connected with your mentor after the internship, and why?

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I approach the conversation with the intern?

Can these questions be asked in a group setting?

While individual feedback is most effective, you can also ask these questions in a group setting. This can be useful to see if multiple interns had similar experiences. However, be aware that some interns might not feel comfortable sharing in a group.

How can the feedback be used to improve the internship program?

• Immediate changes: Some feedback might lead to quick fixes, like improving communication channels.
• Long-term changes: More complex issues, like training programs, may need more time to address.
• Feedback loop: Share summarized feedback (keeping it anonymous) with teams involved in the internship program to make informed decisions.

Conclusion

Whether you’re an intern sharing your own story, or someone interested in the behind-the-scenes of starting out in the working world, these questions offer a 360-degree view. Happy asking and happy learning!