How to Ace a Singapore Internship Interview

Getting shortlisted is hard work. Now you have an interview — don't waste the opportunity. This guide walks through everything you need to prepare.

Types of Interviews You'll Face

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Before the Interview: Research Checklist

Poor candidates walk in knowing only the company name. Strong candidates know:

Company basics:

• What does the company do and how does it make money?
• Who are its main competitors?
• What has it been in the news for recently?
• What's its Singapore or Southeast Asia strategy?

Team/division specifics:

• What does this specific team work on?
• Who will you be reporting to? (Check LinkedIn)
• What technologies or methodologies does this team use?

The role:

• What are the key responsibilities?
• What does a successful intern look like in this role?
• What questions will you ask them at the end?

Pro tip: Google "[Company Name] Singapore internship review" on Glassdoor and LinkedIn to find insights from previous interns.

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The Most Common Interview Questions

"Tell me about yourself"

This is not an invitation to read your CV. It's a 90-second pitch.

Structure:

1. Where you're studying and what (10 seconds)
2. Most relevant experience (30 seconds)
3. What you're looking to do / why this role (20 seconds)

Example:

"I'm a Year 2 Computer Science student at NUS. Last summer, I interned at a fintech startup where I built a payment reconciliation dashboard in Python that reduced manual work by 40%. I'm particularly interested in data engineering, which is why I'm excited about this role at DBS — especially the work your team is doing on real-time transaction analytics."

"Why do you want this internship?"

This is the most important question. Don't say "to gain experience."

What they're looking for: Genuine interest, research, alignment.

Bad answer: "I'm interested in finance and want to learn more about the industry."

Good answer: "I've been following DBS's transition to cloud infrastructure since the LiveBetter strategy announcement. What specifically drew me to this team is the work on data lakehouse architecture — I've been building similar systems for my university project and I want to see how it's done at scale."

"What's your greatest weakness?"

Be genuine, not formulaic. Avoid "I work too hard."

Framework: Real weakness → What you've done about it → Evidence of improvement

Example: "I used to struggle with prioritisation when juggling multiple projects. Last semester I started using a simple sprint framework with weekly priorities, which helped me complete three major assignments on time without dropping quality. I'm still working on it, but I've improved significantly."

"Tell me about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it"

Use the STAR method here:

• Situation: Brief context (1–2 sentences)
• Task: What you were responsible for
• Action: What YOU specifically did (not "we")
• Result: Quantified outcome wherever possible

Example:

"During my Year 1 project (S), I was leading a team of 5 to build a web app for our final deliverable (T). Two weeks before the deadline, one teammate dropped out with a personal emergency. I reorganised the remaining work, covered the backend development myself, and held daily 30-minute check-ins to keep everyone aligned (A). We submitted on time and received an A- grade (R)."

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Behavioural Questions to Prepare For

Prepare 5–6 strong STAR stories that can flex to answer different questions:

1. A time you led a team
2. A time you dealt with conflict
3. A time you failed and what you learned
4. A time you went beyond expectations
5. A time you had to learn something quickly
6. A time you used data to make a decision

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Technical Preparation by Industry

Banking / Finance

• Walk through the 3 financial statements
• Explain what a DCF is at a high level
• Be ready to discuss a recent market event (SGX, Fed decisions, SG Budget)
• Know basic financial ratios: P/E, EV/EBITDA, ROE, ROA

Technology

• LeetCode preparation (see our SWE internship guide)
• Know the basics of system design
• Be ready to discuss your projects in depth

Consulting

• Case interview preparation (see our consulting internship guide)
• Market sizing practice
• Business news awareness

Government

• Understand Singapore's key challenges (economic diversification, ageing population, housing)
• Know the agency's mandate and recent initiatives
• Be able to connect your skills to public interest outcomes

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During the Interview

Body language:

• Eye contact (for in-person/video)
• Don't fidget or check your phone
• Smile when appropriate — energy matters

Answering questions:

• Take 3–5 seconds to collect your thoughts before answering
• Ask for clarification if a question is unclear
• Use "I" not "we" when describing your contributions
• End strong — don't trail off

Asking questions: Always have 2–3 questions prepared. Good ones:

• "What does a typical day look like for an intern in this team?"
• "What separates a good intern from a great one here?"
• "What's the most interesting project the team has worked on recently?"

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Video Interview Tips (HireVue)

• Background: Clean, neutral, good lighting
• Camera: Eye level, not below you
• Audio: Test your mic beforehand
• Pace: Speak 10–15% slower than you think you need to
• Time limit: Practice with a timer — don't ramble past the limit

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After the Interview

Within 24 hours: Send a thank-you email. Brief, personal, not template-sounding.

"Hi [Name], thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I particularly enjoyed learning about [specific topic discussed] — it reinforced my enthusiasm for the role. Looking forward to next steps."

Following up: If you haven't heard back within the timeline given, it's fine to follow up once after 1 week.

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Final Tips

1. Practice out loud — thinking through answers in your head isn't the same as saying them
2. Record yourself — you'll spot filler words and pacing issues
3. Sleep well — performance drops significantly on less than 6 hours
4. Arrive early — 10 minutes early for in-person, 5 minutes for virtual
5. Be yourself — interviewers can spot performance. Authenticity builds rapport.

Browse internships to apply to