Spotlight on our Network: The Internship Interview Process

We spent some time chatting with Rohit Kapur, a Lime Network member and 2012 Lime Connect Fellow. Rohit will be interning with Lime partner, Target, this summer, and we wanted to learn a bit more about his search for the perfect summer role...

Hello, Rohit. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a junior at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, studying finance and corporate strategy. I am also the founder and president at Abilities Alliance at Ann Arbor, which a student organization on campus for disability inclusion on campus. I was inspired to start this organization due to disabled students' complaints with how the university deals with accessibility issues on campus. The main trouble faced by students is access to older buildings as well as snow removal issues during winter months. I believe the organization is not only a great place to voice issues disabled students face on campus but also a way to foster change. We are currently working with the University on evacuation plans for disabled students who reside in residence halls.

We hear you're interning at Target this summer. Can you share how you connected with the company?

I had previously met with Target representatives through the Lime Connect Fellowship and kept in contact with Target recruiters. I applied to Target through on-campus recruiting and received an interview through the resume drop. Soon after the interview on campus, I was selected as a summer business analyst. 

You mentioned being part of the Fellowship program. Can you tell our readers about that?

The Lime Connect Fellowship Symposium was probably the most influential week of my life. I got to meet many highly intelligent, academic disabled students from all over the country that share similar experiences as myself. I believe this Fellowship really taught me to accept myself and showed me how to gain confidence in all my endeavors. The Fellowship also helped me learn how to ask for accommodations and not be ashamed for needing these accommodations. 

Tell us a bit about the interview process at Target. Any words of wisdom on how to best prepare for an interview you can share with our Network members?

I would say that practicing interviewing is very important and taking advantage of campus resources are very helpful ways to prepare for interviews. The best practice would have to be mock interviews. Practice makes perfect! In addition, I would recommend researching the company prior to an interview and know some current information on them. The Fellowship program, and the hands-on coaching I received, was also a great help in preparing me for the interview process

How did you decide that an opportunity with Target was right for you?

I feel I fit their community-based culture in which they are constantly giving back to different community service projects. Also, Target gives students more frontline experience which is something I was looking for. Working with Target, I hope to gain confidence for my future endeavors in the business world. My career interests revolve around finance based problem solving.

What do you hope to gain from your summer experience?

I hope to learn how to better disclose my disability as well as better learn to work with people from different backgrounds. In addition, I hope to work on my confidence and presentation skills. 

Thanks for sharing, Rohit. We wish you the best of luck at your summer internship with Lime partner, Target!