As summer internship interviews ramp up, the AWE Team is looking ahead to our annual Interview Skills Panel Discussion on February 25, where staffing managers, recruiters and HR professionals will share what they actually notice in interviews and what helps candidates move forward.

In preparation for that conversation, we wanted to highlight insights from a recent article on student career readiness featuring a staffing manager who works between job postings and hiring managers. The article explores what employers are truly seeing when students enter the hiring process and one message stood out: most students have the technical skills required for entry level roles. The gap emerges when candidates struggle to articulate those skills and explain how they would apply them in the workplace.

By the time you’re invited to interview, your resume has already demonstrated that you’re capable. What differentiates candidates is how clearly they can describe their experiences, reflect on their growth, and connect their skills to the role. According to the hiring manager, you can tell right away who has practiced, reflected and prepared thoughtfully for the conversation.

The article also reminds us that career readiness isn’t built in a single workshop or course. It develops over time through repetition, feedback and professional conversations. The students who stand out aren’t necessarily the most experienced but they are the ones who have done the work to connect the dots and communicate it confidently.

If you’d like to strengthen this skillset, AWE offers mock interviews to help you practice your responses in a low stakes setting and receive feedback from your Work Experience Coordinator before the real thing.

In this competitive internship season, preparation is noticeable - and it matters.