If you review the job announcement before your interview, you will see your job responsibilities if chosen as an intern. You will also learn about the agency's mission, vision statement, and values. When responding, focus on mentioning how you want to work for their agency because their values align with yours, how they have a stellar reputation, or how they serve the target population you want to work with.

You want to avoid saying that you want an internship with their agency because they pay more than other organizations or have less strict job requirements. If you respond that you want an internship with their agency because they pay a larger stipend, it shows that you may only be interested in the monetary aspect of the position. If you say that their agency has less strict job requirements, the interviewer will determine that you may shy away from hard work and not be a dedicated intern.

"I applied for an internship with your agency for several reasons. Your agency works with the target population that is my field of interest, so I would gain invaluable experience working with students with disabilities. I was also excited to learn that you offer successful interns the possibility of placement after the internship is completed and that I would be working directly with your IEP team to write, implement, and track the progress of the IEP's goals."