I landed a very competitive internship with NC state government a year and a half ago (6,000 applicants & only 80 spots)
The best tips I can give (cuz I'm really trying to help here, guys. Sheesh!
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-Ask questions of the interviewer. Even if you think they are bogus, stupid questions ask them. I mean, like questions that pertain to whatever you're interviewing about. IE-when I interviewed for the internship I got (History Camp Instructor for NC Museum of History) I asked doofus crap. Like, what SES population do your camps serve? What percentage of students that attend the camp have some sort of disability? How diverse is the population that attends the camps? You get it...stuff like that. It shows interest.
And, SEND A THANK YOU NOTE! At the end of the interview ask the person interviewing you for an address for them (if you can't get it from a website or something) and send just a little card. Mine said crap like, "Mrs. Doe, Thank you for taking the time to interview me. Talking with you about the camps offered at the Museum was very informative! I would learn a great deal about educational resources through working at the museum with the camp program. I look forward to working with you in the future."
I'm serious--have the note ready to send as soon as the interview is over. Write it out as soon as you leave the building and drop it at the post office. I am 90% certain that I got that internship because of my thank you note. I later found it in my boss's files while working on a camp. I also found my rating sheet and I was ranked second. The girl that ranked first was offered a position but then due to budget cuts she was asked if she could just voluteer. So, I got bumped to #1 for the paid position. I'M TELLING YOU MAN--IT WAS THE THANK YOU NOTE!
Good luck & let us know!