If you have a virtual interview scheduled, you might be inclined to release a sigh of relief. You don’t need to travel or leave your house, only need to dress up on the top half (with pyjamas on the bottom), and don’t need to be face-to-face with your interviewer. It sounds fantastic right?
Employers are now using virtual interviewing as their only form of interview. If you thought that it would be easier than a traditional interview, then you may find yourself being very underprepared. If you want to succeed, then you should prepare just as much as you would for the usual in-person job interview. Although you should prepare in many similar ways, there will be some different things to consider for the virtual interview process.
Here are our tips on how to ace a virtual interview – use these best practices and you will put yourself in a better position to have a successful interview and find a job you love:
Prepare like it’s just any other job interview
A virtual interview will still have interview questions and an interviewer intently listening and watching you. That means that you still need to come prepared with answers and you need to know them well. If you want to ace your interview, be ready to answer confidently and with some great examples from your past experience.
Prepare some answers and examples
You can prepare for your interview by writing down answers to common interview questions. You can also try to ‘predict’ questions that will come up in your interview. Read the job description and imagine yourself as the hiring manager. Which skills are most important for the role? How do you demonstrate that you will be able to fulfill the responsibilities of the role well? Don’t forget that the hiring manager wants to find the best candidate for the role. The way you answer the questions can make their job easier.
The best way to answer many questions is to use the STAR approach – this will allow you to talk about your skills and highlight examples of when you have used them. You can find examples of common interview questions and how to use the STAR approach on Employable Me.
Practice your answers
You can practice your answers by yourself, or you can do a mock interview with a friend or family member. Practice answering the questions without any notes and without using any ‘filler’ words when talking (e.g. Um’s and ah’s). If you find that you need a bit of time to think to while speaking, try to speak a bit slower and to pause when you need to.
Prepare questions to ask
Also remember to prepare questions to ask. Asking thoughtful questions that display your knowledge of the role and company will help you leave a good impression on the interviewer. More importantly, questions can be very important for helping you decide whether the role is a good fit for you. Asking good questions can help you figure out whether this is your dream job or if it could help you reach it.
Test your technology
This part will be different from your normal interview process and is one you will want to get right. Luckily, this isn’t too hard to do – you just need to do it with plenty of time to spare until before the interview.
Test the equipment
Make sure you have equipment ready for the interview that can record your video and audio. Make sure your camera, headphones, and microphone are all working. Check to see how you look on video and make sure that it isn’t lagging or flickering. Also test out the audio to make sure your equipment can record your voice clearly without any strange sounds like static coming through. If you don’t have a laptop or computer with a camera, you could also consider using your mobile phone instead.
Test the app
It’s important to test out the app you will be using to do your online interview. This could be Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, or some other form of video conferencing software. Have a look at your settings so you know how to adjust your volume and microphone settings if you need to. Make sure you will be able to hear the interviewer clearly so you will understand their questions. If the app you’re using lets you use background filters, consider turning a blur filter on (if this is available) to stop anything behind you from becoming a distraction for the interviewer.
Also remember to check how your name will be displayed during the interview to make sure it is appropriate for the situation.
Test your internet
Make sure to also test out your internet connection. You want it to be stable so you won’t randomly cut out mid-sentence. If you find that your internet connection at home isn’t reliable, you could consider using your mobile phone hotspot or going to a library for a stronger internet connection. Just make sure that wherever you go, that it is a nice and quiet place.
Leave a good impression
A successful interview comes down to convincing the hiring manager that you are a good fit for the role and the company. Leaving a good impression is important if you want to be chosen over the other candidates in the interview process.
Dress appropriately
Just like preparing for a traditional in-person interview, how you dress is important in giving a good first impression. As a general rule, you should dress ‘up’ a bit more than how you imagine you will be dressing at the workplace. If you think you won’t have to stand up, you can consider only dressing up your top half, but if you would rather not take the risk of being caught with your pants down (literally) then we recommend dressing from top to bottom as you would for a face-to-face interview. Dressing up can also have the added benefit of putting you in the right mindset for your interview.
Think about your background
Something a bit different to consider during a video interview is what you have behind you. If you are doing the interview in your bedroom, make sure there isn’t a mess or a lot of clutter behind you. You can make it easy for yourself by doing the interview in front of a blank wall, which ensures there isn’t anything distracting for the interviewer. If you have a dedicated room such as a home office, then that would be even better. A neat bookshelf behind you can make you look professional – leaving a good impression on the interviewer.
Watch your body language
Also don’t forget to give off good body language. This means sitting up straight, smiling, and maintaining eye contact. Since you aren’t meeting the interviewer in-person, you won’t have the chance to give them a firm handshake. Instead, make sure to smile and greet them well when you first join the call. This will be how you can create a great first impression and may set the tone for the rest of the interview.
Try to practice by recording yourself answering some questions. This will help you see what the interviewer will see and allow you to improve on your interviewing skills.
Keep in mind that the person virtual interviewing you is seeing you through your camera. To maintain good eye contact, you will need to look at your camera and not at the image of them through your screen.
Be on time
Lastly, remember to be on time by joining the call five minutes early. Being early gives you time to settle in and this can make you look reliable as well.
