Many companies are still working remotely during quarantine and because of that, many job interviews are being conducted remotely. Services like Skype, Zoom, and Teams are being utilized so that people can still interview for jobs without having to be in an office. In some ways, video interviews are a lot easier: there’s no commute, you’re comfortable in your own environment, and you can have notes out of view of the camera to help prompt you if you get stuck. But video interviews bring their own challenges as well and people find that they have a harder time communicating or connecting with their interviewers on video. Not to mention technical troubles and issues of background noise if you live with partners or children.
Here are some tips Advanced Hires recommends for people who are doing video interviews at home. Following these simple and easy-to-remember steps can help make your interviewing experience much better and more productive for both parties:
TEST IT: It’s a really good idea to test the device you’re planning to interview on at least once or twice before the actual interview. For example, if you’re planning on using your laptop, ask a friend or family member to test out your video and audio with a practice meeting beforehand so if there are any glitches or issues you can work on fixing them before the actual interview.
CHARGE IT: The last thing you want is for your computer or phone to die in the middle of an interview. It makes you look unprepared and could make rescheduling difficult. Make sure to fully charge your device before the meeting. If you can keep your device plugged into a power sure during the entire interview, do that. Otherwise make sure you have enough juice (and know how long the interview will be).
PREPARE IT: Just because you’re not in an office doesn’t mean you can show up to a job interview in pajamas and with wild hair. Make sure you are presentable, dressed for an interview, and professional. Have a notepad and pen, your resume, a list of questions you might have, and a glass of water at hand so you can be prepared. Make sure to have this all set up twenty minutes before the interview, and just like in real life, it’s important to be ready to go five minutes before the interview time. If you can join the video chat early, do that, otherwise wait for the host to allow you entrance at the exact scheduled time.
DO IT: If you live with other people, make sure you can create a space in your home that is quiet and private. Wearing headphones isn’t the best, but if that’s the only way you can monitor background noises than it’s better to do that than have a ton of distractions coming through your video. Remember that this just as important as an in-person interview so do all the things you would do at one over the video chat too: make eye contact, show you’re listening, ask questions, and remain professional.
ROCK IT: Once you finish your interview, make sure you’re doing what you would normally do after an in-person interview as well: send thank you notes, write down any lingering questions you might have about the job/company, and make sure to express your enthusiasm for the position if you think it’ll be a good fit for you. If you followed the previous steps, there’s a good chance you’ll totally rock the interview!