In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are rearranging their approach to interviewing and hiring. While some are pausing their hiring efforts for a few weeks, the good news is that many aren’t! They’re simply moving their in-person interviews to phone calls and video calls.
For a few giggles, if you haven’t seen the movie The Internship, we’d like to provide you an example of what we’re trying to AVOID with these virtual interviews…Enjoy 😂
Anyways, there’s a good chance you’ve already done a virtual interview in the past but seeing as though this may be the norm for a bit, we figured it would be helpful to share a few tips to help you ace those interviews.
Download the program (ahead of time)
There are numerous ways to conduct a video interview and every hiring manager has their preferred method. Maybe it’s Skype or FaceTime (which are more common in everyday use) but it could be Zoom, Webex, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, or Microsoft Teams, which you’ve never used in your life.
Download the program ahead of time, create a login, and make sure your video and audio settings work. There’s no worse time to find that out than 3 minutes before the interview begins. For good measure, test it with a family member or friend. Can you hear each other? Can you see each other? Is there a lag? Get familiar with the settings so you’re not caught off guard if something happens during the call.
Determine your interview location
Pull up the program and take a look at yourself on the screen. Are you in a well-lit room? Is your video a good reflection of how you’d like to portray yourself? What’s in the background? Is it a neutral background or a messy closet? (Hopefully not a toilet in the background, please) Is it a nice piece of art or pictures of you and your friends out on the town? Is it QUIET?
Dress professionally
First impressions are even more important now that we can’t shake hands and make small talk as we walk through the lobby. Many people joke about wearing pajama pants when working from home or doing video calls with their co-workers, but for an interview, you should feel dressed for the role completely as if you were walking into their office in-person (and this means wearing pants, people).
Have your prep materials in front of you
Print out your resume and the job description so it’s all right in front of you. The interviewer will more than likely run through questions about your resume, so it’s helpful to be able to reference responsibilities, dates, etc. directly from the source. You cannot use your laptop or phone during the call to click through the website or Google so good ole’ fashioned paper is key. Make sure you have a notepad and pen handy. You may learn new things about the role you’ll want to jot down and you don’t want to start darting your eyes around the room looking for a pen.
**If you don’t have access to a printer at home, simply write down key company facts, questions for the interviewer, and you can even add a few prepared answers to standard interview questions that may come up.
Body Language is key
Try to make eye contact. This is a tough one, especially since there’s two screens between you. Speak clearly and at an audible volume – the microphone may delay or your voice may not be picked up if you speak too quietly. Speak as well as you would if you were on a phone interview. Sit up straight. Smile. Be engaged.
Don’t let COVID-19 stop you from searching for your dream job! This is pass us soon and companies are still going to need team members. Hiring managers who are actively interviewing will make accommodations to get good candidates in play.
Be prepared and you’ll definitely nail the video interview!
