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How To Prepare For A Zoom Interview

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Prepare Answers To The Most Common Questions

ZOOM Interview Tips! | How to Prepare for a ZOOM Job Interview!

Dont get so sidetracked by setting up the technology that you forget to prepare for the interview itself mainly, how you plan to answer the top interview questions employers ask.

Also, think about any potential concerns they may have about your background in particular and how youll address those.

For example, they may want to know why you left your last job so soon, or why youre looking for a different type of job than youve done in the past, etc.

Anticipate the questions theyre likely to ask, practice your answers, and youll feel more relaxed in the interview.

You can also record yourself delivering your answers in the environment that youve set up. Look at the video recording, see how you look and sound, and then make adjustments before going live on Zoom with the employer.

Take The Video Call Where Your Wifi Is Strongest

As we mention in our home office setup guide, some houses will experience stronger WiFi in some rooms than in others.

If youre aware of how WiFi is stronger in the TV room than in the living room, choose the TV room for the interview and start your virtual interview setup there.

The reason for really being picky about WiFi is that video takes a lot of bandwidth and if your internet is a dab less than stellar, your interview may have lag or a delay, or you may even appear blurry.

Audio For Mobile Video Interviewing

You might be tempted to put your phone on speaker for the audio portion of your interviewwe strongly recommend against it. Audio quality isnt always the best on speaker phone, and you want to be confident that youll be able to hear the questions your interviewer is asking youand you definitely dont want the sound to cut out in the middle of answering a question! Our tip for audio is to use microphone-enabled headphones so you and your interviewer can clearly hear each other. Youll get better sound quality and minimize background noise and echo with the microphone closer to your mouth. If you do have audio issues, and youve checked your connection, be sure to let your interviewer know so they can check their end, too! Also, put your cell phone on silent so your interview isnt disturbed by calls, messages or notifications.

Also Check: Prepare For System Design Interview

Make Use Of The Mute Button

Zoom features a function that allows you to silence your audio. This is a useful tool to have on hand when your interviewer is speaking for extended periods of time. They won’t be able to hear anything from you if you use the mute button. When there are loud sounds in your home, such as dogs barking or children playing, this is beneficial. Keeping your phone on silent while they talk might assist your interviewer concentrate on what they’re trying to say.

Practice Looking At Your Webcam When Speaking

How to prepare for a zoom interview, August 6 to August 7 ...

In line with point no. 1, but its importance necessitates having its own section. Practice looking at your webcam when speaking, and not at the screen. It is imperative that you come across as professional, and part of that is looking at your interviewer while speaking. Looking at the screen is going to make you appear like youre looking away from the interviewer a sign of lack of preparedness, nerves or both.

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Start Off With A Digital Handshake

When you interview in person, theres a period where the interview has started, but it hasnt started. You and your interviewer are physically meeting, shaking hands, walking into the room, and sitting down. Even if youre not making small talk, theres still some time to settle in. For a video interview, this isnt always the case, so you need to focus on making an initial connection even more than usual, Eonnet says.

Try a digital handshake, she says. After you say hello, look right into the camera to forge a connection, do a small head nod as if to say yes!, and add a smile, which translates warmth and openness.

Find Out The Companys Appropriate And Expected Dress Code

Consider that what to wear to a remote interview depends on industry. The video interview dress code will vary, whether youre interviewing at a chilled-out tech startup or an international bank.

If you are able to, ask a friend in a similar industry which type of dress is expected for this video interview.

Helpful Tip

Working from home can make you forget how to dress up. Use our work from home tips to brush up on how dressing up can make you feel professional even if youre in your house.

Also Check: Design Interview Preparation

Can I Do A Zoom Interview On My Phone

Zoom has a mobile function that allows users to have meetings through their iOS or Android smartphone, where possible.

Before the interview starts, test the function to make sure your device is capable of the function and that the audio and video are working, and then access the Zoom meeting by clicking on the link provided by the employer from your phone.

Ask The Interviewer Questions

How-to Prepare for a Video Interview on Zoom

Job interviews should feel like a conversation with both parties asking and answering questions. Just because you are the one being interviewed, doesnt mean you cannot ask questions. After all, an interview is a two-way street and you should also see if the company is a good fit for your values and skills.

In fact, if you do ask relevant questions, the interviewer will get an idea that you did your pre-interview research and are seriously interested in the job.

Your opportunity to ask these questions typically comes at the end of the interview when the interviewer asks if there are any questions that youd like to ask.

Some of the questions that you can ask your interviewer include:

  • What skills or previous experience are most important for the person that is selected for this position?
  • What does success look like in this position? How do you measure it?
  • Who will I be working most closely with? How do they measure success?
  • What other departments will have some ownership over my work? How do I ensure my collaboration with them is successful.

For more examples of questions to ask your interviewer, check out my comprehensive list here.

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How To Prepare For A Video Interview

Are you preparing for a virtual interview for a remote job interview process? Heres how to prepare for a video interview, with Zoom interview tips, including what to wear to a remote interview.

  • Remember and bookmark all these video and Zoom interview tips for future virtual interviews.
  • Weve all been there: you get past the phone screen step of the interview process and now you need to find out how to ace a remote job interview.

    Whether the company at which youre interviewing calls it a remote interview, online interview, video interview or virtual interview, you have to know how to prepare for a video interview because you need to pass this step.

    If youre already on a daily schedule of working remotely or working from home, then youre familiar with how to stay connected while working remotely.

    There are lots of ways to get some face-to-face time even when youre not in a traditional office.

    These days, its more and more common to be offered a remote video interview as a first-round interview for a job in your city.

    You also may experience first, second and third-round interviews for a remote job.

    Helpful Tip

    If youre looking for remote work for the first time, or looking for a remote side hustle, subscribe to FlexJobs for vetted and flexible work-from-home jobs.

    No one said taking a remote interview is easy, especially when there are so many factors to navigate.

    Helpful TipHelpful Tip

    Practice Avoiding Touching Your Face And Your Hair

    Many people touch their face and hair when they get nervous. The bright side of an interview is that youll realize when you touch your face and hair or adjust your glasses, because youll be looking at yourself.

    The day before your interview, take a half hour to mindfully practice touching your face and hair less. If you like wearing your hair down, reconsider if thisll mean youll be fidgeting with your hair a lot. It can be distracting to the interviewer, who gets a clear view of you on a screen.

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    Observe Your Body Language

    Make sure you dont look confused or nervous with your body language. Hiring managers watch your hand movement and eye contact to figure out your confidence level.

    Avoid clenching your jaws, tapping your hands, moving your chair, or doing anything that will make you appear uneasy or nervous.

    Show confidence with eye contact by looking into your webcam rather than at your video on the screen. It will feel more like a real conversation.

    Also, create a good atmosphere and reduce the stress with a smile.

    Use Krsipai To Cancel Background Noise

    18 Ways to Prepare for a Zoom Interview

    Have you heard of Krisp?

    Please note that this is not an ad at all!

    We heard about Krisp through a professional connection, and as it turns out, Krisp.ai is an app that cancels background noise with the click of a button.

    You can speak without background noise, and you can also listen to other participants in a call without their background noise.

    Helpful Tip

    For more information about Krisp, check out our guide on how to remove background noise on calls.

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    Have A Tech Backup Plan

    Since you’re relying on technology which can be finicky just when you need it most have your computer plugged in and charging.

    You’ll also need a back-up plan, in case you have issues with your Wi-Fi internet connection. If you have an unlimited plan on your phone, you can connect your computer to its hotspot. Or you can download the Zoom app on your phone and have the meeting there. While this isn’t ideal, it should work.

    Tip #: Pass On The Virtual Backgrounds

    Zoom has a lot of interesting options when it comes to backgrounds. You can change your background to anything you like a video, a gif, a still image. But no matter how hard you try, a virtual background is going to look fake. The human eye can still detect the subtle differences in lighting between your living room and the great outdoors.

    Remember, our intention is to create a great experience for the viewer. If the background is obviously fake, thats going to be a distraction. They wont be able to focus on your beautiful face during the interview. Instead, choose a background in your space that has a little something going on. Its not a boring white/beige/etc. wall, like an insane asylum. Bookcases are really popular backgrounds because theyre colorful, and they make you look smart. My personal choice is a really nice painting.

    Dont feel like you need to empty the space of personal quirks, either. If theres a knickknack or two showing , it will endear you to your viewer because theyll feel like they get to know you better. Despite whatever well-intentioned reasons they may be chosen for, virtual backgrounds inevitably feel like a little bit of an evasion and a closure, rather than an invitation to engage with you and your world.

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    Resist Adding A Virtual Background

    Although you might be tempted, it’s best to not use this feature during a video interviews. You’ll want to stay as professional as possible, and the focus should be on you and the interviewer not whatever’s in the background. If your background is incredibly cluttered and you have no other option, look for a simple Zoom background, like a classic bookcase or a tidy office.

    If you plan to use this feature, make sure you create a Zoom account and enable the virtual background set-up on your profile. Practice with it so you know it’ll look good.

    What Is A Zoom Interview Call

    VIRTUAL INTERNSHIP SUCCESS TIPS: How to Prepare for a Zoom Video Interview or Meeting

    Many recruiters and hiring managers are moving to a virtual interviewing process, often conducting a Zoom interview call. A Zoom interview call uses a video conferencing software platform, called Zoom, that allows the interviewer and job candidate to hold a virtual meeting in real-time. The interviewer will send you a link via email that you will click on at the corresponding time for your interview. You will then be able to hear and see each other and complete the interview as if you were together in the same room.

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    Tip #1 Download The Zoom Software The Day Before Your Interview Takes Place And Familiarize Yourself With The Platform

    This is important. Lots of candidates download the Zoom software a few minutes before their interview starts, and they then realize they have to register for an account, and they cant get it to work on time!

    If you arent ready at the start of your Zoom interview, you will fail because it demonstrates a lack of planning and organizational skills.

    When you download the Zoom platform, test the sound, and check your mic settings. The last thing you want to happen at the start of your Zoom interview is that you cannot hear the interviewer, or they cant hear you!

    Explain Any Long Pauses

    Because of the various limitations of video calls, it might not always be clear to your interviewer what youre doing if no one is speaking. Tell them if youre pausing to write down a few notes, pull up some information for them, or even just formulate your answer to a question. This shows that youre aware of their experience while also reassuring them that no technical glitches have occurred.

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    Tips For A Successful Zoom Interview

    Are you prepared for your next job interview? You may be relieved to learn the commute may only be as far as your living room. Read on to learn the advantages of a Zoom interview and the best tips and practices to make it a successful experience.

    Job interviews of today are getting more screen time as employers are opting to use video conferencing software, such as Zoom, to connect with job candidates instead of traditional in-person meetings. In light of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing, Zoom interviews have become more popular than ever. If you have already been using Zoom to connect with family and friends, you may think you have a handle on using this video conferencing software. But how would you fare using it in a job interview?

    Below we have prepared a checklist of tips to help you prepare for a successful job interview via Zoom. But first, let us start with some of the ways both employers and candidates are benefiting from screen-to-screen interviews in contrast to traditional face-to-face ones.

    Zoom Interview Question #3 What Are Your Strengths

    How to Prepare for a Zoom Interview

    This question will come up during your Zoom interview! Now, the best way to answer this question is to cross-match any strengths you have with the job description. Now, the interviewer will be looking out for certain strengths and they want to hear examples of where you have demonstrated these strengths in a previous role. After all, anybody can say that they are a good team worker, but giving evidence of this strength will set you apart from the competition.

    WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS? EXAMPLE ANSWER

    My strengths are closely aligned with the job description. These include being an excellent COMMUNICATOR AND LISTENER, being ADAPTABLE AND FLEXIBLE, and being COMMERCIALLY AWARE. For example, in my last role, I always listened to customers carefully to find out what their needs were because this then enabled me to sell them the right products, and to also solve any problems they had. Good customer service always resulted in more sales.

    In my last job, I was always flexible and adaptable. For example, a work colleague went off sick for three weeks, and I volunteered to do their work in addition to my own to help out the business.

    Also, in my last job, I was always commercially aware. This meant I always tried to help the business save money by being frugal with resources, and I always made sure I was a positive role model whilst dealing with customers and clients because this helped to build trust, which again, increased company revenue.

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    Prepare For Interview Success

    Want to prepare for different types of interviews? Try this one-hour guided project, Preparation for Job Interviews, which covers common interview questions and best practices.

    Use this checklist to streamline your preparation:

    1. Double-check instructions from your contact at the organization, including the day, time, and timezone of the interview, the Zoom meeting link youâll be using, and other details.

    2. Charge your device and install the latest version of Zoom.

    3. Set up a free Zoom account if you donât already have one. Personalize the basic settings by adding a headshot and selecting your time zone.

    4. Pull up the organizationâs website, as well as your resume, cover letter, preparation notes, and other application materials.

    5. Sign in to the email account from which you applied for this position.

    6. Start a new Zoom meeting and test your internet connection and app settings. Adjust the audio and video settings to your liking. Add a virtual background, or blur the background if you prefer not to display your physical space. Practice using the mute button, chat feature, screen share, and video recording features.

    7. Leaving the Zoom meeting open, place your device where you will feel most comfortable conducting the interview. If possible, experiment with the roomâs lighting and angle your screen about 45 degrees from a light source to provide the clearest view of your upper torso and face. When the setup is to your liking, end the Zoom meeting.

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