How To Prepare For Online Interviews

Remember To Stay Responsive After You Wave Goodbye

After you end your call, be sure not to ghost your interviewer. Download the Handshake app to ensure that you respond to recruiter messages promptly, and check your email at least twice per day to stay abreast of any outreach or next steps that might land in your inbox!

With these tips in your back pocket, youll have all the keys to succeed in your video interview. Now all you have to do is find the right opportunity! Check out this helpful advice for finding a job or internship online, and discover ways to make the most of a remote internship once youve got an offer.

Prepare Thoughtful Questions For The Interviewer

Many employers feel confident about candidates who ask thoughtful questions about the company and the position. You should take time before the interview to prepare several questions for your interviewer that show youve researched the company and are well-versed about the position. Some examples of questions you could ask include:

• What does a typical day look like for a person in this position?

• Why do you enjoy working here?

• What qualities do your most successful employees have?

• Ive really enjoyed learning more about this opportunity. What are the next steps in the hiring process?

Related: Interview Question: Do You Have Any Questions?

Video: Interview Stage: Questions To Ask the Interviewer

Jenn, a career coach, provides a look at the interviewing process and shares tips on which questions to ask the interviewer.

Determine What To Wear To Dress Up

When picking out what to wear to a remote interview, give yourself that test run and see how youll look to the interviewer. Remember to avoid distracting prints or stripes, which may look funny on screen.

If youre in an industry that expects professional and formal dress, keep in mind that youll only be seen from above your waist. If itll help you mentally feel ready, dress up from head to toe.

Helpful Tip

Wear shoes, too, if this helps you! Being barefoot can make you feel too comfortable. We recommend some ideas for flats for women in our ladies shoe guide.

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Consider Your Body Language

It is harder to read body language through a video, so be especially aware of your nonverbal cues. Remember to smile and nod when the interviewer speaks. Sit up straight and act as you would during an in-person interview. You obviously will not be able to shake hands when signing off, so you will need to show your professionalism and good manners in other ways.

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Tips To Nail A Virtual Job Interview

Remote hiring is here to stay. The benefits of having access, speed, and ease are unrivalled, but you need to do your bit to ace this relatively new process. Based on research by the authors, here are ways to set yourself apart during virtual interviews.

• Set up your space. Have a clean, uncluttered background and check your lighting so its falling on you, not behind you. Make sure to do a speed test so technical lags dont break the flow of your conversation.
• Prepare for the unexpected. Master the platform youll be using for your interview and keep notes handy, lest you forget to call out an important accomplishment.
• Rehearse before you go live. Monitor your pace so its easy for everyone to follow and use hand gestures and keep an open posture.
• Spark conversations. Go beyond the usual small talk and ask questions about the team, the culture, or undertake pre-work to find common interests with your recruiter.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.

If youre job hunting right now, chances are youre also interviewing remotely.

There are some serious upsides to this. You can avoid tardiness , reference notes without being too obvious, and if youre located in a rural area, you now have access to the same opportunities as city dwellers, saving you $$$.

Through our latest research on remote hiring, we wanted to know, given these pros and cons, how can job candidates really stand out during the virtual interview process?

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Eating Or Drinking In The Course Of Your Interview:

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in the course of an online interview is constantly munching on some food or taking a sip from your drink occasionally.

Doing something like this is not just crude and rude but also highly unprofessional. Eat and drink as much as you want both before as well as after the interview but do not even absentmindedly pop something into your mouth during the interview.

Leaving aside food and snack, do not even have chewing gum in your mouth as that will show you to be someone who is very naïve and childish.

How To Interview Online

Online interviews are becoming increasingly common.

As more employers discover the convenience, and as more jobs especially fast-moving tech sector jobs are worked remotely, the trend is only going to continue.

Handling an online interview professionally is a key skill for the modern workplace.

The online interview lies somewhere between the phone interview and the in-person interview. It’s visual, but not as personal as a face-to-face setting remote, but not as removed from non-verbal cues.

That means bringing a mixed toolbag of social skills to all your online interviews: the strong voice and clear speech of a phone interview, the crisp visual presentation of an in-person interview, and the confidence and preparedness that any interview demands, regardless of medium.

Accepting an Online Interview

If a prospective employer asks for an online interview, the impulse is of course to say yes.

Before you do, though, think through whether you’ve got everything that’s necessary. At bare minimum, you’ll need:

a working computer that can run video and web browsing smoothlya fast enough internet connection to stream video without substantial laga digital video camera compatible with your computer a digital microphone compatible with your computer and camera the interviewer’s preferred software/app for video chat/conference

Preparing for an Online Interview

Dressing for an Online Interview

Interviewing Online

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Compile A List Of Questions To Ask Your Interviewer

This step will help you put the finishing touches on your interview prep. By taking the time to compile questions, you can use the interview experience to gain a fuller understanding of the company and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position.

To complete this step, look over all of the notes youâve jotted down so far and write down questions such as:

• What does the typical workday look like, including projects, challenges, and processes?

• What does success look like for this position?

• What would you like to see someone in this position accomplish in the first month or 90 days?

• What kind of continued training and professional development will be available to me?

• With whom will I be collaborating the most?

Be prepared to tweak or rephrase the questions, according to the direction the actual interview takes.

Learn more about interview best practices from the experts at Big Interview:

How To Prepare For A Zoom Interview

Before each interview I conduct, I spend a few minutes reviewing the information the candidate has provided and developing specific questions I’d like to ask them alongside the common questions I typically ask. I usually prepare for interviews shortly before the interview, so their resume, writing samples, and any project they’ve completed for us are all fresh in my mind.

Similarly, to prepare for your interview, I suggest researching the company and the role you’re interested in. This effort should give you a better idea of what you’re really interviewing for and help you feel confident that the role is right for you. From the recruiter’s perspective, it’s easy to tell if a candidate has no idea what they’re interviewing for, and it makes them look unprepared.

You should also reflect back on your experience and gather some examples of projects that made you proud, feedback that helped you grow, and challenging projects that taught you lessons. It doesn’t matter whether these experiences and examples are from classes, internships, or past jobs. What’s important is having some examples in mind so you don’t have to take too long during your interview to come up with responses to questions.

On the flip side, you don’t want to spend so much time preparing that every one of your answers sounds rehearsed or memorized. I want to get to know your personality and enjoy a conversation with you, not hear you offer answers you’ve memorized.

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Think About Camera Positioning

Paying attention to camera placement is incredibly important during remote interviews.

You don’t want the recruiter to be distracted by an unnatural position.

It’s good to keep the camera at eye level so that when you look into the screen, it makes the person at the other end feel as though you’re addressing them and making eye contact.

It’s also important not to forget body language as it can reduce the sense of distance created by the remote setup. Essentially, you want to angle the camera to make sure you get some of your torso in the shot, too.

Making sure to use hand and arm gestures when you’re on-screen will help make the interview feel a lot more natural.

Other tips include how to position yourself for an online interview include not sitting too close to the wall and taking care of your posture so you don’t end up hunched over.

One way of ensuring you don’t end up hunching is to set on the edge of your chair, as it forced you to sit taller.

How To Prepare For The Superday

If you are someone who has made it to the Superday, know that you are among the shortlisted few.

You have made it this far by performing well in interviews. This means the company is indeed interested in you and considers you worthy of that position.

Although keep in mind that the people interviewing for the same position on the Superday also have the same set of skills that you do and are equally eligible. At this point, the candidates will be eliminated based on their lacking or just because one was liked more than the other.

So the best approach is to do what you have already done in all your previous interviews. Enter the interview with confidence know that they are interested in you and have a sense of gratitude that you have made it this far among thousands of applicants.

In addition to this, here are some other tips for your Superday preparation:

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Here Are Some Examples Of Good Questions To Ask An Interviewer:

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How Are Online Job Interviews Different

While online interviews are similar to traditional in-person meetings, there are some significant differences you should prepare for:

• Internet troubles: An unstable Internet connection can make interviewing more difficult.
• Technical difficulties: You need to be comfortable using your computer and the necessary software.
• First impressions: It can be harder to make a good impression because making eye contact through your computer’s camera is problematic.
• Body language: It’s harder to read someone’s body language through a screen, and it’s easy to slouch and lose good posture when you’re sitting in front of a computer screen.
• Different format: Depending on the type of interview you’re doing, you may be talking into a camera rather than talking to a person. Recording can be awkward or stressful if you’re not used to it.
• Interruptions: A family member or pet could interrupt you if you’re interviewing from home.

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Get Familiar With Technology

This is the first and foremost thing you need to do while preparing for an Online Interview to get familiar with the required technology and equipment for Online Interviews. It will make you feel comfortable with the tech resources during the online interview. Moreover, nothing can be worst than that if you find out that your system or other resources arent functioning right during the online interview, hence you must ensure that your Computer System, Internet Connection, etc, are working properly and compatible with the software thatll be used for the online interview. Meanwhile, youre also recommended to create a distraction-free environment for the interview with appropriate lighting, etc.

Practice Your Video Interview Skills Ahead Of Time

If youre not used to video chat, you might find carrying on a conversation to be a bit awkward at firstespecially if you can see yourself as well. Setting up a mock video interview with a friend or career coach can help you zero in on anything you need to watch out for, Turner says. Maybe you have a tendency to look away from the camera or maybe your natural hand gestures are too low to be seen. Turner also recommends recording your practice. When you play it back youll notice if youre making eye contact, fiddling with papers, your posture is bad, she says. Then you can make adjustments accordingly.

Muse career coach Eloise Eonnet, who specializes in public speaking, presentation, and communication skills, stresses answering questions in practice the same way you would in a real interview, especially when it comes to talking about key pieces of your background. Dont say the names and numbers you need to say out loud for the first time in the interview, Eonnet saysyou dont want to get nervous and stumble over them or say something incorrect.

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Have A Backup Pair Of Headphones

In case noise-canceling headphones die or decide not to work, have a backup pair of headphones nearby!

This has worked for me when Ive counted on my AirPods working and then they decide to act up.

So, I suggest having some alternate over-ear headphones like these sitting right nearby for backup use.

Give Yourself Time To Prepare

Once youve landed a video interview, there are a few things you can do to prepare. Like a traditional interview, youll want to have answers to commonly-asked questions ready to go. Be prepared to introduce yourself, talk about your experience and provide examples of job-related successes that showcase your skills.

Also, be prepared to talk about technology use and your ability to work remotely.

For a lot of remote jobs and online interviews, part of the interview is probably going to be around your comfort with technology, says Brie Reynolds. Expect some of those questions in addition to how youll actually do this job and perform as a professional in your chosen career.

In addition to having an idea of what you plan to say, be sure to gather as much information as possible about the company and interview process ahead of time. The details may not be as clear for an online job interview, so its important to seek them out beforehand.

Brie recommends that you ask how many people will be in the interview, double-check the time zone and get your interviewers contact information. This will help you know what to expect, ensure you dont miss the interview and give you a way to reach your interviewer if you encounter technical difficulties before or during the interview.

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Choosing The Wrong Location:

The more mistakes which you make in the course of your online interview, the less likely it is that you will be able to get the job.

Keep in mind then you are probably not the only one applying for the job and appearing for the interview. This having been stated it is very vital that you choose a proper as well as a fitting location to have your interview at.

Many people who live in a small house with many members prefer to interview in some other location.

However, avoid interviewing in a noisy public place which will serve as a distraction for both you as well as the recruiter.

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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Get Your Location Ready

Find a quiet space with no interruptions. If you live in a shared house, you may need to warn others to be quiet around the time of your interview.

Find somewhere you can sit that does not have anything distracting in the background. Make sure you have good natural light or use a lamp so that the interviewer can see you well.

If you can, use a computer or laptop rather than a tablet or mobile phone. Position it so the camera is at eye level.

It may also help if you:

• use headphones to improve your sound quality
• split your screen and have your prompt cards on one half and the interview on the other
• close down any other windows on your computer and turn off your mobile phone