How to: Ace Your Virtual Job Interview

Interviews are part of the hiring process. With the pandemic, the nature of work has changed. You may find yourself in a virtual job interview situation. For insight on how to prepare for the interview questions, keep reading. This post will discuss: how to be technologically ready for your interview.

I have sat in on numerous virtual interview panels during the pandemic. As someone who evaluates potential candidates, here is what I wish certain candidates had done to showcase themselves in the best way:

• Look at the Camera 

  • As simple as it sounds, look at the camera! Even if the interviewers do not have theirs on. This shows confidence and preparedness. 

• Avoid Reading Your Answer

  • Interviews can be stressful, however, do not resort to reading your response from your notes verbatim. This shows a candidate is not ready to answer the question or may not be knowledgeable enough to speak on the topic. 

  • What to do instead: if using notes it’s okay to say, “I’m going to refer to my notes for just a second”, look at your notes, and then come back to answering the question. By doing this you acknowledge you have written something down, but you won’t be reading off of the page to get through the interview because you know what you are talking about! 

• Breathe

  • Remember to take a breath every now and then. It will help your body relax and give your mind oxygen to keep answering questions with confidence. 

  • Tip: take a breath between sentences. This gives you a natural pause to be able to think about what you will say next. 

• Audio Check

  • Because virtual interviews are reliant on technology, ensure you have tested your set up’s audio capability. Is your mic on? Can you hear the audio? Is there any static?

  • Tip: do a mock interview with a friend to test everything out!

• Reduce Background Noise

  • If possible, find yourself a place where there is no background noise to distract you or your interviewers. 

  • Tip: you just know the cat will scratch at the door or the kids will likely come running in. At the beginning of the interview say, “I’m excited to be meeting you all. I want to give you a heads up that the kids had to stay home today unexpectedly, and so you may hear some background noise. My attention will be in this interview and answering the questions you ask, but if you do hear anything, that is what it is”

• Tidy Visual Background

  • Situate yourself somewhere which shows a clean and tidy background. If that is not possible for you, blur your background instead. Ensure your posture is also upright - this means no sitting or half lying on a bed. Your background and posture must convey professionalism during the interview.

• Visual check

  • Interviewers are able to see what you show them. Ensure your background is tidy and neat. If possible, sit near a window which lets in natural light or find a lamp and position it so your face is well lit. 

• Show Up Early

  • Sign on to the interview platform where your virtual interview will occur at least 5 minutes before. 

• Thank You Note

  • Send a thank you note to the interviewers for giving you the opportunity. 

  • Sample: It was a pleasure to meet you all and thank you for the opportunity to compete. I hope I was able to demonstrate my skills in [skill / skill and skill]. I look forward to hearing from you.

The best way to prepare for an interview is to practice. Ask your friends to do a mock interview and provide you with feedback. If you are looking for rigor, you can work with me, a hiring-manager with experience by clicking here. 

Keeping these tips in mind will help interviewers keep their focus on you and what you are saying. Most importantly, you’ll be prepared to showcase your skill instead of trying to find the “unmute” button. 

And remember … Do your best and have fun!