You receive a call from Our Graduates, that dream job that you applied for have invited you for an interview. An online interview. The usual interview protocol applies, know your stuff, plan plenty of questions, research the company. Chances are that you have been for a few interviews in your time but perhaps never a virtual interview. It can be even more nerve wracking than meeting someone face to face.
Keep calm, read these tips and you will nail your online interview.
Test your equipment
Test, test and test again. Ask what application you will be using for the interview and familiarise yourself with it, make sure you are confident and know your way around. Check that the device you are planning to use allows the application to function correctly. There is nothing worse than experiencing issues in the middle of your interview that could have been avoided with a little practice.
That said, virtual meetings are not foolproof, if there is a technical hitch don’t let it stress you out. How you handle the situation will show the interviewer that you are able to stay calm under pressure.
Set the scene
Choose the spot that you are going to conduct your interview in wisely. If possible a plain background is best, you want your interviewer to be looking at you not what is behind you. If this isn’t possible ensure that the area is not cluttered. Sitting surrounded by mess isn’t the first impression that you want to give to your prospective employer.
Minimise distractions
In the middle of lockdown this one can be tough. Likelihood is you live in a busy household. Let everyone know that you will be interviewing and request that they stay out of the space you have chosen for as long as you need. Lock pets in another room, switch off devices and notifications and ask everyone to keep noise to a minimum. You will want to give your interview your full attention and be confident that you are not going to be interrupted.
What to wear
When you are interviewing online the temptation is to take your dress code down a notch. This is a mistake, you should choose the same outfit as you would for a face to face interview. Your interview outfit will depend on the company you are interviewing with and their dress code, as a rule it is better to be overdressed in business attire than looking too casual. Dress to impress, you will feel confident and this will show.
Body language
Body language is an important part of an interview. Many suggest that you should take your lead from the interviewer and mirror them. Of course this is more difficult when you can probably only see their face. Likewise they can only see yours. Despite this you should still take care to conduct yourself with poise. Sit up straight, don’t fidget and look the interviewer in the eye. This may be worth practicing before the big day. It is easy to look at the person’s eyes on the screen, which will not equate to eye contact. You need to look into the camera in order to make virtual eye contact.
Most importantly don’t stress. Prepare, be yourself and you will come across as the confident candidate that you are. Good luck.
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