Most of us have been to an interview or two, been told to prepare by looking at the company website, reading the Job Description and generally ensuring you know exactly what you’ve actually written on your resume!
But no-one really tells you how to prepare for a virtual interview, especially those pre-recorded Q&A’s that you have to speak to a camera and there is no-one at the other end!
To make it worse, being live in that forum, doesn’t give you the ability to stop, delete, re-take!
In any case, virtual interviewing in either scenario (live or talking to a camera with no-one there) is the way of the future given that geographical locations are no longer a challenge to obtain information on you! So, what can you do to ensure you put your best foot forward, or in this case – your best virtual foot.
1. Prepare – prepare – prepare!
There is nothing worse than when an interviewer asks “What do you know about us?” and you stumble for an answer. Similarly, the interviewer doesn’t want you to tell them what the company traded on the stock market either! Your answer should be relevant – well-structured and interesting, which is information that companies generally release via social media platforms, intricate info on their culture – investments and/or what or who they are interested in following.
2. Dress to impress!
An interview is an interview and you can never go wrong with perfect presentation! We often get asked, what shall I wear to an interview, and the answer can differ of course, depending on whether the environment is site based, corporate office or other. With virtual interviewing, you are not attending any site or office of any kind, therefore the level of effort is entirely up to you, but my opinion is play it safe and dress in corporate attire.
3. Set up your environment and technology!
If you are in the middle of answering a question to an Interviewer and suddenly the home phone rings or the dog is jumping on you for attention, you will lose momentum, not to mention it looks bad! It would also go without saying that you should ensure your internet connection is secure, as it is obviously frustrating being in the middle of a discussion and your line drops out!
4. Read over your resume, remember dates, reflect on your achievements and think about answers to potential questions that will no doubt arise.
Have “your story” well-rehearsed so that it sounds professional and has no holes (so to speak). I’ve even told candidates to sit in front of a mirror so that you see what the interviewer sees when you speak about yourself! Its all about being yourself and being natural, however, remember to read the non-verbal cues, and to take a second to sometimes slow it all down if you are feeling nervous!
This advice will hopefully set you up with the confidence to succeed in a virtual interview, and you will be experiencing your next great job adventure in no time!
