Test your technology
Avoid the stress of last-minute technical issues by doing a test run with the systems you’ll be using in your interview. Ensure your microphone is on and working and your laptop, phone or iPad has a video option installed. Your consultant can help with this and complete a dummy run with you.
Check your Wi-Fi connection
Ensure that you are in a good location, so the Wi-Fi doesn’t let you down! If you know that you are prone to having connectivity issues, make sure your interviewer is aware of this beforehand.
Log on 5-10 minutes early
Don’t leave it to the last minute to log onto your interview. Get yourself set up and sign into the call a few minutes ahead of your interview time. Take this time to calm yourself and ensure that you are ready for the interview. Also, have important documents and necessary information to hand.
Pick a neutral background
Pay careful attention to your background. Try and pick a space that is neutral, tidy, and free from distractions. Make sure that there is adequate lighting so that you are presented as clear and accessible on camera. Natural light facing you to highlight your face will look best, but as long as you are visible, you’ll be fine.
Minimize distractions
If other people are around, make them aware that you are having an interview, so they don’t interrupt. Don’t stress if the unexpected happens, your interviewer will understand. Turn your phone and other devices off or on silent and keep pets in another room to minimize noise. Try and position yourself away from your front door so that if anyone were to knock, it would be heard on camera. If this isn’t possible for you and this scenario occurs, just apologies and move on.
Dress to impress
First impressions go a long way and it’s easy to forget the importance of appropriate attire when interviewing from your home. Wear what you would choose to wear in a physical interview and ask others for their opinions if you aren’t sure. Be comfortable but appropriate.
Focus on the camera
It’s important to keep focus and make eye contact with your interviewer. Hiring managers will be looking for how you interact and so it’s important to remain engaged throughout your interview. If you find seeing yourself on the screen distracting, look into the application settings before the interview to see if you can turn this view off.
Be aware of your hand gestures
With the camera showing you from the waist up your hands will undoubtedly be on show. Avoid making lots of hand gestures, even with a great internet connection, there can be lag time, and hand gestures may stutter on screen.
Use a professional screen name
If you have been using Zoom, Skype, or Teams at home for gatherings with family and friends be aware of your screen name if it is informal. Change it or set up a new account. Keep it simple by sticking to your name and be mindful of typos.
Do your research
Social media and online presence make this process really easy, so ensure you have some good and relevant background knowledge of the company interviewing you. Have some notes handy so that if you are struggling to remember information, you have it written down to remind you.
Have some of your own questions ready
As you would in a face-to-face interview, prepare some questions about the company and the role ahead of your interview. As you’re not getting to meet your prospective employer face to face, you want to ensure that you are being perceived to be as engaged as possible. Have these questions written down to avoid confusion and to promote clarity.
End the interview strong
Ensure that you thank the interviewer for their time and wait for them to end the video. They may have additional points they would like to make, so always give them the opportunity. Share your appreciation of the interview with the interviewer and anybody else who is present on the call. Some employers conduct second interviews to narrow down their candidates even further- if this is the case for you, follow these tips again to maintain professionalism and read our post on second interviews.
We always hope that you are successful in your job applications and interviews. Following our expert advice and guidance can help you to be as prepared as possible for your interview.
If you’re a candidate looking for your next role you can check the open roles with Envision Employment Solutions (HERE).
