I Have a Virtual Job Interview, How Do I Make a Good Impression?
A job interview is a daunting experience for most people. We’ve all gone through them. There are so many things to think about: what to wear, when to arrive, how to stop your hands from sweating when you go in for the handshake. Now with changes in technology, interviews aren’t always face to face. This may make you less anxious – or more anxious. The big question becomes: how do I sell myself from the comfort of my home? For many employers, virtual interviews are going to become more common —whether you live far away or need to interview remotely for another reason (COVID 19 being the hot topic as I write this). A video conference is a great alternative to a regular “face to face” meeting. Tips such as “make sure you give your interviewer a firm handshake” and “wear clean shoes” may not apply to a virtual interview, but there are other ways to make a great first impression. Here are some tips to selling yourself virtually.
Preparation
Make sure you research the company. There are going to be lots of opportunities to talk and ask questions. It is vital that you know the company you are interviewing for. The nice thing about a virtual interview is that you can have a cheat sheet next to your computer and no one will know! Just make sure you aren’t obviously looking at it and reading their Mission Statement as a quote.
Be prepared to ask some questions. You’ll want to ask some questions about the company and about what your role will be. Make sure to have several questions prepared- just in case your interviewer volunteers the information you were going to ask about. If you can ask some good questions, it shows engagement and a desire to learn. If you are passive and don’t ask questions, you are not going to be as memorable.
Do a test call
Your interview confirmation should tell you what software you will need. Make sure to download it and test it if you haven’t used it before. Call a friend or a family member to try it out a day or two early. You want to know how to get your video and your sound on – taking the first 5 minutes of the interview to figure out your camera and microphone isn’t a great start. This is also a great time to check your background, get a good camera angle and check your surroundings to see exactly what your interviewer will see. Make sure the person you practice with can see you and hear you clearly. Practicing for the day it will make a huge difference as you’ll feel more confident that you are controlling what you can.
Think about your background
Would you want a potential boss to come to your house to interview you? Probably not. The good thing is, you get to control what they see. If you have a place you can be that your interviewer will only see a wall- that’s great. If there is more of the room behind you, tidy up!! Pick up the clothes, straighten the pictures. You need to eliminate the distractions from your audience, the focus should be on you, not your surroundings.
Dress for success
Make sure you look the part. Wear what you would wear to a face to face interview – at least up top. The joy of virtual is you can wear comfy pants and slippers, and nobody will know. Looking the part will not only help you make a great impression with your interviewer; it will help you feel confident and get your head in the game! I love my dress shoes. Hearing the click they make as I walk in them makes me feel powerful. No one will see your shoes in a virtual interview, but if dress shoes make you feel more confident, wear them. Who said sweatpants and dress shoes don’t match?
Be on time
Start out right, show up on time! At a face to face interview, you should always show up at least 15 minutes early, but please don’t try to log in to your interview room 15 minutes early. Instead, ensure you are plugged in or have plenty of battery left and go to a quiet room at least a few minutes early, then be ready to sign in and go live at your interview time.
Maintain eye contact
When using a webcam, it is so easy to focus on the image of yourself when you are talking, but your picture is usually to one side of your screen. Your web cam is going to be right up front. Give yourself a visual cue, a sticker or note by your web cam, reminding yourself to look here!! Just make sure you don’t cover your camera!!
Stay focused and visibly engaged
Active listening is a skill that needs to be developed. It is very easy to be involved in a conversation and just focus on what you want to say next. Active listening is a skill that will go a long way in a virtual interview. Show you are engaged in the conversation and understand what they are saying by summarizing what they just told you.
Be prepared to answer questions about you
Be prepared: study your own resume and make sure you can answer any question about your work or educational history. Your resume won’t give a prospective employer all the information they need, so they use it to come up with questions for you. Have your resume next to you, you can reference this.
Remember to stay responsive after you wave goodbye
After you end your call, don’t wait too long to contact your interviewer. You will want to write an email soon after to thank them for their time and the opportunity to talk. It shows your interest in their company and your potential role in it. That said, if you now feel that this job isn’t for you, articulate that. It may feel awkward, but it can save a very busy person a lot of time and they will appreciate your honesty. It also prevents any frustration on their part if they offer you the job and you turn it down. You want to leave any interaction on a positive note because you don’t know what opportunities will come up later. Live in the now, but always think about the future.
With these tips now at your disposal, you’ll have all the keys to succeed in your video interview. Now all you have to do is find the right opportunity!
Make sure to check out the Max Assist PT Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/max-assist-pt-podcast/id1510623904 for all the skills you need to be a successful new grad!
Mark Stevens, PT
maxassistpt@gmail.com
Follow us in Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/max.assist.pt/
