3 Tips to Succeed on Virtual Interviews

While the country works towards returning to the office full-time, a large portion of the American workforce is still looking for their next position after the massive impact of Covid-19. This means that those looking for a new role will continue going through the interview process remotely via phone and video calls- as if interviewing wasn’t stressful enough!

Virtual interviews are often conducted much in the same way as in-person interviews. That said, virtual communication requires considerable adjustments and attention to detail due to the limited ability to read body language and facial expressions. While it would be difficult to give a lesson in nonverbal communication in this article, we have compiled a list of our best practices and tips in how to approach your virtual interviews.

Tip 1
The most important advice when it comes to virtual interviews: test your tech! A virtual interview requires tools like a camera and microphone, a software program (such as Skype or Zoom) and a reliable internet connection. The day before your virtual interview, check all of your technology to ensure it works properly and can be used to communicate effectively. We recommend double-checking your technology in the 15-20 minutes leading up to your scheduled interview time. While technology failure is not always due to user error, it certainly does not help anyone when it comes to a first impression.

Tip 2

Many of you may find our next tip to be elementary, but you’d be surprised with how many managers mention this as one of their pet peeves: you must always wear professional attire. While you might be interviewing from your living room or local coffee shop, dress to impress! You should dress the same for a virtual interview as if you would for an in-person interview. Even the most qualified candidates might come off as disinterested or unprofessional if you are speaking to the hiring manager while in your daily oversized t-shirt that many of us have come accustomed to in quarantine.

Tip 3

Our last tip for our virtual interviewees is don’t psych yourself out! Apart from the technology and the fact that you might be interviewing from your home, approach this interview like you would any job interview. Use the following guidelines to ensure that you’re as cool, calm, and collected as possible in any interview setting:

1. Prep, prep, prep, PREP! With any interview, study in advance. Poke around the company website, search who you’ll be interviewing with on LinkedIn, find talking points and questions that you want to ask during the interview. Being prepared is a great way to show that you are enthusiastic about the position and excited to be a part of the company.

2. Build rapport. This is also connected to your research on LinkedIn. Did you and your interviewer go to the same school? A rival school? Do you have common interests? Connect on a personal level and see how much smoother the interview goes.

3. Be authentic. More often than not, your interviewer is not solely looking for your qualifications, they want to make sure you are the right fit for the company. Show some personality during the interview, tell them a little about yourself and why you’re the best fit for the job.

4. Follow up. In a world where everything happens so fast, it’s easy to forget a “thank you.” An email goes a long way in this era of social distancing and physical disconnect.

We hope you found this article helpful and are able to put your best foot forward on your next interview. Good luck!