With the impact of Covid-19 and the future in remote working, the likelihood of having your next interview online is increasingly high. The way companies recruit candidates is radically changing, and video interviews is becoming increasingly more common. In fact, online interviews have increased by 49% since 2011. And the chances of you acing your online interview is not depending on your experience in this special situation. Being an interview veteran or entering the job market for the first time, preparation is key. With the right mindset and the appropriate preparation, you’ll be able to excel as well as if the interview were in a face-to-face environment.
So if you have an online interview coming up, or if you simply want to prepare for the inevitable future, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Moyyn we listed down the most important things to think about to ace your online interview. Looking for your next career opportunity? Over 400 of our candidates are in interviews at this very moment. Submit your CV on our platform and we’ll match you to several positions. But first, let’s get you ready to shine in front of the camera.
Research the interview format
The first thing you want to do is to research the format of the interview. Most companies will have a live interview with you. Just like a normal interview, you’ll most likely be asked questions by the HR department and perhaps even your future manager. Only difference is that it will be online. But that is not always the case! Some companies will ask candidates to make a recording where they are presenting themselves and their qualifications. See it as a video of your resume, instead of the paper version. Sometimes companies even send the candidates questions which they want them to answer in the video, with a given time-limit. This will give you the chances of acing your online interview questions.
There are of course benefits and drawbacks with either interview format. A live interview will give you the option of asking questions, and receive a response on your answers. However, that also means that you will have to be more prepared to answer questions. There is no way for you to know what will be asked, and this can be stressful for some people. A pre-recorded video interview however takes that feeling of stress away. You will be informed of the questions beforehand, and can answer them in your own time. The drawbacks are however the lack of interaction. Recording yourself answering questions without a response or someone listening can be a challenge for some.
Choose location
Once you have familiarized yourself with the format of the interview, it’s important to choose your location wisely. This especially goes for when the interview will be live. If you have an office available, you can choose to do an in-office interview. I would recommend you choose this option if you have your own office space. The option is not ideal when you have an open-plan office or share an office with someone else. For obvious reasons. You will want to have privacy, and a silent environment around you.
These requirements also go if you decide to do a remote video interview. If you don’t have the option of using an office, you will have to do the interview from home, or some other remote location. If you have your family at home, or colleagues at work, try to set the stage for a distraction free interview. Make sure you let them know far in advance when the interview is going to be, so they are aware when silence is of the essence. Whatever location you choose for your interview, make sure you have a stable internet connection and that it is a quiet, well-lit place, free from interruptions.
Dress appropriately
You only have about 7 seconds to make a strong first impression. That’s right, 7 seconds. There is not much time for you to say something great in those 7 seconds. Especially since the interviewer will probably be doing the first part of talking. Now you understand why it’s so important to dress appropriately for your interview. What you wear, and how you portray yourself will be your first impression. To emphasize, 71% of companies won’t recruit someone who doesn’t follow the appropriate dress code. So dress professionally, and put your best face forward. This also includes your body language and your eye contact. Yes, this counts even when it’s online.
It’s important to look at the camera, and not at yourself. It seems obvious to most, but harder to do when you’re actually sitting there. Keep good eye contact with the camera when you speak, as this will make you seem more connected. And even though they can only see a part of you, it’s still important to keep a good posture. Avoid sinking into your chair, making you seem casual and not really interested. A good thing to remember is also to lean in a bit and nod whenever necessary when the interviewer is speaking. This will make you express interest in what they have to say, and increase the changes of acing your online interview. And most importantly, smile genuinely. If you smile when you speak you will sound friendly and seem approachable, even in a virtual environment.
Check your technology
There is nothing worse than starting an interview and your audio or video are malfunctioning. It’s stressful for you, embarrassing, and not to mention extremely unprofessional. Technology can of course fail you in the worst possible moments, which is why you should always prepare. You should be sure to test your technology beforehand. Both a couple of hours before, but also make sure to be an early bird and log in 30 min early to test everything again. Whatever software you will be using, I guarantee you that there will be a way to test both your video and your audio. And should your device fail, always bring a backup. The same goes for charging you device. It should be fully charged, and best is if it can stay charging during the entire interview.
Now that you made sure your technology is functioning properly, it’s time to use it. Whether you are using a laptop, tablet or (hopefully not) a phone, make sure you put it stationary. This means that you should always put it in a stable position, where you minimize movement. During the interview itself you should also be aware of how you speak into your microphone. At your test-run you should check how good the audio is, and make sure you speak loud and clear. And even though it’s a no-brainer to sit somewhere where the Wi-Fi is the strongest, they can still be lagging with the audio. Hence, to avoid interrupting your interviewer, always make a small pause after a question before answering.
Feeling overwhelmed by all that information? Not to worry. I summarized the key tips for acing your online interview, so that you can easily come back and tick it off one-by-one.
Acing your online interview - Key tips
- Prepare for the type of format the interview will be in
- Choose a quiet, reserved, well-lit place, free from possible disruptions
- Make sure your Wi-Fi connection is strong
- Dress appropriately and use positive body language
- Check that your computer’s audio is working.
- Test your technology beforehand – and bring a backup
- Place your tech in an optimal spot
- Speak loud and clear, making pauses to avoid interruptions
Moyyn is an AI based recruiting platform that will match you to different companies. As a reverse job platform, candidates apply once to the platform by submitting their CV and get verified. Selected candidates will be shared with the partner companies and they contact the candidates for interviews directly. We have over 1000 positions open, and over 400 candidates are in interviews at this moment. Apply to join our talent pool of over 30.000 professionals and get matched to your dream job!