Unemployment is at an all-time high, but don’t look now; many businesses actively seek new employees. So, you got a positive response to your resume? Fantastic news: you’ll be meeting with the hiring manager soon. The only barrier is that we’ll be holding our meeting on Zoom or another video conferencing service instead of meeting in person.
It would help if you didn’t allow the fact that a Google Hangout interview is quite different from a face-to-face interview to be why you don’t get the job. We’ve compiled some advice from experts and professionals on both sides of internet interviews to make your following Online Job Interview go off without a hitch.
1. The Usual Rules Are Still In Place
A video camera is no excuse for seeming sloppy. Your choice of clothing for a video job interview should not reflect the current trend toward relaxed, carefree dress in the workplace. Wear business clothes that stand out from the norm.
Wear a blazer and a collared shirt to the workplace if that is the preferred dress code. Putting on shoes before entering a video conference may seem odd, but it may significantly impact your mood. Wear primary colors since stripes and other intricate patterns will likely appear terrible on camera.
2. Reduce or Do Away with Distractions
Lock your room’s door and shut its windows. The television down the hall has to be turned off. Put your mobile phone on silent (unless you need it for the meeting, see #7 below). Life coach Tom Marino advises his clients to “make sure the only window open on your computer screen is the video platform you are utilizing.” Put a halt to all intrusive banners. You don’t want to be sidetracked.
3. Put the animals and children away
Do you know that dog that keeps appearing at your Online Job Interview with annoying barking? He will also likely harm your chance at a job interview. This applicant is not taking this interview seriously if they said that.
Just as you wouldn’t bring your dog to a traditional interview, you shouldn’t do the same for a virtual one. Your offspring will benefit similarly from this guidance. Please place them in front of the TV in a quiet, isolated room and provide enough treats to last the interview duration.
4. Locate a Neutral Background
Paying close attention to your history was the most important piece of advice by the industry professionals. A messy bed in the bedroom, a disorganized desk in the home office, and an empty plate on the kitchen table all send the wrong message to a potential employer during an interview. It’s unprofessional, and the interviewer will be too preoccupied with your problems to pay attention to what you have to say.
The standard advice is to pose in front of a white wall or plain backdrop that doesn’t distract from your clothing. Putting up a foldable table near a neutral wall or corner if you’re having trouble finding a professional background. However, maintain some space “Never sit right up against the wall.”
Keep at least three feet of space between your back and a wall so you don’t get lost in the photo. Having some breathing room will make you seem more assured and less trapped. Of course, this is not the moment to use your go-to simulated backdrop or special effects filter.
5. Select a Small Chair
At the time of the Online Job Interview, avoid lounging about on couches and huge armchairs if you want to seem less put together. Choose a low-backed chair that doesn’t groan every time you shift position.
6. Understand the Lighting
Although it may be challenging to achieve in a domestic setting, the following are the optimal lighting conditions for video recording:
- It’s essential to have enough light not to seem like you’re hiding in the shadows but not so much that it causes glare on your glasses.
- If you can, put two lights in front of you at a diagonal, one to your right and one to your left. It’s OK to use table lights.
- The best illumination source is natural light; if a window counts as one of the sources above, all the better. Don’t use any “cool” lighting, such as fluorescent lamps.
- Remove any sources of direct backlighting, such as a window behind you, and shield your eyes from light beaming straight over your head, particularly if you’re balding.
7. Put the camera ahead of the screen
Though it may seem backward, it’s more vital that the interviewer can make out your features than the other way around. That means giving preference to the gadget with the finest camera rather than the one with the best screen. The vast and immediate quality gap between the two is evident in a Zoom conference.
The difficulty of utilizing a mobile phone for a videoconference is that it must stay perfectly still, and you need to raise it to eye level to prevent the up-the-nose camera position. A flexible arm mount is still available and may create a makeshift solution on your laptop screen or another device (unlike external webcams).
8. Check Your Equipment
You’ll need to create an account using the same interviewer’s service and install any relevant applications. If you’re worried about losing data on one of your devices, installing the program on many machines is a good idea. Now enlist a buddy’s help to assist you in conducting a test on both devices to check the audio and video and ensure the Lighting is optimal.
It would help if you tried out your headphones and always had a spare set handy. Make sure everything works appropriately on the day of the interview. After a reboot, many computers will forget the default camera and microphone settings, leaving you with a blank screen and no sound during an interview.
9. Verify the Time Zone
Having an Online Job Interview for a job that requires you to work from home? Perhaps your potential New York City employer failed to account for the California time zone when arranging the conversation. As David Lynch, Content Lead at tech support site Payette Forward, puts it, “checking the time zone of the meeting might be the difference between turning up on time or being three hours late.”
Regarding promptness, opinions are split on whether or not you should call beforehand. Being the first to join the call gives the impression that you are proactive, but if numerous interviewers are on the other end, it might seem uncomfortable. It would help if you didn’t show up late, but arriving early isn’t always negative.
10. Always Look Ahead
While it may seem awkward at first, try to focus your gaze on the camera throughout the interview rather than the other person’s image on the screen. If you want to give the impression that you’re making eye contact with the interviewer, you should look into the camera; if you glance at the screen, you’ll seem like you’re gazing blankly into space.
Fortunately, this impact is much dampened on the smaller screen of a smartphone. You can get around this on a laptop by minimizing the videoconference app’s window and moving it as near as possible to the camera during the interview. In addition, you may use books or boxes to raise your laptop to a more comfortable viewing height. In this method, you won’t have to stoop or crank your neck to look at the camera.
11. Put on Earbuds
Even if the interviewer has perfect vision, you won’t do well if she can’t hear a word you say. Use headphones instead of your laptop’s speakers; the interviewers will thank you. Poor audio from an onboard computer is a recipe for feedback and distorted sound. Also, in comparison to a large gaming headset, discrete earbuds make you seem less insane.
12. Exercise
You may practice your interview skills using a meeting recording system like Zoom. A compelling professional narrative will establish a positive tone that compensates for Zoom’s shaky beginning. Please look at the tape and use it to smooth out any tics, stammers, or other hiccups in your delivery that may have occurred due to nervousness.
13. Motivate Yourself
Motivate Yourself Interviewers can tell whether a candidate is faking enthusiasm for an opportunity to shine. We want all of our new hires to be full of life and zeal, so do your best to portray these qualities. If you’re tired or nervous about your following interview, try performing light exercises like jumping jacks or a stroll around the block.
14. Create a cheat sheet
Remember that the interviewer has limited peripheral vision, so make the most of the surrounding area. Put together a Post-It Note cheat sheet and stick it to the monitor or the wall behind the camera for instant access to notes, queries, or ideas. That other interviewer will never find out.
Wrapping It Up
Whether this is your first Online Job Interview or you have done quite a few, it’s always helpful to have a few pointers in mind to assist you in navigating the unique challenges of this method of recruiting. The finest first impressions are achieved through thorough preparation, which is greatly aided by understanding what to expect.
The greatest thing you can do if you’re not confident in your technical abilities or how you look/sound on camera is to practice, practice. You may improve your skills in both web conferencing technology and the art of Online Job Interviews with repeated practice.
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