So you’ve been hard at work updating your CV, writing cover letters and answering application questions and you’ve landed an Interview – Yay!
Your Interviewer let’s you know that your interview is going to be held online and a little panic sets in..
Fear not! We are here to give a few insider tips to acing your first online interview. If it’s not your first online interview but you aren’t sure if you’re as prepared as you should be, then read on we have you covered too. We touched on this briefly in a recent Instagram post but here we dive a little deeper.
FIRST UP – GETTING YOURSELF ORGANISED AND READY TO GO
By now you would have completed any pre-interview requirements (onboarding, security checks, notifying referees they may be contacted etc) so what’s next?
Find out what platform your interviewer will be using and familiarise yourself with it. Test out your camera (a good idea if time permits is to test it in the location you’ll use AND at the time you’re scheduled for so you can check if you need to make any adjustments to lighting etc) most online interviews will be held via Google Duo or Zoom so take a look at their websites and set up an account so you can have a play around.
You’ll also want to make sure your speakers and microphone are in working order. Time to give mum or dad or a friend a test call to check in with them – 2 birds, 1 stone.
Let anyone else who’ll be home know what you’ll be doing to keep external noise and disruption to a minimum.
BUT WAIT … WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Well, an online interview is no different to an in-person interview in that you will want to be neatly and professionally presented. You want to make sure that you are appropriately dressed for the industry you are targeting but a good rule of thumb is clean, neat, ironed clothing. Try to avoid wearing bright colours or patterns as they may not show up so well over video chat. Also if you’re a glasses wearer check the angle of your camera to make sure there’s no reflection or glare that may be distracting.
And please try to ignore the small voice telling you to wear pyjama pants or shorts on the bottom as this GMA reporter found out the hard way
IT’S GO TIME!
You’ve done your technical run through, you’re wearing pants! it’s 15mins before your scheduled time and you’re wondering if you’ve forgotten anything?
A great idea is to keep a glass of water nearby to alleviate any nervous dry mouth, a notepad to jot down anything important your interviewer may share with you and to keep your CV on hand as a prompt if nerves get the better of you (it’s ok – we have ALL been there).
Take 5 minutes to practice some deep mindful breathing to get you into a clear head space and keep you calm, alert and focused. If that doesn’t work for you – pop on some of your favourite music to put you in a good mood!
When your interviewer comes online, introduce yourself and thank them for taking the time to ‘e-meet’ you. If you’re having issues hearing them let them know so they can make any adjustments on their end and get underway.
Remember to keep the same body language and eye contact you would when meeting with an interviewer in person and consider things like nodding or smiling to indicate you’ve heard them during your meeting.
When ending a video interview make sure the person on the other end has ended the session before you have to avoid hanging up prematurely
Here’s some other interview tips you may find useful
Is there anything we didn’t cover that you’re unsure about? Get in touch and let us know!