What do you do if you want to ace phone or video interviews?

If you want to ace phone or video interviews, preparation and practice are key. Here are some tips to help you succeed: Test Your Technology: Ensure that your phone or computer, along with your internet connection and any video conferencing software, are working properly before the interview. Test your audio and video settings to ensure clear communication. Right Environments: Find a quiet, well-lit space for your interview where you won't be interrupted or distracted. Remove any potential distractions and ensure that your background is professional. Dress Professionally: Dress as you would for an in-person interview, even if the interview is conducted remotely. Choose professional attire that conveys confidence and professionalism.

To ace phone or video interviews, prepare thoroughly by researching the company, understanding the job description, and practicing common interview questions. Ensure a quiet, well-lit space with a stable internet connection and professional background. Dress appropriately and maintain good posture. Practice active listening, speak clearly, and avoid filler words. Use concise, relevant examples to showcase skills and experiences. Follow up with a thank-you email expressing gratitude and reiterating interest in the position.

Understanding a company's culture and values not only prepares you for the interview but also helps you assess if the organization aligns with your personal values and career goals. This alignment is crucial for long-term job satisfaction and growth. Additionally, being well-informed about the company's latest achievements or challenges demonstrates your proactive nature and genuine interest, making you a memorable candidate.

Before any interview, I research the company and find out about the recruiter as well. For an online interview, I always choose to be in a clean place, whether there is noise or noise pollution as well. I seek to be in a peaceful and silent setting. Checking the connection is also always necessary to avoid any problems with image freezing or sound delay.

Preparation is the key to success in any interview, virtual or otherwise. Take the time to thoroughly research the company, its culture, and the role you're applying for. Beyond just going through the company's website, look into recent news articles, press releases, and social media posts to gain a deeper understanding of their mission, values, and industry standing. Pay attention to any notable achievements, initiatives, or challenges the company may have encountered. Familiarize yourself with the key stakeholders, organizational structure, and potential future developments within the company. The more you know about the company, the better equipped you'll be to tailor your responses and demonstrate your alignment with their goals.

Make sure to be in an environment that allows you to have as little background noise as possible, good light, and most importantly, fast internet connection. You want to make sure that you come across almost the same as you would in a face-to-face interview.

Always Double check your Tech. Test your microphone, camera and internet connection before you start, and make sure your device is compatible with the software your interviewer is using. Making a test call will give you peace of mind that everything is set up correctly. In case of any unexpected audio issues, or your connection drops, ensure you have the interviewer’s contact number so that you can continue your interview over the phone. Don’t forget to fully charge your device or have it plugged in to avoid any potential disruption from a low battery.

Double & triple test your tech! Are you connected to the internet & will be in a location with strong signal? Does your tech need time to run updates? Run a test call with a family member or friend to ensure they can hear and see you clearly. There is nothing worse than rushing to get everything sorted minutes before an interview. Have everything set up & ready to join in good time before the scheduled start time.

Even if you make loads of video calls always double check your set-up before an interview. This is a quick and easy checklist I share with job seekers to ensure they present themselves in the best way visually, have seamless communication, and minimise distractions during the call: Test your camera ?? Ensure it's functioning properly and clean the lens if necessary. Adjust the angle and make sure there's good lighting ? Check your audio ?? Test your microphone, speakers/headphones to guarantee clear sound. I recommend using a headset to minimise external noise ?? Have a backup plan ?? In case of technical difficulties, have an alternative device ready. This will save you from unnecessary stress and help you to feel more comfortable ??♂?

The last thing you want during a phone or video interview is to be derailed by technical issues. To avoid this scenario, conduct a thorough technology check well in advance of your scheduled interview. Test your internet connection, audio quality, and video camera to ensure they are functioning properly. Familiarize yourself with the specific video conferencing platform being used for the interview and test its features, such as screen sharing and virtual backgrounds, if applicable. Have a backup plan in place, such as a secondary device or phone number, in case of unexpected disruptions.

It helps to record yourself as a "warm-up" kind of exercise, as well as potentially get a friend to ask you some questions and see how you react, how you deal with your stress and anxiety - it will not remove authenticity and spontaneity! It will help you feel more relaxed during the actual interview, as you will have been in that situation before.

Nothing beats preparation! Create a STAR journal with previous experience with a focus on four words: Clear, Concise, Brevity, Data. Prepare 2-3 stories for each value. Detail instances where you solved problems, outlining the steps taken. Describe the process as if explaining to your grandparents. Discuss questioning and change efforts, as well as process enhancements. Highlight how success was measured with specific metrics. Define what constitutes success on a daily, weekly, quarterly, and yearly basis, and explain how you achieved it.

Practicing your answers is huge! I always advise people to research the company and the job and write down examples that tie into the job requirements & company values under those areas. It will help you make sure you pick the right examples and can thoroughly speak to them. Remember though, you want to keep your answers where you can just glance for second so keep data like a data point, subject, and result in bullet format. You do not want to read from a script but it will help you keep focused when nerves kick in.

While spontaneity is important in interviews, practicing your responses to common questions can help you articulate your thoughts more effectively and confidently. Start by compiling a list of typical interview questions, including behavioural, situational, and technical inquiries. Consider how your skills, experiences, and accomplishments align with each question and craft concise yet compelling responses. When formulating your answers, use the STAR method to structure your responses and provide concrete examples to illustrate your points. Practice delivering your answers out loud, either on your own or with a trusted friend or mentor, to refine your delivery and ensure clarity and coherence.

Simulate the interview environment by recording yourself answering common questions and reviewing the recordings for areas of improvement in both content and presentation. Seek feedback from trusted peers or mentors to refine your responses and ensure clarity and conciseness.

Throw on a smart shirt, clear out your background and look the part. If you are interviewing for a position that the hiring manager and/or HR take time to meet you for, the right thing to do is to at least look the part to show respect.

Despite the informal nature of virtual interviews, it's important to dress professionally to make a positive impression on your interviewer. While you may be tempted to dress casually since you're interviewing from the comfort of your own space, opting for professional attire can help you adopt a more serious and focused mindset. Choose clothing that is appropriate for the company culture and the level of formality expected for the role. Remember, your appearance is a reflection of your respect for the interview process and your seriousness about the opportunity, so dress the part accordingly to project confidence and competence.

Dress as you would if you were meeting on site. You're always better overdressing, than underdressing... no pun intended. A hiring manager will make their mind up in the first 30 seconds of an interview if it's going to be bad news - so leave that good impression from the offset!

Dressing professionally is important. I would much rather have someone over-dressed than under-dressed. As an interviewer, a well-dressed candidate sends a message to me that the person believed their interview was important enough and their desire was strong enough to put their best foot forward.

A virtual interview remains an interview, do not do anything you would not do during a face-to-face interview and remain professional throughout. Connect with them and build report, while remaining professional and polite.

From the moment you join the call or video conference, be mindful of your behaviour and interactions. Start by greeting the interviewer warmly and introducing yourself with enthusiasm and clarity. Maintain good posture and eye contact (or camera contact) throughout the interview to convey confidence and engagement. Be attentive and listen actively to the interviewer's questions, nodding or providing verbal cues to indicate your understanding and interest. When responding to questions, speak clearly and at a moderate pace, allowing for pauses and natural breaks in the conversation. Avoid interrupting the interviewer or speaking over them, as this can come across as disrespectful or unprofessional.

Maintain professionalism by dressing appropriately, maintaining eye contact with the camera, and avoiding interruptions or distractions. Demonstrate active listening by nodding and using verbal affirmations to acknowledge the interviewer's points, while also thanking them for the opportunity at the conclusion of the interview.

Behave exactly as you would face to face; eye contact, be engaging, take notes, ask questions. Tonality in your voice is just as important here as body language.

The differentiator between a call and a video - is that you get to see some of those body language cues that are lost over a call So be polite, be professional, be engaging and interact Behave how you would if you were sat across from them It's not easy to make eye contact on a screen - so don't worry too much about getting that right But smile, use facial expressions - these are all cues people can pick up on

The way you end the video interview will set the stage for the next steps, so make sure you end on a high note. If you don’t have the interviewer’s email address, ask for it now so you can send a thank you note. Then follow up after the interview, not immediately but a few hours later, to thank them again for their time, recap any high points of the discussion and restate your enthusiasm about taking the interview process to the next step. Your thank-you email serves as a gentle reminder of your candidacy. It keeps your name fresh in the interviewer's mind as they evaluate candidates and make decisions. It is a simple yet effective way to leave a favourable impression and enhance your candidacy for the position.

Always send a thank you email later that day. This certainly adds to the solid first impression you will have hopefully already left. Don't go too wordy, but maybe include a sentence or so to recap on any key points discussed or what you liked about the company/interview. A short focus on the company culture works well here, as the company will have already established whether you're a potentially fit from an experience, knowledge, academic point of view, but that they could see you as a fit for a behavioural point of view also.

Post COVID we are all more familiar with Video calls but what are a few top tips for virtual interviews? - Make 'Eye contact' with the camera, I have had candidates not progress in interview processes purely due to not looking at the screen. - What is your background? Try to take the call in a professional tidy setting where the background is not a distraction. If you have a virtual background, ideally again it should not be a distraction (I have had people interview from virtual desert islands/space/etc and it normally draws a comment!). - Be aware that a video call isn't as fluid as a face to face conversation. Pace yourself when talking, allow space to respond and try to avoid any talking over the other person.

At the end of the interview - ask if there is anything they would like to go back over, anything they would like you to provide more information on This is a great way to ensure they have everything they need to make a decision on the next stage

My best interviews have been phone/video interview, I was able to ace it because, I did tons of research and dressed comfortably. Dressing comfortably may seem irrelevant, dress the part but put comfort first Do a mock interview with a friend/coach that can give you valuable feedback.

Video Interviews are more monotonous than in-person alternatives. The main challenge during the interview itself will be to keep the conversation lively. Show genuine interest in the interview by asking relevant yet engaging questions to the interviewer like “How does the team communicate right now? What tools do you use to collaborate? How do you monitor remote work? In short, Don’t perform a monologue; spark conversations.