14 tips for interviewing:

1. Do your research! Look at the company website and LinkedIn page, review the LinkedIn profiles of the folks that you will be meeting/speaking with, and research news/articles on the organization. This will not only prepare you for questions about the company but will also giving you talking points to show that you have done your homework.
2. Look the Part: Since we cannot physically interview in-person (for most companies), we want to put our best foot forward here and smile! Various studies/experts estimate that 70-93% of the cues that humans give off are non-verbal. Smile, smile, smile. Make eye contact and follow your interviewer's cadence. What does that mean? If the interviewer is calm/relatively quiet, being overly loud and asking a billion questions may turn the interviewer off. Watch them, listen to how they present themselves, and try to match the tone of the overall conversation.
3. How to dress: If you're going through a recruiter and/or HR, ask them about "corporate culture and dress codes." If you're unsure, business casual is the way to go (i.e. dress pants and a button down shirt).
4. Clean up: You should be treating the video interview the same way you would an in-person interview. That means, do your hair, and freshen up. Looking sharp and feeling good will give you a little more edge for the call :)
5. Look at your environment: be aware of noise levels (try to be in a quiet room), clutter/messes in the background can be distracting and give the interviewer the wrong idea, and more. Also, there are many FREE backgrounds that you can download and set up for various video interviewing apps. The best idea here is to... test your tech before the interview and take a look at what your camera will see. While, these are unprecedented times, there are easy ways to TRY avoid these mistakes without going overboard. Simply put, find your most presentable space and be ready!
6. Who is home? Make sure that you let anyone in the house know that you're in a meeting. Of course, there are things that we cannot predict or control ~ especially in 2020, but we should do our best.
7. Practice: check your camera and mic and make sure that there are no issues (most of these systems/apps have self-test checks). Additionally, you can practice and research the organization and what sort of questions that they have asked in the past to candidates. Websites such as indeed and glassdoor offer these reviews and services and are free. Additionally, type it into google. While you cannot believe everything that you read online, it may give you some perspective for the type of questions that the Manager likes to ask.
8. Smile and be enthusiastic: (most) people like friendly folks and a first impression goes a long way. Being that we are not there in person, it can be easy to get distracted and fall off "the plan." Stay positive, stay confident (not arrogant), and you should do well. "When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress. Then other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins come into play too. The endorphins act as a mild pain reliever, whereas the serotonin is an antidepressant" (www.sclhealth.org).
9. Be Present: ever hear of 2 ears and 1 mouth? Well, that applies here! It is imperative that you let the interviewer know that you're listening. How? Sometimes injecting simple nods and "yes," can make the interviewer aware that you are listening and (should) make the conversation go more smoothly.
10. Cheat! I get it, it is not ideal that we cannot meet these folks in person. HOWEVER, there is a great advantage here -that I believe most folks do not take advantage of. You do NOT need to remember every detail that you dug up during preparation for the interview, write it down. Do not stare at your notes, but it is 100% fine to reference/ take a glance at them.
11. Questions: Cheat!!!!! Do your research on the job spec, company, and person that is interviewing you. Afterwards, jot down some questions that you would like to ask them, should there be time. There are many samples out there, but I will post some here as well.
12. Thank them: be sure to thank the interviewer for their time (usually at the beginning and again at the end). Additionally, follow up with a thank you note!
13. Compensation: ask 10 people, you will get 10 different answers here. I have always found that (a) you should NEVER give a range. People will only hear the bottom #. (b) do not undersell yourself! (c) do not knock yourself out of consideration! How do you do this? I.E. "(name), salary is not the only motivating factor for me. I am looking for the right team, right company, and right fit. Should there be a mutual interest moving forward, I would like to review the package in it's entirety - since I will need to take all of these factors in, during my decision making."
14. Finally... Do not vape during an interview! Yes, I have been told that this has actually happened before.

...please note, that there are dozens of ways and opinions on how to prepare for an interview. All that you have to remember is, do your best to prepare and stay positive! If you have any questions or would like to comment with additional tips/tricks, please fire away.

Be happy, be healthy!