How to Ace A Remote Job Interview

The Covid-19 crisis has changed almost every facet of the world of work. Many people have found themselves newly unemployed, and searching for a job during this pandemic has proven to be an especially daunting prospect. One challenge of a pandemic job search is the prospect of having to interview for a job via Zoom or some other video-conferencing software, rather than in-person.

Even after the Covid-19 crisis has subsided, some of the changes it has brought to the world of work may become permanent, and an increase in the number of remote job interviews may be one of those changes. So, today we’re going to take a look at tips related to interviewing for a job remotely via video-conferencing software:

?1. Make sure your computer is functioning well and you are familiar with the software you’ll be using well before the interview. Do some test calls with friends and family to familiarize yourself with the features of the software you’ll be using.

?

2. Consider your visual background. Plan out where you will place your computer and what background that will show your interviewer. A window behind you could silhouette you, obscuring your facial expressions. Clutter or an unmade bed behind you might give your interviewer the impression that you are disorganized. If you have any kind of decorations in your home that might give your interviewer pause, like an empty liquor bottle collection or a poster with a pot leaf on it, exclude those from your visual background.

?

3. Consider your visual foreground. The lighting on your face, the type of lens your camera has, and how close you are to that lens can have a big impact on how you look in a video conference. Of course, looks shouldn’t matter in a job interview, but there’s a lot of research that suggests they do, so it probably pays to put your best foot forward here and do your best to look well-rested and alert. You don’t have to buy a special lighting set-up, although you can if you want to, but experiment with the placement of different light sources you already have in the area where you will interview, and find a set-up you like and feel comfortable with.

4. Do a sound and video check. When you are learning the software and technology you are using, try to get a recording of what you sound and look like from the other end of the call. Is your image crisp or grainy? Is your sound clear or echoey? How is your volume? Are you yelling or speaking too loudly? If any of these things are issues, it might be worth it for you to upgrade your tech to improve the situation. An external camera and microphone that are higher quality than what is built into your computer might be a worthwhile investment. If you note that you are speaking loudly, just make a mental note of that and remember to modulate that going forward.

5. Dress as you would for an in-person interview. Interviewing from home via video conference may feel less formal than an in-person interview, but it shouldn’t be treated that way. Dress as you would for an in-person interview in your field. And this doesn’t just mean the top half of your outfit. As tempting as it might be to wear a less formal, more comfortable bottom half, you never know when you might have to stand up unexpectedly during a video conference.

6. Block out potential distractions. When it comes time for your actual interview, be sure the room you will interview from is distraction free. Close the door to keep out any pets, and put a sign on the door to keep anybody else from entering while you are interviewing.

?

7. During the interview, look at the camera, not the screen. This is a tough one, especially if you haven’t practiced this. It’s natural to want to look at the screen because that’s where the interviewer’s face appears to be. But you want to keep in mind that in order to give the appearance of eye contact to the interviewer, you need to look into the camera. Looking at the computer screen will make it look to the interviewer like you are looking downward instead of right at them.

The other side of the coin here, though, is that you can put things behind the camera to help you. You might make notes for yourself and position them behind the camera, so you can refer to them during the interview without the interviewer even knowing. Don’t overdo it, though, you don’t want to be obviously reading during the interview.

8. Timing can be tough. During an in-person conversation there are a myriad of small nonverbal cues that help people navigate the timing and other aspects of a conversation. For example, when a person is about to begin speaking, you’ll usually hear them breath in, and their facial expression and posture will often change. These nonverbal cues help us figure out when a person is about to speak, when a person is about to finish speaking, when would be an opportune moment for us to enter into the conversation, how well we are holding our listener’s attention when we are speaking, whether our listener likes what we are saying, and multitude of other important things about a conversation.

Over video conference, many of these nonverbal cues are not as obvious or clear, which can lead to a conversation not flowing as naturally as an in-person conversation. You might find your video call has more awkward gaps in conversation, more times when you and your interviewer try to speak at the same time, and other awkward conversational moments. These problems are often increased if there is more than one interviewer on a call.

?

Some of these issues can be improved, or at least gotten used to, by practicing video calls with other people before your interview. Some of these issues, though, just come with the territory of video calls. Most people who do a lot of video calls understand this, so if you feel like your video call is going awkwardly, try not to overthink it or let it throw you in the moment. Your interviewer is probably used to this and probably recognizes it as a shortcoming of the medium of communication, not a shortcoming of you as a candidate.

Article Link: How to Ace A Remote Job Interview

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author - Staff Writer

( BloggersHUBB )