Interview Tips for the Digital World

Arrive early to give yourself ample time to find parking.?Build rapport with the receptionist.?Give the hiring manager a hearty handshake and study the surroundings of the lobby — and the interviewer’s office — to gather fuel for small talk.

These were some of the top interviewing tips everybody shared about until the start of 2020, of course, now they all seem like ancient history given the rise of COVID-19 – and the fact that most professional interviews are now conducted over some sort of video platform, versus face-to-face that was so common previously.??While we’ll likely get back to some semblance of “normal” interviewing in the future, even then video interviews aren’t going to disappear. So, let’s discuss a few useful thoughts for putting your best foot forward when engaging in a phone, web conference, or pre-recorded interview.

While many of these tips will likely fall under the heading of common sense, our recruiters continue to tell us they come across candidates not engaging in these professional practices — so today we recommend you review the checklist carefully just to see if you might come across an overlooked tip or two that will help you up your video interviewing game!

—?Ensure a clear, high-quality connection.??First things first, if you’re going to be interviewing over the phone, obviously make sure to take the call in an area where you’ll have quality, uninterrupted cell reception.?And if you’ll be interviewing via web platform, ensure you’re in a location that offers high-quality Internet bandwidth.?If your home or typical work location doesn’t offer these things, see if you can impose on a neighbor or friend who has better signal, since you don’t want the interviewer’s first impressions of you to resemble the mannerisms of the old Verizon spokesperson: “Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?”

—?Project energy and enthusiasm.??As great as technology is, it can’t fully replicate the rapport, chemistry, and non-verbal communication that comes across when meeting someone in the flesh.?So make an extra effort to modulate your voice, speak clearly, amp up your energy level, and add a little extra “drama” to your answers to keep the interviewer engaged.?Engaging in a phone conversation??Consider the old sales tricks of standing up while you talk or looking in a mirror to give your presence an extra boost.?Long story short, if you speak in monotone fashion or are too reserved in your communication style, the person across the desk will inevitably start to tune out given the mere fact that there’s less sensory input to keep them fully engaged.

—?Have a cheat sheet.?If you’re engaging in a phone interview, you’re golden.?It’s an open-book test and there’s no reason not to have a bevy of notes in front of you, outlining some of your key answers, stories, and preparation materials for the meeting.?And if you’re going to be presenting via web conference, either live or in recorded fashion, you can still have your notes or some index cards on hand as a crutch — although in these cases, you’ll have to be a tad more discreet in terms of referring to them.?You don’t want to seem distracted or that you’re just “reading a script” of some kind.?Still, all three scenarios give you more opportunity than a normal interview to have some documentation on hand — and to leverage some helpful notes — so make sure to take advantage of this factor in your preparation efforts!

—?Set the stage and look professional.?While this tip obviously doesn’t apply to phone interviews, the “visuals” of a web conference will influence your audience’s perception of you.?So, prior to any web-based conversation with an employer, ensure you have good lighting on your face, a non-cluttered background, and that you use a straight-on camera angle that’s as close to eye level as possible.?If needed, you might also use the “blur” filter on most web conference tools to camouflage your surroundings a bit – and if you wear glasses, like me, you might set up a light source above and to the side of your webcam to avoid distracting glare from your eyewear. Check out our tips for preparing your space for a web interview here!

—?Minimize ambient noise.?Regarding the audio component of the conversation, make it your goal to interview in a space that is subject to as little environmental background noise as possible.?If you can’t achieve this in your home, holding a phone interview in a car can be a great substitute, since vehicles are among the most acoustically well-treated locations on the planet.?Also make sure to warn your family/roommates not to interrupt you during your session and to take whatever steps needed to prevent your pets (however cute they might be) from crashing the party.

—?Look the part.??For webcam-driven interviews, make sure you’re dressed appropriately (at least from the waist up!) for the opportunity at hand.?Even though we’ve all been holed up to varying degrees for a few years, it’s still a no-no to hold a serious business conversation in a tee shirt, sweatshirt, or your jammies.?So, dress appropriately based on the standards of your profession and make sure you sit up straight, have good posture, and use hand gestures to emphasize your key points.?Again, while you’re not going to be held to Hollywood-level standards, we all still judge people, subconsciously, on how they “show up” on the screen and how professionally, confidently, and respectfully they project themselves.

—?Follow the interviewer’s instructions.?If the employer sent you any useful preparation notes or instructions (many companies now do so) about what to expect in the interview, make sure to read through them carefully and ask the recruiter/scheduler if any of the logistics are unclear.?And if you’re going to be using an unfamiliar web conferencing platform to meet with the hiring manager, either log in a little early to get the hang of it or set up a “test” session with a friend to get more comfortable with the tool, in advance.

—?Recording your interview??Multiple takes are your friend!?Lastly, for those job hunters who encounter the fast-growing method of interviewing where you’re asked to record a pre-arranged set of interview answers in advance, keep in mind that virtually all such platforms allow you to re-record an answer that doesn’t go well.?So, if you get tongue-tied responding a certain question, or are wrestling with stage fright, don’t be afraid to erase and re-record your answer several times until you nail it.?While there are many aspects of this kind of interviewing that we could complain about, and decry as unfair or impersonal, again, it’s a growing trend — and one of the few silver linings is that you if you “blow” an answer, you can ditch it and start over.

Of course, other standard interviewing tips are still important to remember. You need to make sure to put in the effort to review the company’s web presence and job description before your meeting so you can have the information needed to answer questions about your future, and why you are interested in the position in an informed and professional manner. And of course, working with a staffing agency like us at Visium can help you to put your best foot forward!

If you have any questions about interviewing or one of our open positions, feel free to send one of our recruiters an InMail and we’ll be happy to give you some advice or information to help with your job search!