ZOOM Hype: The Key to Acing Your Virtual Interview
ZOOM Hype: The Key to Acing Your Virtual Interview
Zoom video interviews and meetings are a regular part of virtual business meetings and the job application process. If you’re new to working from home, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re also new to using Zoom. As countless businesses switch to working remotely from home as a precaution against the Coronavirus pandemic, Zoom's user base has skyrocketed, gaining more users in the past few months than they did in all of 2019.
But despite how common they’re becoming, the nuances of acing a Zoom interview are only starting to be recognized. Many people make the understandable mistake of simply preparing as they would for a regular interview.
A Zoom interview is a whole different ball game though—it’s like being on TV, except you’re filming, directing, and acting in this role. Follow these tips and you’ll be set to score high marks from your performance.
PREPARATION
15 minutes before:
- Turn off your printer.
- Turn off your TV, iPad, Kindle, and your spouses’s laptop ??
- Put your mobile phone on airplane mode. If you need to make a call (say, if your meeting attendee doesn’t show up) you can.
- Make sure you know where your wired headset is.
- Test your video and audio on your computer by going to Zoom and trying them both out
- Turn off ALL OTHER APPLICATIONS that you not using.
5 minutes before: (these are the non-tech things)
- Pour a glass of water
- Hang a “do not disturb” sign on your doorbell, front door, office door, and have a chat with your dog, about barking ??
- Review your notes and make sure you have something to write with, and on.
1 minute before:
- Breathe, focus and be yourself
Wardrobe and Makeup
The cardinal rule of any interview: Dress to impress. On the internet, “dressing up” isn't limited to your clothes, it also includes your username and profile picture. Your Zoom info will be your employer’s first impression of you. If you’ve been using the same user name since middle school (I’m talking to you, PartyAngel99), it’s time for a change. Your profile picture is equally important. Choosing both a professional picture and username will prevent your employer from misjudging you or having to start off the interview by asking awkward questions.
You should also dress like you would for any other interview matter what your local time is, where you’re calling from, or how much of your outfit you think the interviewer can actually see. A colleague of mine once interviewed someone who wore sweatpants, an XXL t-shirt, and had just obviously gotten out of the shower. It wasn’t just awkward—it was disrespectful. Needless to say, they weren't hired. The last thing you want to do is seem like you couldn’t care less.
Lights… Camera…
Zoom is rife with technical landmines, and we’ve all had that those annoying “can you hear me now?” moments. While most employers are forgiving, they’re also pressed for time. Your safest bet is to Zoom with a friend or family member before your interview and check all of the following:
? The Set: Find an appropriate place to make the call, and make sure to clean up the background. A keen employer will be inferring everything about your surroundings, so make sure to pick a representative location to have the Zoom call.
? Internet Connection: If your connection is flaky, find somewhere more stable. Dropped calls are understandable, but they distract from the interview and reflect poorly on your ability to plan ahead.
? Lighting: Do you look washed out? Is your face shrouded in shadows? Adjust the lighting in your room before your interview to come across natural, professional and prepared.
? Sound: Don’t rely on the built-in microphone unless you want to sound like you’re in a bat cave. Get a dedicated microphone and test it out. Also, make sure you’re not in an area with a lot of background noise (the interviewer isn’t interested in what your roommate is watching on TV). A quiet room by yourself is ideal.
? Script: Have your attachments—resume, cover letter, portfolio, supporting documents—loaded up before the call, so you can reference them easily without having to conspicuously click around during the interview.
Action!
In a traditional, in-person interview, your interviewer is a captive audience. Over Zoom, you’re the size of the interviewer’s Zoom window and it’s much easier for them to pull out there mobile, check their email, or scan the headlines on her favorite news site.
You’re competing with the entire internet for your interviewer’s attention, so don’t just be a talking head on a screen! From a purely visual perspective, you will look much more interesting if you move around, use hand gestures, and stay animated. Interviewers are your audience, and you’re the star of that screen.
The flip side of this is that you, too, have more opportunity to get distracted. To minimize this, close all windows except your supporting documents and make yourself unavailable or invisible on Zoom to avoid interruptions. Put your mini-Zoom-window below the webcam on your computer screen, too. That way, when you’re checking how you look, you still appear to be making eye contact with the employer.
The Rest
From here on out, the rules of the interview are pretty much the same: Do your research about the company, know what questions to expect (and how to answer them), and be your glowing self. And don’t forget the follow-up—you’ll need to send a thank-you exactly the same way you would for an in person interview.
Nail the virtual interview, and hopefully you’ll soon be walking through the real-life office doors.
Good luck & please stay safe!!
Customer Service Representative
2 年Thank you for this article, very helpful ??