- The need to meet face-to-face is removed.
- Online interviews are more readily organised and attended within a shorter space of time.
- There is less pressure on candidates to attend a location for an interview.
- If you are currently working it is easier to take time off for an interview…no need to use the excuse that you’ve to bring your car for its NCT!
- For companies, it is easier for them to screen candidates efficiently.
So, you’ve been invited for an online interview. What do you do next?
1. Download and ensure you are familiar with the app that will be used for the interview. Go online and become familiar with the app…how do you log in, do you need an account?
If you are not familiar with the proposed app, do not wait until just before the scheduled interview time to download it. Each app has slight variations so make sure you are familiar with the particular one you will be using for the interview.
You will be emailed a personal meeting link and access code. Keep it safe as you will need this to log into the interview.
There is no harm in practising an interview with a family member or friend and recording your rehearsal! Practice some of the regular interview questions, you know the ones…what motivates you, where do you see yourself in 5 years, tell us about yourself? But also practice some of the dreaded behavioural interview questions…What is the most difficult/ challenging situation you’ve ever had to resolve in the workplace? Tell us about a time when you failed?
2. Lights, camera, action…Lighting is important…try sitting in front of a window with the screen propped up on books if necessary so you are at eye level with the interviewer. No one wants to interview your armpit, chin or forehead!
Pick a good spot the day before, preferably without your communion photos or anything too distracting in the background. Even walking around with the camera on your phone/laptop on while you are looking into it so you can see what the backgrounds look like. Don’t wait until right before the interview to discover it looks like you are interviewing in the middle of a jungle because you’ve so many plants around you!
3. Remove any distractions…silence anything that could interfere with the interview including your phone and email notifications on your computer. Make sure the neighbour’s kids that are playing out on the trampoline can not be heard on the call, or that you don’t have a dog in the room chasing his tail and barking at it, lock the door of the room you are interviewing in just in case! Close all programs on your computer or laptop…not only to avoid pop-ups or notifications but so that you avoid a slowdown of your operating system than could affect the app video and audio feed.
4. Check the audio and video are working before the interview and how to switch them on!
5. Sit up and dress professionally…it’s time to peel off the pyjamas and put on something more professional. Yeah, we’ve all done the calls where we’re professionally dressed from the waist up and wearing shorts or leggings and slippers from the waist down! Make the effort to look the part.
While I’m now finding that the least amount of makeup I used to ever wear is now the most amount I’m wearing it is still important to make an effort with your appearance as first impressions really do last. My other tip is Batiste Dry Shampoo to cover up the roots! If, like me, you don’t have an immediate family member who is handy with scissors or a box of home dye, then the hair is suffering. Make sure it is clean and fresh looking and I find a spray of dry shampoo helps cover up the dreaded ‘natural’ colour of my regrowth!
6. Smile, smile, smile…just like you would if you were doing the interview face to face. Yes, we are all finding it hard at the moment and we might not have a lot to smile about but just for this hour paint on your biggest smile!
7. Stay calm…run cold water over the inside of your wrists (and sure you might as well give your hands another wash as it has been 30 minutes since you last washed them!). The cold water can reduce cortisol levels, release endorphins and bring down your heart rate, all of which can help stop a panic attack in its evil little tracks.
8. Cheat, yes cheat! I mean be prepared! Have your notes and cue cards ready…this is the one time you will be able to have them in an interview but don’t constantly refer to them or flip paper around in the interview. Have a few notes that you can glance at if you need to. If you carefully place it below the camera’s view you can occasionally reference it if you get lost or want to remind yourself of questions you wanted to ask the hiring manager.
9. Maintain eye contact…just like in a face-to-face interview it is still important to look your interviewer in the eye. Look directly into the webcam, not at the interviewer on the screen and stay engaged. If you have to, put a Post-it beside the webcam to remind you to look into it!
10. Familiarise yourself with the mute button in case of emergency…need to cough (hopefully it’s not a Covid cough), sneeze or your neighbour is shouting up your stairs to see if you have any sugar, then use the mute button but make sure to press it again to speak!
11. Don’t stress, online meetings, interviews and chats are commonly used now so we all have some form of practice of using them at this stage. And if you don’t, then practice before the interview!
12. And take it seriously! Whilst interviewing online can give you a sense of comfort, don’t get too comfortable. Sit up straight, maintain eye contact and continue to listen to what the interviewer is saying…don’t start looking out the window wondering what the courier is delivering to the neighbours!!
And when it’s all over you don’t have to worry about how firm your handshake is or fumbling your way out of the seat and out the door!
Finally, good luck…you’ve got this! Remember this little mantra I used to use…this is your job and they want you!
