How To Interview Online Employment

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more industries have shifted toward video calling for their interviews –  particularly when they’re conducting the first round of interviews. Interviewing in this manner can feel off-putting, particularly if you’ve never experienced the process before or have never used the computer in this way. 

In order to help you through this process, Building Better Opportunities have put together this great article with some handy tips for ensuring that you are absolutely ready for this job interview.

The Room

The start of your preparation process will be finding a suitable room for your interview. When finding a suitable room, there are several things to consider. These are:

Lighting is Key

Your first consideration should be the lighting. You’ll want to be using a room with access to natural light. Ideally, this natural light will be shining on your face and not from behind you – as this can make the interview difficult for the person interviewing you. 

Pick a Quiet Space

Your next consideration should be to find a quiet space, preferably somewhere out of the way, so you don’t have to worry about family members or pets interrupting your workspace. Make sure you close your windows – as outside sounds may interfere with your interview. If you have a spare bedroom or a conservatory we recommend these as good interview spaces.

Find a Good Internet Connection

Next, you want to make sure that your internet connection is good. If you don’t have a great internet connection, you may not be able to hear the person interviewing you or your interview may be cut short. As such, it’s best to make sure that your internet connection is strong. If you can, try to find a wired connection that you can plug into — as these connections are usually much better than Wi-Fi connections. If that’s not possible, though, a connection over Wi-Fi will work, too. 

Your Computer

Your next consideration is to choose the right medium for the interview. Generally speaking, you have two options for how to do an interview over the internet – a computer or a smartphone.

Use a Laptop or Computer – Not A Phone

With that said, unless you have no other option, your best bet is to use a laptop or computer. There are a number of reasons why we recommend a computer over a phone. For one, you can never be sure that you won’t get a notification during your interview. At the same time, it’s often much easier to maintain eye contact on a computer than it is with an iPhone. 

Charge Your Laptop (If Necessary)

Before conducting your interview, you should make sure that your laptop is fully charged. If possible, we recommend that you keep your laptop plugged in during the whole interview, as Zoom and Microsoft Teams can be something of a massive power drain, and you really don’t want your PC to die during the interview.

Update Your Computer

We’ve all had that problem at some point. Your computer wants to do an update and you need to stop what you’re doing and just let it do its thing. It’s frustrating, right?

Absolutely right. It’s for that reason that you should make sure your computer is absolutely up to date before you start your interview. Make sure your computer’s webcam drivers are up to date, that your computer’s internet connection is working properly, and that you are using the latest version of your internet browser. Doing these things will ensure that you have as smooth an interview process as possible.

Before The Interview

Practice

Before the interview, you want to ensure that you practice your interview in front of your computer – preferably on an active call with friends or family. This will allow you to get feedback on your performance, which in turn allows you to improve your performance when it comes to the actual interview.

Dress To Impress

You don’t have to wear a suit for your zoom interview. However, it’s probably a good idea to still dress smartly. What that means depends on a great number of factors, but there are a number of different things you should consider. If you present as a male, you should be wearing a collared shirt – possibly with a tie if you prefer. Likewise, if you present as female, you have a little more leeway; however, generally speaking, it’s better to dress conservatively rather than too casually.

Turn Off Notifications

You absolutely must turn off any notifications that might interfere with your ability to interview well. This includes PC notifications and phone calls.

During The Interview

During the interview, there are a few things to consider. These are:

Keep Your Screen Clear

During the interview itself, you should keep your screen clear of distractions – meaning other windows. Keeping your screen clear will ensure that you can have a seamless interview experience.

Maintain Focus

Finally, make sure that you maintain focus during the interview. Losing focus sends the wrong message to the person interviewing you,  which could ruin your chances of getting hired.

Employment Support Staffordshire From BBO

By following these tips, you should have no problems interviewing over zoom. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Building Better Opportunities. Building Better Opportunities provide education and welfare advice in Staffordshire. For over five years,  we have been helping people in the local community get into work.

For more information about our range of services, please contact Building Better Opportunities today.