How to Crush Your Online Interviews

Online interviews are becoming more common, a trend that began even before COVID-19 locked us down worldwide. As we adjust to working from, we find ourselves often dealing with kids or animals in the background. However, an interview is a different story.

Just like in a regular interview, you need to put your best foot forward. Unlike a traditional hiring process, you only have your voice, face, and words to convey your thoughts. Certainly, some intangible aspects are lost when not meeting face-to-face for an interview.

We’re going to look at ways to ensure your next online interview goes smoothly and, hopefully, lands you that dream job. If you’re wondering how to crush your online interview, then read on.

Dress professionally

Though you’re only going to be showing your face and torso, there is a definite psychological benefit to being dressed up and taking the time to look professional. Yes, this means wearing pants, but it also means grooming yourself as if you were going into the office.

Not only will it give you more confidence, it will show them you took the time to take the remote interview seriously, and that’s a big deal. It helps you mentally get in the right space and shows your level of commitment.

Maintain solid eye contact

We know you’re concerned with how to crush your online interview, but this is a solid piece of advice for any interview. With a remote interview, the person interviewing you focuses solely on your face. This means any distractions or boredom, wandering gaze or disinterest that shows on your face is immediately and clearly communicated.

Maintain eye contact, smile, laugh, and interact – all of these will go a long way towards making you seem like you actually want the job.

Find someplace quiet

Like we said before, most folks understand that many people have kids and such to deal with while working from home. However, that’s not something that the interviewer should have to work around. Ensure your kids are quiet or go to a private part of your home and set up your workstation so that you have no interruptions.

Even though you know you can ace whatever job you’re interviewing for from home, seeing a ton of distractions around you doesn’t encourage confidence in the interviewer.

Make sure your computer is working

There’s no excuse for being late to an interview in real life. Similarly, why would you think it’s okay to claim technical difficulties when you’re doing an online interview?

Do a test run and connect to Skype or Zoom, whatever platform you’re using prior to the interview. Also, make sure your camera and microphone are working well before you get on the call.

Additionally, it’s best to eliminate any other sources of internet drag; if other people in your house are streaming movies or using bandwidth, ask if they can stop for the interview. This will make your connection better and just make everything run more smoothly.

Breathe deep and nail that interview!

Even though it’s fully online, any interview will cause some jitters. It’s best to do some deep breathing exercises before you meet with your prospective employer. Get calm, clear your head, and crush that interview!