Interviews can be nerve-wracking but making sure you’re prepared can help reduce those worries.
Online interviews can make you feel anxious, the same as a face-to-face one. By preparing ahead of time you can be reduce that feeling. Here are what you need to consider ahead of your online interview.
Check your tech
It might be obvious, but tech sometimes has a mind of its own! You may have used Microsoft Teams for school but is the interview being conducted on Zoom or Google Meet? Making sure you’re set up ahead of time will reduce your stress on the day.
Things to consider:
- Do a practice run with friends or family – is your camera set up properly? Can you see each other? Is your background appropriate? Your interviewer(s) doesn’t want to see your messy bedroom or family photographs during your interview. Knowing how to amend your background or setting it up ahead of time will reduce the things you need to consider on the day
- Don’t forget about audio – your interviewer(s) can see you but can they hear you? Your audio needs to be as clear as possible, make sure you take other noise into consideration when thinking about where to set yourself up for your interview. Road works outside your house? Close the window. Other people at home? Ask them to be quiet and if possible move to a different room or ask them to leave the one you’re in
- Were you asked to complete a task? – Sometimes you may be asked to complete at task for the interview. If you have been, make sure you know how to share your screen to present your work
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Prepare
An online interview isn’t any different to a face-to-face interview in the need for preparation. Make sure you’ve got your cover letter and CV to hand as they may ask you questions about things you have written about in them. If you have been asked to complete an interview task make sure the programme is open and ready on your machine to enable you to present it quickly and easily.
Research the company, have you checked their website and social media? Do you understand the sector they operate in? Being able to talk with some confidence about what they do will show how interested you are in the role and the company.
For more tips on preparing for you interview check out our interview tips as they apply to telephone interviews too.
During the interview
Stay calm, take your time, and think about the question before answering. Your interviewer will understand that you’re nervous and give you time to answer.
Have a pen and paper handy to take notes, your interviewer might say something that you want to ask them about and jotting it down will help you remember when it comes to the question section of the interview.
Overall
Although you’re not in the same room as your interviewer, online interviews are very similar as face-to-face interviews – just without the travelling. They’re going to ask you the same questions and give you the same time to answer, its not in their interest to rush you, they want you to succeed as much as you do.
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