Written by Joanne Sacco

How to Ace Your Remote Video Interview

The way companies hire new employees has changed dramatically over the past few years.
Gone are the days when you would physically visit a workplace to submit your resume, and attend every interview in person.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, video interviews were becoming more commonplace. But now video interviews are the most effective option employers have to understand why a jobseeker is a great fit for their role. This means that jobseekers need to up their video interview game – fast.
There are many challenges for Jobseekers when interviewing remotely – video makes it harder to showcase your personality, video interviews often include awkward situations where people talk over each other, and don’t even get us started on all the tech issues that can occur.
This blog will provide you with a framework you can use before each video interview to help you stand out among the other applicants and hopefully land your dream job.

1. Dress Appropriately

While it might be tempting to wear your pyjamas on the bottom half of your body, it’s important to dress as you would for a face-to-face interview – from head to toe. This will help get you in the zone, and ensure you are feeling professional and confident.

2. Test Your Tech

Even if you’ve used video conferencing tools before, each setup and software is different. Make sure you have the right application downloaded to your computer and you test your audio and video settings. At this point you should also find the right spot in your house to conduct the interview, somewhere quiet with a plain background.

3. Do Your Research

This part doesn’t change. Before every interview, you should spend time researching the company. Check out their website, social media profiles and the LinkedIn profiles of interviewers and senior leaders. Your recruitment consultant will also help brief you on the role and company so you feel fully prepared.

4. Eliminate Distractions

If you live with other people, let them know you’re having an important interview and not to distract you. Keep all pets away and turn off all email and phone notifications. Don’t be tempted to have a copy of your resume or the company’s website open on your screen. It will be obvious when you’re reading instead of speaking naturally!

5. Up Your Energy & Eye Contact

It’s hard to get your personality across in a video interview. Body language signals are reduced, and the camera sucks all your energy. For this reason it’s important to be confident and true to yourself. If this means having a coffee or two before your interview – do it (but don’t overdo it!)

6. Ask The Right Questions

Video interviews are generally shorter than face to face interviews, so make sure you’re asking plenty of questions. Ask about the company, the role, responsibilities and other points that are important to you. It’s also fine to ask about the company’s processes and policies around COVID-19 if you’re concerned.

7. Follow Up Afterwards

As with face-to-face interviews, it is important to follow up with your recruiter and interviewer after the call. Thank them for their time and offer to answer any questions they may need further clarification on.
While there has been a lot of fast-paced change during this time, video interviews are here to stay. It’s important to adapt your interview approach to ensure your video interview is a success, we hope these tips helped. Our clients are still hiring, so if you’d like to chat about your career options, please get in touch.

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