Online job interview: advice to ace it successfully

 

Have you ever done an online job interview? The virtual version of job interviews has been increasing in recent years, especially with the pandemic, until it has become a widespread practice.

 

Doing video interviews is a modality that has appeared to stay as it is a win-win situation: it benefits both the candidate and the company. On the one hand, the online environment makes it easier to schedule meetings. On the other hand, the interviewee avoids transport barriers. Nowadays, in Axxon we conduct most of our interviews in the online environment.

 

When you think of a virtual job interview, you will probably picture an interview through a video call, following the same model as face-to-face job interviews. However, there is another type of online job interview made through recordings. The recorded interviews are done through apps. Here, the questions or statements appear, and the candidate has some chances to record the answer and send it to the company. 

 

 

What must be considered on online job interviews?

The basis of the online job interviews is similar to face-to-face interviews. Therefore, the questions and advice we gave in the article “How to prepare for a job interview?” can also be useful here. However, the virtual space requires considering other things.

 

• Prepare beforehand:on online interviews, it is not enough to prepare what you are going to say. It is also necessary to have prepared the computer, space, and app before the interview. Download the app, start the session... It is important not to wait at the last moment to avoid any computer error.
• Take advantage of the resources:by being at home, you can take the opportunity to have around you things that you might need: a piece of paper, some notes about the company, questions, or a glass of water. 
• Be careful with the image:two aspects to highlight are the lighting and the background. The interviewer needs to see you well through the screen, so the lighting must avoid a dark image. At the same time, we also recommend interviewing with a plain wall in the background. When this is not possible, watch out for what appears behind you to avoid clutter or dirt in the background.
• Punctuality and quality connection:this point is related to the first one we mentioned. If everything is ready beforehand, it will be easier to be punctual and beware of any connection problems. However, these are two aspects that require special attention.

In the virtual meeting, you must not arrive before or after the agreed time. If you come in earlier, the interviewer may not be ready yet, and if you come in later, you will create a bad image of yourself.

Make sure you have a good internet connection. Although technology is not always predictable, we recommend that you connect to a secure network to avoid cuts or bad internet connection (and all the stress that come with it).

• Camera position: even through a screen, the interviewer must be able to see your face well. To ensure that you come out at the proper distance from the camera, we recommend standing where the image cuts off at shoulder height. Also, look directly at the camera while you speak to establish eye contact with the interviewer, avoiding looking at the screen as much as possible.
• Use headphones with a microphone:though it is not mandatory, it helps have a clearer sound. You understand the interviewer better and vice versa as they will understand you more clearly and avoid possible external noise.

 

 

As we have already mentioned, you should not forget elemental aspects from classic job interviews. Remember to take care of your image, body language, and attitude. Do not let oversights dispel you from getting the job you want.

 

Although doing a job interview is not always easy, at Axxon we encourage you to follow all these tips to be safer, and thus the interview flows better. Good luck!