The COVID pandemic has changed many things in our world, including the way we work and interview for our next position. Currently, most interviews are held virtually. In order to make interviewing in this climate a success, we’re sharing some tips to help you make the best presentation.The “first round” of your interview may consist of a phone call. Here are some tips for making the most of that opportunity:
- Be prompt for your interview time.
- Find a space to converse that is free of background noise.
- Allow the interviewer to lay out the groundwork of the interview and be mindful of following their lead.
- Your tone of voice should be professional. Enunciate well. Remember, since the other party cannot see you, the tone in your voice is heavily weighed.
Subsequent rounds of interviewing will most likely take place via video such as Zoom or GoToMeeting, etc. In addition to the above, here’s some special consideration for video interviews:
- Make sure you will be presenting yourself as you would for an in-person interview. Dress appropriately and accessorize as you normally would when wanting to make a great first impression.
- Be sure you are conducting the video interview in a quiet space with no background noise or distractions and strong internet connection.
- Sit straight and exhibit appropriate body language.
- Proper lighting is essential. Sit in front of window or light source, not behind. Consider videoing yourself as a test run. That way, you can check the lighting, background setting, proper volume settings, and your appearance on camera.
- Shut down other programs on your computer before logging into your interview. You won’t want any beeps or notification noises coming through.
- Be prepared to have appropriate workspace that you can show/describe to the interviewer. They will want to know you have a professional workspace within your home if you will be a in work from home position.