Summary

The article provides guidance on how to successfully navigate a virtual interview in the post-pandemic job market by focusing on technical setup, background environment, clear communication, and time management.

Abstract

The article "How To Prepare For A Virtual Interview" outlines four practical tips to help job seekers excel in virtual interviews. It emphasizes the importance of checking technical equipment to prevent potential issues such as WiFi outages or audio problems. The article advises on creating a distraction-free background to maintain the interviewer's focus on the candidate. It suggests repeating back questions to ensure clarity and to formulate concise answers. Lastly, it stresses the significance of being punctual and managing responses to respect the interviewer's time.

Opinions

The author believes that the traditional rules of in-person interviews do not directly translate to the virtual environment, necessitating a new set of skills and preparations.
There is a clear preference for a simple, uncluttered background over virtual or busy backgrounds, which are seen as distracting.
The article implies that technical difficulties are common and can be detrimental to the interview process, reinforcing the need for thorough pre-interview checks.
Repeating the interviewer's questions is recommended as a strategy to buy time and construct well-thought-out answers.
Punctuality and time management are highly valued, with the author suggesting that these traits reflect a candidate's potential reliability and respect for deadlines in a professional setting.

How To Prepare For A Virtual Interview

4 practical tips to help you ace your next virtual interview

Gone are the days where the difference between a stern handshake and a limp fish could be the one thing to determine if you got the job or not. Where all you needed to win over an interviewer was steady eye contact and an amicable disposition.

Thanks to the pandemic, all of the tools we once wielded with apt to win the hearts of interviewers everywhere are now useless. Anachronist to a time many say we’ll soon forget entirely. The rules of the game have changed, and it’s important to have a good understanding of just how different the job market is before you step into your next interview. Because chances are, you won’t be doing any “stepping” at all.

Nowadays, it’s all about the virtual interview. And the rules of engagement for interviewers and interviewees have changed significantly. Yes, some general sentiments have remained. For example, it’s still important that you show up to your interview with an elevator pitch, plenty of anecdotes to speak to your potential and maybe even a dapper fit to wow your temporary audience

The difference lies in the way you show up. Because in order to be successful in the world of virtual interviews, you’ll have to get smart, think quick and pray that the Fates will show you favor.

Tip 1: Check your setup

I don’t mean to scare you. A virtual interview is different from an in person one yes, but at the end of the day, it’s still an interview. However, when you log onto your computer for a virtual interview, you’re entering hostile territory. One where WiFi outages, loss of audio and broken web cameras are all conspiring against you.

They don’t want to see you win, and chances are if you haven’t done the pre work to make sure all of your hardware works, you’re in trouble. Remember Murphy’s law.

“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

To lower the chances of this, check and then double check everything you’ll be using for the interview. This might mean logging onto the platform you’ll be using to interview earlier than you normally would, but a little forethought can save you a world of headache.

Tip 2: Clear your background of distractions

Not only should you check your hardware for possible bugs and crashes before starting the interview, but you should also consider giving your background a once over too. There are certain platforms that will let you use virtual backgrounds to cover whatever random wall you were planning to interview in front of, but I would recommend against using these. I love pretending I’m on the beach just as much as the next guy, but most GIF backgrounds can be extremely distracting. However, GIF backgrounds aren’t the most distracting backgrounds out there by any stretch.

No, the worst background you can have going into a virtual interview is one that’s cluttered, filled with tawdy wall decorations and just generally “busy.” Look, I love Scarface too, but interviewers don’t want to see all the Al Pacino figurines you’ve collected through the years.

You should be interviewing in front of a plain wall, with maybe a few tasteful framed pictures or certificates hanging up. While interviewing, you want to make sure that all the attention is on you and you only. So whatever background you choose, make sure it’s as plain as possible.

Tip 3: Repeat back the questions you hear

During the course of any virtual interview, you’re bound to utter these four words at least once. “Can you repeat that?” A number of factors can cause this. Perhaps Zoom or Webex is lagging and you didn’t hear the question you were just asked. Or, you know what you’ve been asked, and you’re using this strategy to buy you some time to come up with a meaningful response. Either way, this question is useful. And it’s the first step to a two pronged strategy that will help you shine in the eyes of your interviewers.

The second prong of this approach is relatively simple. Once you’ve received confirmation on what you’re being asked, use the question to form your answer. If you’re being asked to tell your interviews about a time where you failed, then literally start your response by saying something like “A time when I failed was…”

Doing this will allow you to keep your answer focused. You’ll find that you’re particularly susceptible to going on tangents during most virtual interviews. So when you start your answer by essentially saying here’s what I have been asked and here’s how I’m going to answer you’re also sending implicit instructions to your brain to help you formulate a concise response.

Tip 4: Be cognizant of time

This is arguably the most important tip I’ll mention in this piece. It doesn’t have anything to do with what you need to say in your interview, how you should dress or any of that. Instead, it has to do with time, and how you’ll use it before and during your interview.

Before your interview, you should make sure that you’re logged on to the platform you’ll be using at least ten minutes prior to its start. Doing so helps to send the message that you’re serious about this new job prospect, and that you’ll be respectful of deadlines should your employers decide to hire you.

During the interview, you should keep your answers short and avoid being too verbose. A good rule of thumb is to start wrapping your answer up once your interviewer stops taking notes. Once they’ve stopped note taking, they’ve already determined how valuable your response is or isn’t. Meaning it’s time for you to wrap it up.

Going into virtual interviews is like entering an arena with a raging bull. In order to be successful you have to stay vigilant, feign, duck, dodge and plow your way to success. It won’t be easy. But it’s certainly doable.