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Job interviews are a challenge for most candidates. Nor are they the center of attention on managers’ busiest days. This could be one of the reasons why so many recruiters ask the same questions.
When I was a recruiter, corporations conducted the first interviews virtually, even for local candidates. Today, you will most likely have several virtual interviews before meeting someone face-to-face.
One way to increase your chances of making it to the next interview or receiving an offer is to do some research ahead of time.
Check out their corporate page and LinkedIn. Learn more by visiting the company’s social media accounts.
Review LinkedIn profiles and search for biographies on the company’s website. Look for commonalities, such as attending college.
Check salary levels on sites like Salary. com or Glassdoor. Visit the Job Outlook Handbook, a publication of the Ministry of Labor, for information such as educational needs and average wages in thousands of jobs.
Set up loose Google alerts for businesses and get alerts straight to your inbox.
Always check your device (camera, microphone and lights, if applicable) at least one day in advance. Make sure you have a solid connection and a calm position without distractions for your conversation.
Also, be aware of your background. While you don’t want to look like a table in Suite C, you want to be blank and uncluttered. If this is possible, try blurring your background.
If you are using a virtual background, use a green screen. Otherwise, your symbol might pixelate, which might seem a bit strange.
Dress as you would for an in-person meeting. While the professionals upstairs and pajamas below can paint for virtual meetings, you don’t have to be embarrassed if you have to get up to close a door or adjust your camera.
During the interview, look at your camera. While it’s easier to look at the user you’re talking to, the camera lens will help you identify a better connection. Putting a note displayed with a smiley face just below the camera lens is a simple way to stay in focus.
Talk obviously and smile. Studies have shown that other people can hear a smile on the phone because smiling affects the way we talk. If this shows up on the phone, it makes a difference in video interviews.
Show interest through thoughtful questions about the company, the position, the hiring manager’s expectations of you in the first 30 days, etc.
Create a date by writing down commonalities such as schools and universities, hobbies, volunteer work, or reasons why you discovered your initial search.
Keep your resume and note-taking pen and paper handy. Do not type on your keyboard, as the interviewer will hear you.
Most career professionals recommend practicing their interviewing techniques. This doesn’t mean memorizing answers, which can make you feel like you’ve been repeated. This means preparing stories that demonstrate skills applicable to the position and scheduling mock interviews with a friend or coach.
LinkedIn interview preparation can be a useful tool for task seekers. It allows you to answer common interview questions and get quick feedback on synthetic intelligence (AI).
To use this feature, on the desktop, click the Jobs tab in the main LinkedIn menu and scroll down in the left column to Interview Preparation. You’ll find a list of common interview questions, including:
•Tell me about yourself.
• Why do we rent to you?
• Why do you do paintings here?
• Why are you leaving your current position?
• Describe your most complicated project.
LinkedIn will offer the option to answer questions through a video or a written response. It will also offer instant AI feedback on video responses and the ability to get feedback privately. Video responses can be sent to any of your first-degree contacts.
Wherever you are in the task search process, be positive. Despite the laws, there is discrimination. Some corporations will think you’re too old or too young or whatever. But if you go to an interview expecting discrimination, you’ll probably see it, even if it’s not there.
He never denigrates his former employers, even if they are the embodiment of Darth Vader. Employers may wonder if the challenge is yours and what you’ll say about it when you leave.
The thing is, no one paints themselves with a negative person.
So, before your next virtual interview, do some studies about the corporate and other people’s meeting. Prepare and dress as if you are going to meet in person. And stay positive, because attitude matters.
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