Tips

12 TIPS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR A REMOTE INTERVIEW

 

Experiencing an epiphany that getting a revert from the company is not as nerve-wracking as having an interview being scheduled. Initially the whole fuss is about having the CV up to the mark, error free, accurate, with a presentable cover letter but right when all these efforts pay off you know the kind of the drill you are about to face. The traditional way of interviewing has made us a little comfortable and prepared for what may come but remote interviews feel so different. The constant contemplation about having so much to take care of, from ambience to the network connection, time difference to silent room in your house, you have to get these things on point to have a seamless interview. 

Virtual interviews are not any less than a strict professional interview, no matter if you give it from your home. In fact, it does get a little tricky about managing a whole lot of things together so we thought to list down the amount of things that will need your attention before you go out and crack your remote interview effortlessly. Grab yourself a pen and paper because you might want to make a checklist for your upcoming interview and have it all ticked off right before you sit down for one!

1.Pick the right ambience and network zone. 

It doesn’t come to surprise that this is ought to be the very first to-do for having a virtual interview lined up. Ensure a neat ambience, with good lights, clean background and most importantly A GOOD NETWORK ZONE. How your ambience looks will have a lot of talk about the kind of surrounding you are going to perform your job in. So even if you have your workplace shabby and that’s how you work around, choose to wind it up for a day and show a neat and tidy room. And needless to mention, remote interviews obviously need a good network so pick the best corner in your room with highest connectivity and run your interview from there.

2. Track the time difference. 

Last but not the least, DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK THE TIME DIFFERENCE. We are habitual to following our time schedule, that we can make the silliest mistake of not tracking the time difference. If you have a remote interview lined up with a foreign company please make sure you check the time difference in comparison to your company and choose to be at least 20-30 minutes prior to the decided interview time. It’s best to wait for the interviewer to join the call rather than you joining the call after the interviewer has. These small impressions can go a long way so secure yourself there.

 

 

 

3. Ace your one way Interviews.  

One way Interviews are basically a type of interview where you’ll be provided with a set of interview questions that you have to respond to in a video format. The interviewers evaluate your personality and gain behavioural insights via them. You can place your device with the help of a tripod stand or make a stable support (by piling up books to desired height) and start recording yourself. Ensure that your upper half of the body is visible and your face doesn’t occupy most part of the screen, as it may make the evaluation difficult. If you think you are uncomfortable recording yourself alone, choose a person you are comfortable with to record your video interview. Make sure you look into the camera and not anywhere on the screen. Avoid touching your hair, your face as it can be taken as an indication of nervousness. Practice it like it’s just an in-person interview and record it with confidence.

4. Research about the interviewer. 

If you are informed in advance about who is going to interview you, it’s best to do research on the respective interviewer. Learn about the role the interviewer plays in the organisation, go on their website and study about their contribution in the organisation. If the person is a CEO or MD and if it’s a well based organisation, google about these people. You can also look up on linkedin and check out the interviewers profile, what role he/she plays in the organisation and their professional history. It’s best to have an understanding about the individual as it may make your conversation a lot more smoother from all the knowledge you’ve bagged about them.

5. Do your research on the company. 

A little research will help you go a long way and help the organisation see your dedication towards them. Mention the things you have studied about them on their website, on their social media portals. Make them aware that you have a fair share of knowledge about the company, who it is managed by, their business modules, what tasks they’ve performed, what has impressed you about the organisation and why you are inclined towards their company. This will reflect your budding interest in the organisation you wish to be a part of and your abilities to do a good amount of research as well. Check out the companies that are on board with Gorewo to schedule an interview for yourself.

6. Pick your formals right. 

Although the meeting is not held in its traditional style doesn’t mean you get comfortable with how you present yourself in it. There are jokes and memes going around about only wearing shirts on video interviews and PJs in the bottoms. Not a lot can go wrong if the meeting goes alright, but if at all you have to leave your seat to grab something in the middle of the meeting, it is going to be really embarrassing. So either make sure you have all the possible things that you require around you or just play safe by picking the best yet comfortable set of formals for yourself.

7. Beware of the lags. 

Since network issues come unexpected, you stay prepared for lags during the meet. Make sure you take necessary pauses before you speak to make sure the interviewer is done speaking. This way you can have a seamless conversation with the interviewer without missing any specifics or seeming like you are interrupting one another. This tactic can also be applied in the longer run when you are holding group meets to perform tasks remotely. It is also believed to be a great habit that will sharpen your listening skills better.

8. Recheck your devices before the interview.  

Do all the test calls in the world that are needed to ensure great connectivity and that your devices are performing well. If your interview is going to be conducted via laptop or even mobile phone, make sure it is charged well. Keep a charger handy. Test your microphone and the audible range for avoiding last minute stress. Have another microphone handy in case the existing ones act up. We surely rely on technology and it is designed for easing out our work but it’s for the best that you check it thoroughly before relying on these devices completely.

 

 

9. Ensure 0 interruptions. 

Families being families are bound to interrupt or walk in on you without realising that you have an important interview going. They might forget or just have something important to say anyway, so check in with them and have all the important tasks in place before you get on the interview call. Try locking your door, if you have kids at home, have them handled by the person they like the most so that weeds out the possibility that they might cry or seek for your attention. Remind everybody half an hour before your interview that you have an important meeting lined up so they don’t forget under any circumstance. Having a noise cancellation device will help you eliminate the further possibilities as well. 

10. Be confident and have the essentials handy. 

Just because the interview will be held on a phone call or on a video call doesn’t mean that the interviewer won’t be able to gauge if you are under confident. You can hide your hands or legs trembling but the way you speak will be easily noted by the interviewer. Besides there is no reason for you to be under confident. Just be well versed with your abilities and own up to them, feel free to admit not knowing something in an interview rather than stressing out or acting awkward. This will reflect your honesty as well as your knack to learn about unknown things rather than being pretentious. Alongside this, have a book and a pen, a bottle of water, chargers, extra pens, ready. Make sure you don’t run out of things on a phone call otherwise your attention will be diverted into finding other things. 

11. Pose to be a reliable candidate. 

What we mean by this is that you express your abilities to perform relevant tasks. Don’t hesitate to share stories from previous experiences and how you managed to tackle the situation. When interviewers suggest hypothetical issues and how you’d tackle it, be proactive with your replies. Even if you think it’s not the best solution, go ahead with it. Ensure dedication and commitment to the company and be wise with what you choose to speak before the interviewer. While sharing stories of previous companies, make sure you don’t share confidential details of the previous company as they may form a very unethical impression of you in the company’s eye.

12. Speak of pros about remote work. 

Make sure that you mention the pros of remote working and what made you choose remote work. Actively share about how you plan to maximise efficiency, about hacks to ease out workload and so on when asked. Have your answers ready when asked Why remote working? Do make sure that you have a list of things with you which helps you answer why and how so it in return also ensures the company that you are prepared for this position.

One great thing about remote work is that your surroundings are under your control so you can do your best to make it comfortable for yourself. Make utmost advantage of this benefit and make sure to have everything in place. Have your backups ready, a back up device, a back up connection, microphone, and anything else that can possibly act up during an interview. It's best to go an extra mile to have a perfect interview rather than feeling embarrassed and regretting silly slip ups. Have a smile on your face at all times and have a warm personality so that the interviewer enjoys interviewing as much as you’d enjoy the conversation. Make it light-hearted, fun and crisp. And now that we see that you feel secured and enlightened enough to crack your remote interviews with these video interview tips, we would like you all to check Gorewo job listings to get yourself an interview lined up. We wish to see you go a long way with your career so all the best!