Virtual Interview Tips

Apr 11, 2022

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Now more than ever, interviews happen in the virtual space so we’re bringing you virtual interview tips that will help you get hired. And virtual interviews are not going away, that much we know!

We will focus on the virtual experience with a brief mention of other topics, too.

So, let’s dive right into it!

Setting up your space for a virtual interview

Just because people are not physically present in your room doesn’t mean clutter is ok. So, our first tip for your virtual interview is: clean and organize your room. Make sure there’s a nice clean background, and don’t rely on virtual backgrounds.

When we’re talking about space, it’s also important to adjust your computer, camera and chair so you can be seen while staying comfortable. On your desk, it’s best to have nothing so you don’t knock something over if you get into gesticulating. However, it would be wise to have a bottle of water nearby!

Technical set-up

If you want to have a smooth virtual interview experience, make sure that your laptop is fully charged or plugged in to avoid losing power.

Connect your headphones and microphone and test it before the virtual interview.

Make sure your camera is working.

Give yourself enough time to join the meeting – prepare everything 5 minutes ahead.

Close all windows on your computer that may slow it down. However, if you have a 2^nd screen, we would recommend keeping your CV open, as well as the job ad.

The ultimate tip for a virtual interview

Virtual interviews can be awkward, but to avoid it, you need to look at your camera and not at your screen. While the interviewer is speaking, you can look down at your screen to try and “read” them, but when you’re answering a question, try to look into the camera only. This is the equivalent of looking them in the eyes while talking to them in person.

Job interview tips

Those three tips are very virtual interview-specific, but we’ll cover a few more tips that refer to any job interview.

For example:

dress comfortably (business casual is the way to go)
know your CV by heart so there are no surprise questions/comments
study the job ad, so you’re comfortable discussing any point
do your research on the company and interviewers (if possible)
when answering questions, try to link your experience with the job ad
take your time and stay calm
don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify the question

In the end, we’re all just people, regardless of the titles! If you need to take a moment to gather your thoughts, it’s not the end of the world. If your camera is not working even though you’ve checked it and everything is fine, it’s not the end of the world. You can ask to reschedule or see if they’re ok to proceed as it is. If you hear a doorbell and need to excuse yourself, that is also fine. Remember, some things are out of your control.

What you can control is how you prepare for a job interview, and we have loads of free advice here. If you need support, you can always book a job interview coaching session right here.

And if your issue is not getting any job interviews, maybe you should look into getting your CV professionally written. Check out our services here. And, lastly, if you want to do it yourself, you should get our step-by-step CV writing guide here that will teach you how to write a CV that brings results. Just follow the principles outlined in the book and see how your job search is transformed.

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