Online job interview

Even with an online interview, it's important to be relaxed and calm. Nerves are part of the job interview, of course, but by ensuring you've prepared well and tested the technology thoroughly, you can alleviate a significant amount of tension. What's important, besides general interview preparation, when preparing for an online interview?

• Ask if there’s a manual for the tool they’ll be using for the interview and if there’s an opportunity to test the tool with someone from the company. This way, you can go into the interview with confidence.
• Ask who will be present at the video call and who will be the ‘moderator’ or ‘host ’if applicable.
• Practice the interview! This is no different than for a regular job interview. Use the STARR method, for example, and make a list of questions you want to ask your employer and have them in front of you. You’re making your first impression on a computer screen, so practicing is important! Also ask a friend for feedback on how you come across on a camera.

We can't stress this enough but test the technology beforehand! There are various software options for video calling, including: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Jitsi, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Talky, Google Duo, Google Hangouts, Google Teams, Google Meet, Cammio, Whereby of Pexip. You can use a laptop, smartphone or tablet for video calling.

It is important that you take the following elements into account:

• Can you have a conversation without interruption?
  • A good Wi-Fi connection or fast 4G/5G network on your phone is crucial. If you’re having the conversation on your laptop, you might consider connecting your laptop with a network cable.
  • Can no one just walk in?
• Close all unnecessary programmes on your laptop or phone and turn off all notifications.
• Make sure your battery is full or your device is connected to the mains via a socket.

Before the interview can begin, it is important to pay attention to your posture, the lighting and the sound. How do you ensure you look presentable and that the sound is good?

• Sit in a quiet environment, avoiding background music, busy traffic noise, playing children or barking dogs.
• Sit on a chair without wheels to prevent you from drifting across the screen.
• Also, arrive on time for online meetings. Make sure you are online a little early. This way the other person will see you’re already waiting and will admit you to the meeting once everyone is present.
• Position your camera at eye level so your face is centrally visible. For example, place a few books under your laptop or mount your phone on a tripod. It’s important that you look directly into the camera.
• Place a photo of the person you are meeting behind the webcam to make it easier to look them in the eye.
• Make sure your webcam cannot move for example, don’t hold your laptop / tablet on your lap or in your hand, but place it on a table.
• Preferably use daylight, otherwise, a good lamp. It’s important that your face is clearly visible and that no shadows arse cast on it.
• Also, make sure you’re not sitting with your back to a window. Backlight will only reveal a shadow of you.
• Ensure a calm background and neat clothing without a busy pattern. If the background comes to busy, you can, for example, remove paintings. All focus should be on you, and your interviewer shouldn’t be distracted by the surroundings. But also remember that the background says something about you as a person and should therefore suit you. Laundry baskets or an unmade bed might not be the best option. Some video tools also offer the option of blurring the background.
• To avoid any noise, you can put on earphones or headphones.
   

• Make sure you look neat even during an online interview. Even though it’s online, it’s still a job interview.
• Make eye contact when entering (online). Look into the camera and smile. This creates a good first impression.
• Ask in advance what happens if the connection is disconnected. Make agreements about this.: who will call whom or send someone a text message, for example?
• Also ask what happens if yours or the other person’s camera or sound stops working. Hoe do you solve this?
• Even in an online interview, ensure you appear spontaneous. With a video interview, it can be tempting to use a ‘cheat sheet’. This is fine but only write down key words on the sheet and don’t read the answers aloud. So, make sure you don’t keep your head down the entire time.
• Don’t take notes on your computer, as typing on the keyboard can be distracting.  Instead, take notes with a pen and paper.
• Look directly into the camera! It might feel unnatural, but this way you’ll establish eye contact with your potential future employer.
• Vary your gaze: screen versus lens. This creates a dynamic and more authentic look.
• Also pay attention to your posture. Besides making eye contact, it’s important to include your arms and hands occasionally, and gestures can certainly be helpful in emphasizing your message.
• When you’re having an online conversation, it’s important to mention things, otherwise the other person might miss them:
  • So, mention it when you’re looking at your questionnaire or notes: “I’m looking at my questionnaire”
  • Repeat the interviewer's question and mention that you think about it
  • Mention your enthusiasm, don’t just assume it’s reflected on your face.
• Also consider facial expressions, movement, and energy. These can be exaggerated a bit, so they come across “on camera”.
• Ask about the onboarding options, assuming you will get the job: will it be entirely online or will you also be required to be on-site?
• Ask if a follow-up interview will also be online.
• As an applicant, ask about the possibilities for obtaining more information about the position, workplace, atmosphere, and culture of the organisation / team. This will likely be less effective during an online interview.
  This can take to form of: written text, photos, videos, e-tours, online meetings with teammate or one-on-one meetings on-site. As an applicant you might fin dit difficult to ask this question, so feel free to preface your question with something like “I want to make a well-considered decision about this career step, so I need a little more information / feeling…”
• After the interview, make sure the connection has really been broken before you tell anyone around you about your job interview.

With all these tips in mind, you will be prepared for the online interview!