How to Impress in a Virtual Interview

A virtual interview may not seem so different to an in-person meeting, but there are still several things that candidates should remember. 

Follow these basic rules and give yourself every chance to impress.

Do’s

Prepare the tech beforehand. Everyone is used to virtual meetings by now, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check your broadband signal and ensure that your device has plenty of battery. Write the login/password down on a piece of paper, just in case.

Prepare to answer typical interview questions. The content of a virtual interview will not differ significantly from an in-person interview. Your preparation should be similar. If anything, you should be even more on the ball as the virtual interview may be recorded.

Speak slower than you think you should. When you are not in a room with someone, they will miss out on the facial expressions and shifts in body language that help to add context to what you are saying. Speaking slightly more clearly will make up for this.

Ask for clarification if anything is unclear. It is entirely acceptable to ask an interviewer to repeat a question if there was a glitch in the signal or something unintelligible. Better this than offering a wholly different answer to what was required.

Be personable and prioritise eye contact. Confidence and competence are often linked. If you are not making eye contact because you are unsure of yourself in the situation, doubts may arise about your people skills. Make a big effort to be friendly and warm.

Write down thoughts and questions. Having a piece of paper out of the video shot but near enough for you to write on is a great way of creating prompts. You may even choose to have a pre-prepared list of things you wish to cover.

Dont’s

Wear a bright or garish outfit. When you take up most of the screen, the interviewer will have nowhere else to look. Contrary to popular belief, an outlandish outfit does not say anything about your personality. It merely acts as a distraction to what matters.

Be too early for the call. Being 10 minutes early for a work meeting is acceptable. You may interrupt the interview beforehand if you are that early (if an inexperienced manager uses the same meeting code). One or two minutes early is fine. 

Be confused by time zones. Do not assume that you know the time zone of an international interviewer. Double-check by Googling “current time in X city.” Attention to detail is critical in many roles – not checking this is inexcusable. Virtual video call basics.

Give long-winded answers. It is harder to pick up on the “okay, let’s move on” cues from an interviewer during a virtual interview, so keep your answers short. Vary your tone of voice and pause regularly. Make sure that you listen as much as you talk.

Forget to tell your family/housemates about the call. Unwelcome interruptions are guaranteed if you do not inform those you live with about the call. Choose a quiet space that will ensure that you are undisturbed.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).