How To Prepare for a Virtual Interview
Pssst! Check out HBR’s Eight Tips For Conducting A Great Remote Interview, by Rae Ringel.
Before the interview, RESEARCH the company
You have fully researched the company in depth.
Find four things about the company - tell them why those four things appeal to you. Values? Expanding in innovation and you are passionate about that…
You know who your interviewer(s) are.
PREP like this...
1. Test audio and camera.
2. Elevate your laptop to avoid staring down into the camera.
3. Dress professionally.
4. Position yourself at a table, against a plain, neutral background.
5. Check the lighting in the room.
6. Close all other applications on your laptop.
7. Silence your cell phone, and disable vibration.
8. Have a copy of your resume at hand.
9. Attach post-its around the laptop screen with prompts + questions you wish to ask the interviewer.
10. Exclude kids, pets etc from the room for the duration of the interview.
11. Have pen and paper at hand.
12. Have a glass of water next to you.
13. Have the phone number of the interviewer in case video connection is lost.
Look into the camera, not the screen.
That’s the way to ACE a video interview!
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:
Response: 90 seconds spoken or less.
TRANSFERABLE SKILL / COMPETENCY QUESTIONS: Best predictor of future skill and achievement is past skill and achievements
Rehearse it so you can be confident in your response
FORMULA to answer interview questions:
CARL: Context or circumstances (job role and task), Action (how did you execute task), Result (outcome) Learn (as a result of these actions). It is very important to demonstrate your learnings briefly and connect the dots for them. Again, keeping it to 90 seconds or less.
Tell me about yourself.
What do I bring to the table? Demonstrate your value. How does what you’ve done in the past TRANSFER to this position?
Tell me about your weakness.
“Occasionally I am challenged with ____, however over time I’ve learned _____, so with time, I’ve learned to become more _____, _____, and _____.” Don’t repeat word weakness. State it, acknowledge how you compensate or why it’s not an issue. Shut the question down in 30 seconds. Be honest.
Why did you leave?
Do not speak badly of company, colleagues, manager. Want more responsibility, location, career growth opportunities to tell the truth, avoid details
Employment gaps are new normal because of COVID. It’s ok to say family matters. Don’t go into a lot of detail in an interview.
And you will send a “thank you” email within 6-8 hours of the interview.
Thanks to Kristy Bonner for this content.