What you should and shouldn't do when interviewing online. Here are some tips on how to better tell yourself and get the job during an online job interview:
The coronavirus has almost radically changed our lives. However, it enabled us to develop different approaches to many things. For example; Due to the coronavirus, the business area was badly injured and job interviews were reduced. As a solution to this, the online job interview approach emerged. But many people either don't take online job interviews seriously, don't check interview questions or they can't get used to it. As such, negative consequences are inevitable. In order to prevent this situation, we did a little research and found the points to be considered.
1. Do not relax during the online job interview, the standard rules still apply
Just because you're interviewing online doesn't mean you can relax. Even in a job interview with video, the choice of clothes is very important. Dress a bit above the typical attire of the company you're interviewing for. So if office culture prefers collared shirts, don't miss it, but also throw a jacket on. "Wear your work shoes," says Adam Sanders, director of Successful Release, which helps criminals find work after re-entering the community.
Also, clothes with stripes and intricate patterns look awful in the video. So make sure you wear solid colored clothes.
2. Eliminate distractions
During an online job interview, close the doors and windows in your room and the television that is on in any room. Mute your mobile phone. Life coach Tom Marino says, “Make sure the only window open on your computer screen is the video platform you're using. Mute all pop-ups. The last thing you want is distraction.” says.
3. Remove pets and children from the job interview room
Oh, aren't there dogs barking and meowing cats all the time during a job? Be sure, they will haunt you when you do an online job interview. Matthew Ross, COO of Slumber Yard, which has a remote staff and an online mattress review site, says, "I can't stand it when the dogs start barking in the background. This shows me that the candidate did not take the interview seriously. After all, you wouldn't be taking your dog to a job interview at the office, so apply the same approach to online interviews." says.
4. Find a clean and tidy background
The pros emphatically say that you should pay more attention to your background than any other tip. A bedroom with a messy bed, an untidy home office, a dirty kitchen table… These all provide information about you during the online job interview, but rest assured, they are all against you. While this is unprofessional, it means that the other party cannot pay attention to you as they analyze your background clutter.
Your best bet would be to stand on a completely blank background that doesn't clash with your shirt. Michelle Vitus, CEO of Slate Advisers, a career coaching firm, says, "If you're having trouble finding a professional floor, try installing a folding table near a neutral wall or corner." she says. However, it is good to keep some distance. TV producer and media educator Karen Ripenburg says, “Never lean against the wall. Leave at least 1 meter of space between the back of your head and the wall so you don't merge with the background. This space you leave will make you look a lot more confident and not feel like you're stuck.” she says.
5. Sit in a chair that is absolutely the right height
Sitting on a couch or a large armchair with your slouched hunched during an online job interview negatively affects your charisma. “Don't sit in a chair with the back so high that it's at head level,” Ripenburg says. Definitely use a chair that doesn't squeak when you move and isn't too high in the back.” she says.
6. Conduct an online job interview in ideal lighting
It's very difficult to get the perfect lighting when making online calls at home, but it's worth a try. Here are some tips to help you achieve the ideal lighting for you:
In general, get plenty of light, but be careful not to have too much light to glare the glasses.
If you can, place two lights in front of you at a diagonal angle, one slightly to your right and one slightly to your left. Table lamps will be very useful in this regard.
Use natural light as much as possible.
Make sure that there is no light coming from behind you. This will make you barely visible on camera.
7. Prioritize the camera over the screen
While this tip may sound counterintuitive, it is much more important that the other person you are interviewing with can see you clearly. That means you should prioritize the device with the best camera, not the best screen. For example, the HP all-in-one desktop has a nice 23-inch screen, but the built-in webcam is a bad 1-megapixel model. If your phone has a better front camera than a computer. Making a phone call would be a much better choice.
8. Test your equipment
Open an account in the service used by the person you will interview online and download the necessary software. Install a backup copy of the software on a second device (for example, both your phone and laptop) in case one device fails. Now experiment with a friend on both devices to make sure the audio and video are working and your lighting is as good as possible. Test your headphones and have a spare pair on hand. Test everything again on the day of the interview. Because many computers can reset the default camera and microphone settings, leave the screen blank, or mute the sound when restarted. This will cause you to waste time and get caught unprepared.
9. Check the time zone
If you are going to have an online job interview with a company in another country, be sure to check the time zone. This may cause you to get a big surprise or miss the meeting. Also consider the possibility of the other party forgetting their time zone and be prepared.
10. Look at the camera during the call
This action may take some practice, but during an online job interview you should look at the camera as much as possible rather than the image of the other person. Looking into the camera will get you pretty close to making eye contact with the interviewer. However, looking at the screen makes it seem as if you are looking into space in the eyes of the other party. Since the screen of the phone is small, this situation is less common during phone calls. If you are making your online call on a laptop, you can cheat by reducing the size of the video conferencing application's window and placing it as close to where the webcam is located as possible. You can also raise the computer to eye level by placing a book or box under the computer. So you can look straight at the camera without leaning or tilting it.
11. Use headphones
It's nice that the person you're interviewing with can see you clearly, but if they can't hear you, you're screwed. Ripenburg said, “People can forgive the bad image, but the bad audio will shake up the conversation. Your interviewers would prefer you use headphones rather than your laptop's built-in speakers. Because the sound quality of the built-in speakers can be poor. This will ruin the meeting.” says.
Of course, be careful to use headphones suitable for calls instead of gaming headphones.
12. Practice
You can record your conversation with systems such as Zoom. You can use this to practice before the interview. You can search about "interview questions and answers", "How do I prepare for an online interview" or "behavioral interview" on Google. Nicolle Merrill, a former career coach at Yale School of Management, says, “Before you start an interview, record yourself talking about what you have to say in the interview.” says.
Then review the recording and see your shortcomings and improve.
13. Be enthusiastic and energetic
Anh Trinh, managing editor of GeekWithLaptop, which has a staff that works remotely, says, “When you're in a closed space for a long time, it's hard to answer questions in a cheerful and energetic way. We interviewers can see how tired and unwilling you are to be interviewed, which gives us negative thoughts about you. Some of the things we look for in any recruiting are energy and enthusiasm. Therefore, even if you are not energetic and enthusiastic, you should pretend to be.” says.
Try a little jumping or jogging before your interview to help boost your energy levels and calm your nerves for an online job interview.
14. Write down the necessary topics and put them where you can see them
Remember that your online job interviewer can't see many things around you, so use your interview space to your advantage. Write things like questions and notes on sticky notes and paste them directly on the screen or on the wall behind your camera. Remember, the interviewer on the other side will never know what you did.
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