How To Prepare For A Remote Interview

So, you’ve submitted your resume and cover letter and received interest. First off–congrats! Your hard work has already paid off. But now they want an interview. And not just any interview–a remote interview!

If you’ve worked from home before, this should be no surprise. But if a remote interview is entirely new to you, it’s important to understand the unique challenges so you can best prepare. From dealing with technical equipment to coming across professional when speaking, learn how to prepare for a remote interview to make a good impression and get an official offer!

Dress For Success

Dress the part and make an excellent first impression, especially if it’s a video interview. If it helps you feel confident, invest in some slimming shapewear or go get a manicure.

Not only does professional attire make you appear polished in the eyes of the interviewer, but it offers a boost of self-esteem. With the right power suit, you can absolutely rock a remote interview! Even if it’s a phone interview and you’re the only one who sees it!

Clean Your Office Space

As you prepare for a remote interview, be sure to address your office space. Clean your desk and put away any distracting clutter like stacked files and yesterday’s coffee mug. Otherwise, you might come across as unkempt and disorganized.

Also, be sure to check the background area that will be visible in a video interview. Rotate your office chair and take notice of items that may be distracting to your interviewer, too. If you can visibly see the dust on a nearby bookshelf, wipe the area down and make it look more presentable. Be discerning and ask yourself if anything might be objectionable, taking it down just in case.

Find Good Lighting

Video interviews need good lighting to ensure each person can see one another. Do a test run with your webcam and see how dim or blown out the video becomes. If it’s too dark, consider opening curtains for some natural sunlight or placing and turning on a lamp directly behind the camera. If the video is blown out and too bright, maybe close the blinds a bit, directing the lighting upward toward the ceiling for more even distribution.

Invest In High-Quality Equipment

Many remote interviews are held for remote employees, which means if you get the job, you might be having more video conference calls and one-on-one chats with colleagues. So why not invest in some high-quality equipment to start out right? After all, there’s nothing like a low-quality microphone that cuts in and out to ruin an interview. Instead, find a decent webcam and headphone set that can keep you on top of your game–always! And test your equipment before each remote interview.

Turn Off Notifications

Phone, social media or otherwise–turn off any notifications that might distract you or throw you off your game during a remote interview. Silence your phone or even leave it in another room entirely. Close any software on your computer, too.

Keep Pets And Children Away

Make sure your family knows the time and place of your remote interview. Ask them to give you some quiet time. Have your partner or spouse take the kids for a walk or just keep them preoccupied. For pets, make sure they have something to keep them distracted, too, like a treat or new toy in another room. If you can, close the door to the room where the interview is being conducted.

’Arrive’ Early

Make sure to give yourself enough time to arrive early and get set up. You never know whether your internet router might need rebooting or your equipment might need to be connected again. Arrive approximately 10 minutes early to give yourself, at the very least, time to breathe and relax. The last thing you want is to arrive at a remote interview sounding rushed, frantic or out of breath.

Make Eye To Eye Contact

Remote interviews that involve videos offer an advantage: Being able to see and read each other’s body language. And eye to eye contact can be extremely powerful. However, unlike an in-person interview, a video interview is distracting, especially if you are not used to seeing yourself on-screen.

To avoid looking flighty to your interviewer and staring at everything, use the sticky note trick instead. Place a sticky note beneath the webcam to guide your attention. Another way you can use sticky notes is by placing them over yourself on screen, showing only your interviewer. This can prevent you from looking at yourself and checking your outfit or hair, etc.

Keep Your Resume Close At Hand

Keep a hard copy of your resume close at hand. Think of it this way: It’s one less tab you’ll have to transition to during a remote interview. When you have multiple screens to juggle, it can take your attention away from interview questions, among other things. Plus, like losing the internet, anything could happen. Your computer could freeze or any number of other technical difficulties could occur.

Keep A Notepad

Instead of using your keyboard to take notes during your remote interview, use a good old-fashioned notepad. One reason is, again, technical glitches do occur. Another, however, is that it prevents annoying click-clack sounds that can overtake the conversation through the speakers.

Now, Go Nail That Remote Interview!

A little preparation goes a long way. While it may take more time to prepare than it would to drive to an office building and meet face to face, remote interviews do have their advantages. Sitting in your own home can offer some comfort and allow you to relax. It can also allow you to be in your element.

Ready for your remote interview? Whether it’s by speakerphone or a full on-screen video, you’ll be sure to impress with these steps and tricks. Start practicing today and nail your next remote interview!