As more and more professionals are being hired to work from home, remote interviews are becoming increasingly common. Job interviews can be stressful under the best of conditions, but being in a different room than your interviewer creates new challenges. What challenges do you experience when interviewing virtually?
Check out our tips below to help you ace the remote interview and land the job!
- Use Body Language to Make an Impression: Nonverbal communication is a great tool to help you stand out from the crowd. Smile and use gestures when speaking to appear enthusiastic and pleasant. When listening, nod thoughtfully to show you are engaged. Finally, don’t forget to sit up straight; slouching will make you seem unprofessional, sloppy, and overly casual.
- Preparation is Key: In addition to the homework you should do before any job interview (i.e., researching the company culture, preparing answers to common interview questions), you should also think about how to answer questions related to working remotely. For example: Have you ever worked remotely before? How will you engage with your team virtually? What do you feel are the greatest challenges about working from home and how will you overcome them?
- Punctuality Still Matters: Keeping your interviewer waiting is the easiest way to make a bad impression. Aim to be seated at your computer at least ten minutes before your interview is scheduled so that you have time to check your technology and compose yourself. “Arrive” at the interview (i.e., click the link sent to you) about one to two minutes before the scheduled start time.
- Pausing is More Important Than Ever: When answering interview questions, insert short, strategic pauses into your speech. Pausing can help slow you down and keep your message clear and easy to understand. This is especially important in remote communication, since lags and audio overlap can make speech harder to understand. Pausing also helps to project an image of confidence and professionalism, and gives your interviewer time to digest your message as you speak.
Do you want to discuss your challenges with me? Please don’t hesitate to share in the comments or reach out directly.
If you are looking to polish your communication skills be sure to pick up a free copy of my e-book “Communicate with Clarity and Confidence!” by subscribing to our newsletter community on our website. For additional information call us at 212-308-7725 or send us an e-mail at jayne@corporatespeechsolutions.com to learn more. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!
© 2020, Corporate Speech Solutions of New York City and Long Island – All Rights Reserved