Pre-check For Your Successful Virtual Interview

The recent coronavirus epidemic has spread telework to all businesses in the world, and its anticipated that telework will continue to be the norm in the future.

This time, I would like to talk about “Virtual Interview,” which is a quite different from face-to-face interview.

The basic interview preparation procedure was explained in my previous blog,  it is also important to do a thorough self-analysis and information gathering “pre-interview preparation” for web interviews as well.

Virtual interviews have the advantage of saving you time and transportation costs since you don’t have to visit the company in person. However, I have recently heard many people say that they are good at face-to-face interviews but not so good at web interviews. Understanding the difference between face-to-face interviews and virtual interviews can help you overcome your weakness.

For a face-to-face interview, you can directly feel the other person’s mood and communicate by reading their facial expressions, whereas in a virtual interview, it is difficult to get an impression of the other person and their facial expressions through the camera. This makes it difficult to convey the interviewer’s facial expressions, and you may not be able to communicate well and answer the interviewer’s questions accurately. If you are uncomfortable with speaking on the web, one way to get used to speaking on the web is to practice with a friend or family member on a video phone. It is also a good idea to get advice on eye contact and how to project yourself on the web, you can also practice with your recruitment consultant if your using one.

In a face-to-face interview, your body gestures and your mood can be conveyed, but in a virtual interview, your impression is determined by your expression and voice on the screen. As you can’t see them in person, the tone of your voice and facial expressions are very important in a virtual interview, so practice in front of a mirror and practice your facial expressions. The tone of your voice should be lower than usual, and you should try to speak slowly and carefully.

Interviews often make you nervous, so knowing the best facial expressions that will give you a good impression from others. It is recommended that you have a soft expression with a slight smile on your face.

And since you won’t be able to meet the person in person, remember to use polite words, greetings, and thanks.

As in a normal interview, make sure you start the application five minutes before so that you can start the interview calmly and without being late, additionally there is often small technical problems and this will give some time in such an event.

Even if something goes wrong during the interview, if you tell the problem properly, apologize, and show that you have the skills to handle the situation, the interviewer will feel that you are a candidate who can handle negative situations and it may not be that much of a negative point in the interview.

The following are items that you should check the day before the interview.

• First, make sure about your computer’s internet connection.
• Charge your computer the day before.
• Make sure your computer’s camera and microphone are in good working condition. Many computers have built-in microphones, but we recommend that you prepare earphones with microphones (simple ones) so that you can block out external noise and get clearer audio. It is also necessary to check the position of the camera beforehand. Check your line of sight and how you are being projected in advance (if you want to make eye contact with interviewer, look at the camera not the person ). One of the most common problems these days is that if you are using wireless earphones, make sure that Bluetooth is not disabled and where it is connected.
• Check the apps you use, currently the most popular apps are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Cisco Webex.
• Avoid noise problems and pet noises as much as possible. If you live with your family, let them know about the web interview beforehand.
• If the background is too dark, it tends to darken your impression as well. Choose a light color. If you don’t want to show your background, use the background composite function.
• Wear a suit, even if it is a virtual interview. Make sure your hair and makeup are professional looking.
• Have your resume and CV , writing implement so that you can quickly take notes if you need to.

Good luck.