#25 (Mastering Job Interviews)

Remember, no matter video or in-person, confidence is key and I think personally the #1 way to exude that confidence is having knowledge. Going into the interview so prepared, high hanging slider-type questions seem like four seam fastballs. Research the role, investigate the industry, major players, products/offerings/services, and news. Learn the terminology and respective process impact in this new role. Understand the function your new role would play in the entire operations. Why is there an opening? What pain points do the hiring managers have because of the opening? How can you make their lives easier if they hired you? Understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit. They’re busy people and have regular projects to tend to. This hiring process forces them to stop what they’re doing and focus solely on staffing. Trust me, they’d rather be doing day-to-day stuff. So know that you’re in the room for a reason. They think you could be the right fit. Now convince them of this using your knowledge and confidence.

So now that the big day awaits, you should know to practice. Practice again. Then, practice more.

Get your stories down. Your narratives are vital and not only for the job but for your pay rate!

Pay attention to the industry/competitors and company’s news, and the open role within the industry.

Figure out how you can wow the hiring panel.

Treat it as a traditional interview. Just because you’re not face-to-face with a potential employer doesn’t mean it’s time to throw all your interview rules out the window. A virtual interview might sound like the perfect opportunity to kick back and relax, but in actuality, you have to work even harder to make yourself stand out. You may think you can get away with lounging on your couch and breezing through this interview, but believe it or not, your body language has its way of communicating itself over the Zoom. If you’ve set yourself up like it’s just another lazy Sunday, it’s going to be very difficult to sound engaged and professional. Don’t disregard your traditional interview rules, apply them, plus a little more to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Be prepared. One of the biggest benefits of doing a virtual interview versus a traditional in-person interview is your interviewer won’t know if you’re checking your notes. Be sure to take the appropriate amount of time to research the company and position, and have the necessary documents in front of you during the Zoom call. To ensure you’re prepared, pull up the company website, your resume, the job posting and your application to reference during the call. As a back-up plan, print them out in case your internet goes down or starts running slow.

Find a quiet space. When you’re on a virtual interview, you control the environment around you — which means you need to find an area that is free from noise or distractions. It is best to do a virtual interview while at home; find an area away from pets, kids and other household noises, such as the washing machine or television. Keep in mind that whatever background noise is going on around you, will most likely be heard over the laptop. Remember, because the interviewer is only able to go off what they hear on the laptop, they will be judging. So make sure there is nothing that will hurt your chance of making a good impression.

Set up your space. Before you sit down for the interview ensure your space is organized with anything you may need. Try to find a comfortable desk or table and ensure you have a pen and paper for notes, as computer clacking can be noisy and distracting. On a virtual interview you’re going to be talking a lot, so your mouth may get a little dry. The last thing you want is for the interviewer to hear you getting yourself a glass of water, so come prepared by grabbing one beforehand.

Keep smiling. During a virtual interview between you and your potential employer, it is very challenging to portray emotion or excitement. In a traditional interview, they can see your facial expressions so this can leave you at a disadvantage. Over the laptop, it is your job to ensure they understand the feeling, passion, and energy behind your answers. Smiling, even if no one else sees, sets a vocal tone for that positivity and believe it or not, the interviewer will pick up on it.

Avoid interrupting. Doing an interview over the Zoom can get awkward. You both may start talking at the same time, or you may not realize they weren’t done asking a question. While this is normal, you want to avoid making a habit out of it. If you have questions or need more clarification, wait until the interviewer is finished speaking to ask. If you do accidentally cut someone off, you should apologize, allow them to finish, remind yourself that accidents happen, and just keep it moving.

Think before you speak. When you’re talking over the laptop, you may feel more pressure to answer immediately. If you aren’t sure about your answer, take a few moments to think of what you would like to say. If you need a few moments, let the interviewer know that you’ve heard the question and understand it. A simple “great question” allows the interviewer to know you’re still on the line, but you’re taking a bit of time to craft a response.

Finally, understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit. They’re busy people and have regular projects to tend to. This hiring process forces them to stop what they’re doing and focus solely on staffing. Trust me, they’d rather be doing day-to-day stuff. So know that you’re in the room for a reason. They think you could be the right fit. Now convince them of this using your knowledge and confidence.

Here are some more resources I’ve built for those job seekers out there:

Video: https://mjwcareers.com/virtual-interview-best-practices-live-jobstickers-jobseeker-resource-show-on-linkedin-episode-2/

Video: https://mjwcareers.com/salary-negotiations-why-you-may-be-leaving-thousands-of-dollars-on-the-table-live-jobstickers-jobseeker-resource-show-on-facebook-episode-4/

Article 1: https://mjwcareers.com/slay-that-virtual-interview

Article 2: https://mjwcareers.com/quit-zumping-all-over-me-2/

Article 3: https://mjwcareers.com/acoupleofinterviewtips/

Article 4: https://mjwcareers.com/seven-phone-interview-tips-to-help-you-get-the-job/

Article 5: https://mjwcareers.com/what-not-to-say-during-an-interview/

@mjwcareers

Remember, no matter video or in-person, confidence is key and I think personally the 1 way to exude that confidence is having knowledge. Going into the interview so prepared, high hanging slider-type questions seem like four seam fastballs. Research the role, investigate the industry, major players, products/offerings/services, and news. Learn the terminology and respective process impact in this new role. Understand the function your new role would play in the entire operations. Why is there an opening? What pain points do the hiring managers have because of the opening? How can you make their lives easier if they hired you? Understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit. They’re busy people and have regular projects to tend to. This hiring process forces them to stop what they’re doing and focus solely on staffing. Trust me, they’d rather be doing day-to-day stuff. So know that you’re in the room for a reason. They think you could be the right fit. Now convince them of this using your knowledge and confidence. Finally, understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit. They’re busy people and have regular projects to tend to. This hiring process forces them to stop what they’re doing and focus solely on staffing. Trust me, they’d rather be doing day-to-day stuff. So know that you’re in the room for a reason. They think you could be the right fit. Now convince them of this using your knowledge and confidence. #interview#interviewtips#interviewtipsandtricks#interviewtipsneeded #interviews#interviewcoach #HR

♬ original sound – Matthew Warzel, CPRW – Matthew Warzel, CPRW