How to Rock Your Next ZOOM Interview
Conference calls, we’ve all had them, and they’re almost always awkward.
From “Can you hear me OK?,” to “No, You go first! Or my personal favorite, “I’m sorry, I was on mute.” There’s a lot that can be lost in translation, or rather, just lost - bad connection, anyone?
This might be OK if it’s just a casual call with your colleagues, and you can follow up on email or Slack later, but it’s a little less OK when it’s a highly coveted interview for that dream job you’ve been pursuing.
Here at BLT Recruiting, it’s our job to help you find a job you love. We know the interviewing scenario very well and we love helping our candidates prepare and nail their interviews, whether in person or on video. Considering the state of “Face-to-face” interviews are on pause right now, here are our best tips and tricks for nailing a video conference interview:
Do a Test Run. If its Google Hangouts, or Zoom or JoinME, download the software first, create a test meeting and invite a friend to fake interview you. You do not want to be dealing with “install plugin” pop-ups 2 minutes before go time. Get familiar with where the mute button is, the video/cameras feature and how screen sharing works.
Have your Resume and/or Portfolio Ready: Just like you would in a face-to-face interview, email the documents beforehand, and have them downloaded and ready to screen-share so you’re not fumbling or searching on the interview. In the event the screen sharing or video cuts out, your interviewer will have the documents accessible via email.
Look Your Best (maybe even better): Throw on a nice top, blazer, and make your face presentable, perhaps even more than you would for a face-to-face interview to compensate for the lack of in-person connection. The camera is naturally going to create a barrier of connection, so go the extra mile to smile and wear clothes and makeup (if you choose) that make you feel confident. It’s about how you feel, less about the fact that they can’t see your PJ pants. Also, check out your backdrop, and opt for a plain wall or nice (but not distracting) piece of art.
Look into the Camera: A lot of time people are looking off to the side during a zoom interview because they’re making eye contact with the interviewer but the camera lens is off to the side, recording their cheek or ear. Find the camera on your laptop or device and make “eye contact” with the camera, so the interviewer feels a better connection with your eyes, and not the side of your face.
Relax and Roll With It: It’s bound to have awkward moments. Do your best to set the stage and minimize disruptions at home, but if something happens (i.e. a kid runs into the room or your dog barks maniacally), just embrace it, laugh about it, and move on. We’re all humans after all.
So there it is, five tips to get you on your way, but we probably have 500 more. If you need any help navigating the hiring and job search climate, especially in this ever-growing virtual work world, we’re here to help.
Drop us a line and we’d love to chat, or better yet, hop on a video call ;)
Samantha Litman, Executive Director, BLT Recruiting