[imagesource: here]

If you’re interviewing for a job overseas, or had a job interview lined up before we were all confined to the great indoors, you may have found yourself in the unnerving position of having to go through with it online.

This means that your charms have to be relayed via video chat. As someone who has bombed an online interview in the past, I can tell you that it isn’t easy.

I’ve also heard horror stories from friends, who didn’t realise that the glass of wine they’d started on the night before was still visible in the video frame at 9AM.

Then there’s the former colleague who stood up to fetch an important document mid-interview only to realise that he wasn’t wearing pants.

Both interviews culminated in a less than ideal ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’ situation.

To ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes, and ace that interview, WIRED has compiled a couple of tips to help you prepare.

Let’s get to it:

Standard Rules Apply

You might be in front of your laptop instead of in an office, but that doesn’t mean that loungewear is now appropriate interview wear. No matter how chilled the company says it is, you should still kick it up a notch.

Put on a full outfit including shoes. Wear a smart jacket, and please, for the sake of your interviewers, wear pants.

One last thing – solid colours tend to look better on screen than stripes or patterns.

No Distractions

Close the doors and windows, turn off the TV, and put your phone on silent. Then, make sure that the only window open on your computer is the video-conferencing app that you’re using. Keep in mind that HR will appreciate if you come prepared for the interview.

As an aside, you should also make sure that you’re familiar with the video conferencing app before the interview. If you’ve never used Zoom before, download it in advance and video call a friend so that you can figure out how it works.

Banish the Kids and Pets

This is the last thing you want (or need) during an interview:

This family may have achieved viral fame the world over, but you wouldn’t bring your pets or kids along to a face-to-face interview, and the same rules apply here.

Pick a Neutral Background

This is not the time to change your Zoom background to the Starship Enterprise. 

It also isn’t ideal to showcase your unmade bed or the mountain of dishes you accumulated over the weekend. Find a blank wall and use it – just make sure it doesn’t clash with your shirt.

The Right Chair is Everything

The armchair might be comfy but you will slouch in it and it will make you look like a slacker. In the same vein, interviewing on your bed could expose your interviewers to some weird and unfortunate angles. A straight low backed chair is your best bet.

Make Sure the Lighting is Right

Remember when, as a child, you’d shine a torch under your face while telling ghost stories? You should probably avoid looking like that during a job interview.

Natural light is best. Otherwise, plenty of overhead light, and two lights positioned diagonally in front of you on your right and left will eliminate unnecessary shadows. Make sure that you don’t have a window behind you (blank wall!).

Check the Timezone

If your interviewer is calling from somewhere with a different timezone, they may not have factored in the timezone where you are. Double-check the time in your country and theirs.

Look at the Camera

You’re going to be tempted to look at the tiny window with you in it to make sure that you don’t look like a weirdo. Don’t do it.

Focus on the camera as much as possible.

Wear Earbuds / Earphones

You need to be able to hear what’s going on, and this is the best way to ensure that.

Finally, practice makes perfect. Some platforms like Zoom allow you to record your meetings. If you don’t get the job, go back and review the video, identify your mistakes, and prepare for the next one.

You should also take advantage of the fact that the interviewer can’t see the space next to your laptop. Why not lay out a few cheat sheets to help you along?

Good luck!

[source:wired]