Virtual Interviewing Strategies
Elevating the virtual interview experience
Exciting, you've landed the virtual interview! They've asked you back, and here it is, you get to elevate the piece of paper they started with, the phone interview they had, and crush your next touch point.
How you dress [still] matters.
Why does dressing in a complete interview outfit matter if they are only going to see you from the waist up? Even though the video shows you from the waist up it is encouraged that you dress completely as though you were in person (yes, throw on the right shoes too). The reason is, what you wear sets your mood; I mean think about it, sweats instantly set the mood for naptime (i.e., low energy). Sweats are casual and relaxing, so if that is a part of your attire, you may exhibit a more casual and relaxed demeanor which could be off-putting (culture dependent). Plus, since the video already creates a blockade to your energy, you don’t want to take any chances.
Share the right energy.
As mentioned above, a video experience can block someone from experiencing your natural energy (even if slightly lower than upbeat), so how do you try and break through this barrier? Industry insight, which not many candidates take into consideration, is how hiring managers use your energy to determine your fit. Sometimes, they use this as the only pass-or-fail measurement tool. Unfortunately, this is because they don’t really understand the demands of the role and since they just hear the executive(s) needs an “assistant”, nothing more is discovered to make the hire. That’s a rant for another day, #wink. The reason they measure your energy the most is because it tells them if you can keep up with their fast-paced environment and if you are ‘quick-witted’. In order to show up with the right energy, I would encourage you to consider walking laps, 8 to 10 minutes before your video experience, in the right shoes as though you were walking from the parking lot to your interview. Bringing your best posture to the video, after activating muscle memory (i.e., confident, cat-walk body language), you will surely bring the right energy forward. Plus, if you do this exercise, a double win would be releasing any built-up anxiety.
Preparedness is a confident expression.
I talk about this a lot with candidates. I pulled some of the below from the in-person interview article (because it’s still relevant). I suggest you have a pen in hand and a notepad at the ready. The whole point is to showcase how you would show up to a meeting if you were already an employee; highly prepared and ready to engage. Even having the job posting printed for reference vs. in an open tab on your screen (that’s too distracting) is a great move.
Your Technology.
Your lighting and background are paramount. Having a small light on in the background and some natural light on your face is the right balance. I’d stay away from light rings as they aren’t always the most flattering. If possible, make the decor in your backdrop as minimal as possible, less distractions the better. Make sure your camera is propped up right in front of you and not facing upward (you don’t want someone looking up toward your nostrils the whole time). Definitely test your virtual environment (i.e.,Teams or Zoom) several times before the big interview. Also, log in 15 minutes beforehand on the day of the screen. Several people have encountered yet another update with these tools that require extra navigation before you are granted access to the meeting room. You don’t want to log in late due to a delay. Also, I highly encourage headphone usage to avoid poor sound quality. Sidenote…if you have four-legged children, don’t be afraid to announce their guest appearance. This was one of the many gifts of being more remote savvy as a society, seeing the whole you from your home life. Lastly, should you blur your background or not? I think it should be a personal decision, however, it sometimes can be more distracting (as you are muted around your body) than helpful.Your voice.
It’s important to be prepared. That means understanding who you are and what you bring to the opportunity. A lawyer would not show up to court the day of a trial without knowing their client and the case. Knowing who you are, what you offer, and weaving in how you fit the role, due to your work history, requires you to tell a story. Be ready to talk about your abilities, identify your upfront learning curves, and how you wish to become a part of their cultural fabric. This is supported by doing a lot of sleuthing, which includes company (or employee) LinkedIn posts. One more thing, remember, you can’t (and shouldn’t be) all things for all people. Be your authentic self and be proud of what you offer.Your attributes.
It never fails! You leave the interview thinking, “Oh, shoot! Was I funny or did I show that I was listening? Did I interrupt? Was I polished? Did I have my shoulders back? Did I give off enough skills?” You go through a long list of questions and concerns. Think in advance about four top attributes about yourself and how you want to express them when engaging. How do the attributes express who you are and your fit? Write them down and then once you’ve written them down, you can own them! Study the list and have backup stories connected to each word you’ve chosen as data that supports why you are who you are. This way, when you go back to the write-up, you can confidently talk yourself off the ledge, “I gave off all these attributes and owned my brand. I can’t spend extra time worrying if I was strong enough or not.”
Your relatable stories.
It is a struggle when you have no idea what they're going to ask you. It happens often when you leave an interview, thinking, “Oh, I should have told them that story or it would have been more appropriate if I shared that time I did ___.” In an effort to prepare for the unknown, think of several relatable stories. For example, they may ask, “Are you good with systems? Can you use Excel?” If your answer is a single statement, “Yes, I can.”, you've unfortunately done a disservice to expressing your full value-add. Your answer should be something along the lines of, “Yes, I've used it to run budgets for parties that range from $100,000 to $250,000. I've used it to track correspondence because we didn't have a CRM system and I wanted to make sure that at any given time, I could tell my executive that, ‘Mr. Smith replied on this date’.” That is an immediately relatable answer that leaves them thinking, “Oh, we could use those skills in this role.”
Your anticipating skills.
Just like with a phone interview, they will offer at the end (or maybe in the beginning) this power question: “Do you have any questions for me/us?” If you are blessed to be in front of the executive, your way to approach that query is with the following: “You’ve offered a lot of insight into the role and needs. I plan to focus on relieving pain points in the first 60- to 90-days by _____________________. Do you believe that is a good starting point to be of great asset to the team?”. This offers an untraditional dialogue in an interview that helps you stand out from others they are also interviewing. Whatever you do, never answer with, “No, I do not have any questions.”!
Launch Pad:
Dress the part head to toe to bring the correct energy.
Identify your top attributes and own them
Be aware of your history, think of relatable stories, not just answers.
Envision yourself as an employee already.
Do a lot of sleuthing and be prepared for the final question.