Interviews can be nerve wracking – and if you’re battling with virtual technology complications too, this can add an extra layer of apprehension to what’s already a stressful experience! We spoke to one of our recruitment consultants, Ria Dool, to get her thoughts on how best to prepare yourself for a virtual interview that will help you land your next tech role!
Be prepared
Preparation is key – even in a virtual setting. It’s so important to make sure you’re prepared, have done the research, and know what you’re going to say. What does the company stand for? What are the current projects they have coming up? Have they made any technological transformations recently? Just try to imagine you’re going into a “traditional” interview setting – you want to feel confident in the knowledge that you know your stuff – and approach the virtual interview in the same way. You may have notes available to you, but don’t rely on them.
Have your CV handy
Having said the above, make sure you have your CV to hand – as you should in any interview setting. Use this as a point of reference so you can easily point out examples to your employer as to when your skillset matches the job description. Think about any experience you could talk about that’s relevant – whether it’s coding languages you’re proficient in or specific projects you’ve worked on that link to the technical requirements of the job spec – this is all great stuff to bring up!
Prepare your settings
Preparation doesn’t just involve what you’re going to say – make sure you’re set up correctly to give yourself the best chance. Try to avoid having lots of papers cluttered around your computer – the last thing you need is distractions. And if possible, have a clear and neutral background so that your interviewer is focused on what you have to say and less distracted by anything going on behind you.
Pick a quiet area
If you’re living with other people, it might be a good idea to let others know that you’re going to be in an interview, so you don’t get any interruptions. Make sure the area you pick is quiet and has minimal to zero background noise.
Leave yourself time
Leave yourself a good window before and after your interview. It’s obviously good to have lots of time to prepare, and you also want to make sure you don’t have anything that you need to dash off early for – just in case things are going great and you want to keep chatting!
Think about body language
Presentation is key – make sure you’re sitting up straight to deliver your answers clearly and coherently, just as you would in a face to face sitting. And also, try to think about how you want to dress – think about the culture of the company and what seems right.
Don’t forget to ask questions!
As you would in a normal interview, make sure you finish off the interview asking some questions. You’ll likely have your own questions that will matter to you and be relevant to the specific role – whether it’s the tech stack you’ll be working on or the products you could be developing. However, it could be good idea to ask about the level of remote working given the current circumstances.
Above all else, remember to stay calm, enjoy it, and just think of it as any other normal interview!
If you’d like some more specific interview advice catered to your own role, our specialist recruitment consultants are on hand to support you, so please get in touch with us!
