COVID-19 has changed many things.
One difference is that if you are interviewing for jobs right now, chances are they will be done remotely.
A question that I’m often asked is what’s different about the remote job interviews.
Before I answer that, let’s look at the similarities between a remote and face to face job interview.
Similarity #1: You have to be prepared
If you follow my content, you will know that I talk about preparation a lot.
The reason is that about 80% of accountants fail to do anything like enough preparation.
And then they wonder why they struggle on the day.
Similarity #2: You have to practice
Practice and a mock interview are missing ingredients in candidates preparation in my experience.
Yes many do write out answers to some questions.
Of course writing out an answer is very different to speaking it out loud and becoming really confident.
Similarity #3: You have to have identified plenty of questions you might be asked
I’m always stunned whenever I do workshops or speak at events just how few questions people identify.
Typically they say 5-10. A few might say 20.
This is way too few.
Just think about the areas you typically get asked questions about and you will quickly see the problem.
Similarity #4: You have to sell yourself
It’s not optional.
If you don’t sell yourself in a job interview and another candidate does, they may well get the job offer, even though you are a much better candidate in terms of skills and experience.
Harsh but true in my experience.
So how are remote job interviews different?
Difference #1: The technology
There are so many different online meeting platforms.
You may well find that you are using a platform that you are not familiar with.
For that reason it’s vital that you research the platform as part of your research.
Difference #2: Building rapport
It’s not impossible to build rapport when looking at a camera.
It just takes a bit more effort.
Of course if you have done some practice, it will make things a whole lot easier.
Difference #3: Reading the body language
Whenever you are doing a remote job interview, you have to focus on the lens of the camera so that it feels to the interviewer that you are looking at them.
This makes it harder for you to read the body language of the interviewer.
Difference #4: You need more brevity in your answers
Easy to say and difficult to do.
It takes practice.
Long drawn out answers are likely to lead to the interviewer switching off.
Get good at being more concise when answering questions and this will give you the edge.
Remember if the interviewer wants more, they can ask a supplementary question
In my experience, remote job interviews offer both challenges and opportunities. The key is to success is adapting your approach and preparation to give you the best chance of success on the day of the interview.
If you have enjoyed this blog post, sign up for my free online course on how to ace the job interview.