5 Easy Ways to Nail Your Next Zoom Interview
By Eliza Blackstone
Interviews are always stressful, but in 2020, they’re made that much more complicated by Zoom. Virtual interviews bring a whole new set of challenges, and it’s up to you to be prepared. Here are 5 tips to help you be the best you can be (+ 4 bonus Zoom-specific tips at the bottom):
#1 “Arrive” Early
While technically you don’t need to make any commute to get to a Zoom interview, trust me you can still get there early with the right preparation. Tell yourself that the interview starts 10 minutes before it actually does, and make sure you’re fully prepared to start by then. This way, you’ll have a little time to collect yourself and get comfortable, and you’ll be able to stay calm, cool, and collected during your interview and avoid feeling flustered or anxious.
#2 Dress the Part
When it comes to Zoom interviews, it can be very tempting to go business casual on top and stay with sweatpants on the bottom. I love sweats as much as anyone, but I’d suggest you dress for the workplace from head to toe. By dressing the part, you put yourself in the right mindset for a professional setting, and you’re less likely to feel distracted from the task at hand. There is a very real psychological impact of dressing for success — even in a Zoom interview.
#3 Prepare Answers to Covid-Related Questions
You likely have your answers to basic interview questions well-practiced at this point, but one thing to consider is that there may be a whole new set of questions in the age of Covid. For instance, you’ll want to consider ahead of time how you’ll respond when an interviewer asks how you feel about working remotely, and you’ll also want to have a well-thought out response to “how did you spend your quarantine?” Emphasize any projects you worked on and how you were able to grow either yourself or your skillset or both over the past 6 months.
#4 Research the Company (and the Interviewer)
This one should be obvious, and this goes for all interviews, but especially with Zoom, it’s more important than ever to make sure you know your stuff when it comes to both the company and the person who’s interviewing you. Since you can’t see the workspace or research the company in person, Google is going to be your best friend when it comes to informing yourself about the position you’re applying for. On top of that, knowing the background of your interviewer will give you insight into their perspective and opinions and help you to perform your best.
#5 Ask Good Questions
Lastly, I highly recommend asking good questions. With a virtual interview, it’s difficult to effectively show your enthusiasm for the position since the interviewer can’t see your body language or interact with you in person. For this reason, virtual interviews can often end up falling a little flat, but the best way to impress and make yourself stand out is to ask an interesting question or two at the end of your interview. You can even prepare these questions ahead of time!
After you’ve nailed your interview preparation, make sure to prepare for any technological difficulties too. Here are some more video conference-specific tips and things to watch out for to help you get adjusted to video interviewing.
One last thing that holds true for almost everything in life — practice makes perfect! Make sure you have experience with using Zoom or whichever web-based video tool you’re using before your interview. If you need practice, ask a friend to do a trial run Zoom call to get you used to the software and avoid feelings of anxiety during your interview. You’ve got this, and good luck!
