Remote Job Interview Tips

After experiencing numerous remote job interviews during my search for a remote job, I found that the best skill you can have as an interviewee is to keep a conversation while you highlight your skills and experience.

Please don’t cry, don’t be sad and don’t feel like it is your last opportunity. Drop all your burden’s before you get into the call. Think of yourself as an asset and not a liability. Above all, wear a bright smile and do your best to answer all questions sincerely. The interviewers are trained to see through you”.

Remote job interviews can sometimes be challenging, having to look at your camera and at the same time trying to see your interviewer’s reaction as you answer the questions, could easily be one of the hardest and weirdest things you’d have to do in the process. This is why you will require new skills and techniques a bit different from the traditional in-person interviews to ace a remote job interview.

Even after crafting your resume for remote jobs, interviews can be more difficult to prepare for, since they are conducted over the phone, via video conference, or even text messaging. You’d want to be confident, professional, and prepared to make a great impression during the interview.

However, with the right preparation and mindset, you can excel in a remote job interview. Here are some tips that can help you succeed:

Research the company

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”

Seneca

I’d admit, you’d also need a splash of luck. But your chances of luck increase when you prepare. So how do you prepare for a remote job interview?

Shamelessly research the company

The reason I use the word “shamelessly” is that you may think answering questions you are asked about a company when you don’t work in the company is absurd and so you lightly carry out the research of the company. Questions relating to the company helps the interviewer know how much you know about the company, and how much interest you have in the company. In fact, when answering questions about the company, feel free to use “from my research…” without feeling odd about it.

The next question will be “How can I research the company?” This is where the bulk of the work is. You need to spend time going through the company’s website, social media pages and conversations. The more data points you have, the more you can elaborate on any company-related question the interviewer will ask you. So the first place you should head to is their website. Read all the information about what the company does, its goals, mission and vision. One basic related question you have to answer aptly, is “What the company is about?” You definitely can’t fumble on this question. I mean if you don’t know what the company is about, what are you going to do there?

You can then go ahead to see the company structure and how they operate. Also, check out the employees on LinkedIn, and see their posts about the company and what they say about the company.

Research the company’s competitors.

This is what going the extra mile means. Your interviewer may not ask you about who the competitors of the organisation are but it can help you identify things that the company you are interviewing for can do better. It also helps you understand the business of the company better and what competitive advantage the company has over its competitors.

Research the department and team you’d be working with.

Every company has different departments. From engineering to growth, to HR etc. You need to know what role the team you’d be working in plays in the company, how the team contributes to achieving the business goal of the company and how you can contribute to the success of the company through your department.

The whole idea of researching the company is to give you a better understanding of the company and context on how you can utilise your role to contribute to the business goal of the company.

Choose a favourable date and time

Usually, you would get a mail inviting you to pick a time slot from the different days available for your interview. It’s easy to get excited and pick a very close date without thinking much about the amount of time you would need to prepare for the interview. Choose a day and a time that allows you to do proper research on the company, and be well prepared. Also chose a day and time devoid of a lot of activities. I would suggest that you go for a time when you would be at the peak of your energy and have the most mental agility.

Be strategic about the time and date you choose. Overall, you should factor in how long it will take you to prepare for the interview and choose a date and time that will be best for you.

Pay attention to the instructions

You will receive instructions on how the interview will be performed. It is very important that you go through the instructions line by line and be sure you fully understand what is required of you before and during the interview. For example, if it’s an engineering interview, you might be asked to get familiar with a particular coding environment that you would utilise for the interview if it is a technical interview.

If there’s any instruction you are not clear about, feel free to message the interviewer or the person who sent the message about the interview for clarity.

Test and get comfortable with the technology

It is advisable to use a laptop or desktop for your interviews, except when this is highly impossible. Laptops and desktops, give the full functionality of whatever tool you are using. Plus it gives you a better and easier experience.

In the email sent to you to schedule your interview, you would be able to see the tool your interview will take place on. If it’s a tool you are used to, make sure you have the latest software downloaded on your system. Please don’t assume. Confirm! Get on a call with it a day before to see that it works as it should.

If it is a tool that you are not used to, download it days before your interview and play around with it. Test it over and over again until you are certain you know your way around it.

Also make sure to test your microphone, camera, and internet connection to ensure that they all work fine. Get a backup internet in case the main internet fails, you have another to quickly switch to.

Lastly, clean your camera lens so your video is crisp.

Present yourself appropriately 

From your dress to your gestures and your words. Ensure you are impeccable.

While you don’t necessarily have to put on a suit and tie. It is important you look clean. So if you are a guy, get a haircut. If you are a lady make sure your hair is tidy. Wear a simple but professional dress. A single-coloured dress would never be wrong. Asides, from you looking good on the other end of the camera, this would also help boost your confidence. And anything that will boost your confidence in the interview is surely welcome.

Prepare your environment 

The ambience of your space covered by your camera matters. In as much as it doesn’t seem like it. It is important that you do not have a cluttered background. Get rid of every and anything that would make you uncomfortable and distract you. Make sure that you are in a quiet and distraction-free environment during the interview. You can use the blur feature of the video tool if showing your background will make you uncomfortable or use the virtual background feature. Place your device on a solid table and have a notepad and pen by your side.

Practice your answers and prepare your questions

There are a couple of interview questions which are often repeated. You can find several common interview questions online. Practice answering common interview questions so you are well-equipped to answer them but don’t cram them. You can have a friend do a role-play with you so they can give you feedback or you can practice using a recorder and then replay the recording. Do this several times until you are satisfied with how you answer the questions. This will help you feel more comfortable and confident during the interview. 

The essence of this is more to have a sense of how you go about answering the questions than actually memorizing the answers to the questions. Work on your breath, your pauses and your cadence

It is important that you develop a framework of sequentially answering the questions so that it flows from beginning to end.

Also, prepare the questions you would like to ask the interviewer. You would be given an opportunity to ask questions as well.

Relax be polite and show enthusiasm

So it’s interview day and you are face-to-face with the interviewer. The most anticipated day is here! Remember what we said at the beginning? Think of yourself as an asset and not a liability. Above all, wear a bright smile and do your best to answer all questions sincerely. Wear a bright smile. It works like magic. Bring your A-game and your best foot forward. This is your moment, and you’ve been preparing for this day. Be natural and kind. Show enthusiasm and energy throughout the interview. Highlight your strengths with each answer you give and ensure that your answers are well aligned with the position that you are applying for. Make your answers rich to keep up the conversations. Pause and think about the answers to the question you are asked where necessary.

At the end of the day, it’s just a human at the other end of the call. A human that has flaws and understands like you. So be confident enough but polite to drive home each point you have.

Follow up at least for feedback

I put this here because it is in the playbook. But honestly speaking, I never got any job I followed up on after an interview. But I got great feedback! I think you would know if you have a very high chance of being hired or moving to the next stage of the hiring process when you are done with the interview. Depending on the stage of the hiring process, you should get feedback early enough before you even follow up. So keep your fingers crossed, and if you want to put your mind at ease you can always message your interviewer, thanking them for their time and asking for updates about your candidacy. If it is a company with good culture, you should have updates on the actual situation of things. If you are unsuccessful, ask for feedback on your interview. It will help you improve. If you are successful, a big congratulations to you.

I generally think that a company that really wants to hire you won’t stress you and will keep you in the loop all the time. I also believe that you will eventually get the remote job that is yours.

So regardless of how the interview goes, take it in good faith. Learn from it, get better and keep looking for more opportunities until you get your desired remote job.

By following these remote job interview tips, you can excel in a remote job interview and increase your chances of landing your dream job. Remember, preparation is key, and with the right mindset and approach, you can succeed in any remote interview situation. Best of luck!

PS comment areas you are having challenges in when it comes to remote job interviews. So I can address that specific area.