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In Issue 3, 2021, Patric asked: "What are your tips for success in a virtual job interview?"
"I’ve been doing a lot of interviewing of prospective employees recently so there are a lot of ways I’ve noticed that candidates can make a good impact. Be presentable. Position the camera so that you are looking straight ahead. Speak to the camera and not the screen or the person’s face. It is always very important to pause to consider before responding to a question but particularly so online as there are often delays and you can inadvertently talk over your interviewer. Whatever else you do, open the platform early and check that the sound and video work and you know how to use the platform. Some are still surprisingly clunky."
Michael Reid
"Swot up well on the company or organisation involved beforehand. Dress neatly but not over-formally. Check there is a pleasant but not artificial-looking background behind your PC chair; check your positioning on screen before logging-on. Be cheerful but not cheeky. Seek clarification on any questions that you don’t fully understand. Have some intelligent questions of your own ready for when the interviewer asks for these, especially to clarify if this really is the job for you."
Bob Rainbow
"Make sure your environment reflects the professional standards you wish to display. Check your shelves for empty bottles of beer and move your collection of wines and spirits out of view of the camera. I recently did a virtual interview where the applicant hadn’t done this, but they did have impeccable taste in terms of the bottles of claret on the wine rack in their kitchen, and yes they did get the job!"
Dave Hughes
"Make sure you have a clean backdrop (nothing controversial visible), and have a clear microphone connected. It’s hard to make it feel as personable as a face-to-face meeting, but remember eye contact and facial expression can have a big impact even over a video call. Always have a question to ask your interviewers to show you are engaged in the process!"
Andrew MacGillivray
"Relax, be human and smile. Interviews can be rather clinical or sterile at the best of times, and when they’re virtual the human connection can be lost too. It’s important to show who you are as well as what you can do. Engineers, despite what some people say, are social beings too, and an interview is an excellent opportunity to connect with people."
Will Henson
"Dress and behave as though it were a face-to-face interview. Do not use backgrounds that distract interviewers or phase in and phase out as you move. Instead set up a clear desk space with a blank wall behind you and maintain a sharp focus and attention throughout."
Jonathan A C Knew
"Preparation – as always. In the virtual world, you have other things to think about... what can be seen in the background, and have you disconnected the doorbell so you don’t get disturbed. And, most importantly, how can you engage the interviewer."
Mike Cameron-Davies
"Pay attention to the background: an unmade bed or a messy room do not leave the impression of someone who pays attention to detail. Use a real background, not one within Teams (or whatever) because it begs the issue of what the interviewee is hiding."
Andy Brown
"Plan ahead – certain questions can be predicted. Make your answers tailored to how you fit the role. And be specific, measurable, accurate, realistic and timely."
C Hobson
"Use video with wide-angle view to include your hands and arms if possible. Try to have the camera in the same direction as the viewing screen/monitor so you’re not looking away a lot."
Alan Andrews
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.