Interviewing 101 - Home Edition

by: Maggie Vlasaty

Throughout 2020, we have all had to make some hefty adjustments to our way of life. Social distancing, take-out instead of dine-in, and working from home are just a few of the many ways I have seen my world shift. With all of these changes, companies and organizations have found it more challenging to survive as they did in the past. This has resulted in budget cuts, furloughs, and the worst end of it, filing for bankruptcy. If you have been in the midst of this process, you may be on the job hunt again, but even that routine has seen some changes. Cups of coffee have gone virtual, and your opportunity to dazzle the interviewer with your charming personality has been set back by a 0.4-second lag.

How do we make interviewing from homework? I know my shared one-bedroom apartment is not the ideal location for an interview. How do I adjust my environment to fit the standards of a first-, second-, or even third-round interview? Based on my personal experience, here are a few tips.

1. Prep Your Devices
If you were to compare this to an in-person interview, you probably understand the decency of showing up either on time or a few minutes early. This same tactic can do nothing but help you in an online situation. Logging on to your computer even half an hour before the scheduled interview can give you time to clear your browsers, close tabs, and eliminate distractions. It will also allow you to run through the video call and make sure everything is working, which leads to the next step.

2. Download and Access Your Video Software
Zoom, Webex, and Skype - oh my! While the popular services seem to be the go-to for many organizations, it is worth your while double-checking the call invitation and making sure the service being used is already downloaded to your device. Once everything is downloaded and seemingly ready to go, make sure your audio and microphone methods of choice are compatible with both your equipment and the video call software. Usually, upon opening the software, a prompt will allow you the opportunity to test everything out. Some services even allow for a virtual background, which can be beneficial for a busy or less-appealing environment. If you are vouching for a virtual background, it might be a good idea to test that out beforehand.

3. Clean and Organize Your Interview Space
While both the interviewer and interviewee should be focused on the conversation at hand, eyes tend to wander. You don’t want any eyes on your unmade bed or pile of laundry in the corner of the room. Spend the morning or night before creating a clean and well-lit environment for your interview. This not only gives off the impression that you are a well-oiled and well-organized individual, but it also rids any potential distractions in the room. Lastly, try to keep any chargers or internet access cables handy in low battery or poor internet connection.

4. Dress For Success
Wearing your alma mater sweatshirt and a messy bun is fine if you’re chatting with your family out in Arizona, but for a job interview? Not so much. Dressing as you would for an in-person interview is just as important as any other interview; it expresses that while you’re doing this from home, you are still treating this with just as much attention as if you were doing this it in person. Another note: the waist-up professional, waist-down casual, is a risky move. It takes an extra 30 seconds to put some pants on, just like it only takes three seconds of an interviewer accidentally seeing your boxers for you not to get a job.

5. Mistakes Are OKAY
Remember, in any situation ever, it’s okay not to be perfect. You may be striving to display excellence during your interview, but it’s essential to understand controlling the controllable. If your interviewer cuts out in the middle of their question, it’s okay to ask them to repeat themselves instead of potentially answering incorrectly. If your dog jumps into the background of your video or a loud plane flies overhead, it’s okay to laugh it off or give the interview a quick pause. Work, the economy, life, these are all struggling times for everyone, and if your potential employer is a good one, they will understand the imperfection of the situation.
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As a concluding note, I’ll say this. The world we are living in now is running on a trial-and-error, scientific method system. We make guesses when we go back to work, those guesses are either backed up by social distancing feats or rebutted by a rise in cases. The things we live by today could change tomorrow; the things we expect tomorrow might not come until next month. While interviewing and working from home is the norm at the moment, it might not always be. Or maybe it will. Whatever the situation is revolving around your work and career, you can either let it get to you, drag you down, or adjust to the new day and move forward.