While the traditional face-to-face interview is still the most common, many agencies and companies are conducting first interviews (or sometimes, the only interview) remotely, using the telephone, Skype, video-teleconferencing (VTC) or another medium. Preparation, including researching the organization, drafting your CCAR examples, composing questions to ask the employer, etc., are applicable to both in-person and remote interviews, however, remote interviews present some special challenges.
Telephone interviews are particularly challenging since you cannot see the people with whom you are interviewing. If contacted for a phone interview, I encourage you to ask if the interview can be conducted using Skype, FaceTime, VTC, or something similar where you can see the interviewers. While still not as personal as face-to-face interviews, being on camera can help everyone stay more focused on the interview itself.
- If you are visible on camera, make sure the area behind you is clean and professional. Remember, the camera picks up more than your face.
- Use a landline if at all possible as they are still more reliable and voice quality is better than many cell phone connections.
- Conduct the interview at home to minimize distractions. Kids, dogs, and other phones should be banished from your interview area. Turn off calling waiting.
- Print out a copy of your resume and the job announcement so you have these documents in front of you. Likewise, have your questions for the interviewers written out.
- Dress as you would for an in-person interview.
- Stand up; you’ll sound better! We tend to slump when we talk on the phone and it’s important to project effectively.
- Smile. We’ve all heard the expression, “put a smile in your voice.” It works.
- If you need time to respond to a question, don’t be afraid to say so. Asking for a moment is fine.
- Allow others the time to respond. Often VTC, Skype, and similar technologies have a slight delay. To avoid talking over others, give those on the other end time to answer.
- Pay attention. It is easy to get distracted by incoming emails, noises from other rooms, etc. Pay attention and be “in the moment.”
- Practice using your technology before the interview. Make sure you know how your camera and the microphone work.
