Unemployment may be  at a record high, but don’t look now, lots of companies are actually hiring.  So, your résumé caught a recruiter’s  eye? Great, you’ve got an interview. Physically or virtually here are some tips on how to ace your interview.

• RESEARCH THE COMPANY

Educating yourself on the company you’re interviewing for serves two important purposes. First, it helps ensure that the company’s mission and culture align with your own interests, career goals, and values. Second, the ability to authentically incorporate this knowledge into an interview shows that you are thoughtful, well-prepared, and truly interested in becoming a member of their team.

Prepare yourself by reading the website thoroughly, following their social media feeds, checking any interesting or relevant results on Google, searching reviews on GlassDoor, and reviewing the LinkedIn profiles of anyone participating in the interview. Take notes to help you formulate questions that demonstrate a genuine interest in the company and what they do.

• STUDY THE JOB DESCRIPTION

Take the time to read the job description again carefully prior to your interview. Make a list of the skills, experience, or qualifications you have that prove that you’re a viable candidate, using specific examples or quantifiable metrics as often as possible.

Also, pay attention to the specific adjectives used when they describe the type of candidate they’re seeking in the job seeking; look for opportunities to include those words (or synonyms) into your interview answers or relay anecdotes that exhibit those qualities when you’re asked behavioural questions.

• Logon early and test equipment

 With in-person job interviews, you’re advised to show up at least 30 minutes before you’re scheduled to be there;. Being on time is really about 10 minutes early. For a virtual, first-time interview, you may want to make sure you are ready to go 15-20 minutes early. 

In this situation, setting up the computer and logging in is essentially the parking part of your interview process. Make sure everything works and then you can hang out until about 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time.

• Consider your lightning and sound 

Lighting is really important, you’re better off having a light coming from directly behind your camera shining at you, rather than a side light or down light. To prevent echo, find a room that has a lot of soft furnishings, carpets, curtains and cushions. A top tip is to get pillows and place them around your computer so it absorbs the sound. Use headphones for voice clarity and shut windows to reduce unwanted sounds.

• Avoid using backgrounds for online interview 

You may feel tempted to pick out a cute background on the platform, but don’t! Backgrounds are distracting and unprofessional for a first-time meeting. In fact, you want to choose the most professional area of your home for the interview. Feel free to stage it just for the interview!

 Once you’ve identified the places that offer the best lighting, you will want to carefully examine the backgrounds to choose the best spot. Remove any clutter. Avoid odd things in the background like a bed or toilet. It may seem obvious, but sometimes people just don’t really think about the first impression their home is making.

Books can make you look smart, tactful home décor can give the appearance of being put together and artsy pieces in the background can make you look cultured. A blank wall is even acceptable because it keeps the focus on you.

• Remove any and all forms of distractions 

It’s essential that your interview environment is as free from distraction and interruption as possible. Silence your phone and make sure you don’t have any scheduled alerts or alarms, close all unnecessary windows and tabs on your computer screen, and close any doors and windows to the room you’re in. Make sure pets are out of the room and occupied, and survey the room for visual distractions. While it’s imperative that you aren’t distracted, it’s equally important that there isn’t anything in the room with you that will pull your interviewer’s attention away from your conversation.

• Create a strong presence 

In any job that you’re going for, you have to create a strong presence for yourself, whether that be online, on paper or in person, and those three things have to be congruent. First of all, you’ll send your CV, how is that present? They’re going to look at your LinkedIn profile, how is that present? Then they’re going to see you either in person or in a virtual interview, and these three things all have to be strong. Never forget that it’s not just about the interview, it’s the build up too that’s important. 

• Put interview etiquettes in place 

Always wait for the interviewer to call you at the interview time, don’t call them as they might have a very tight schedule or be in another interview. Wait until it gets to the exact start time and if they haven’t called or joined the interview, send a text message saying “Hello, just wanted to let you know that I’m ready for the interview whenever you are”. Little messages like this are important, think about how it will sound and always be polite. After the interview has finished, send your interviewer or contact an email to thank them for their time and reiterate your interest. This is really important and can make a huge difference.

• Ask questions after the interview

There’s always an opportunity to ask questions about the office and the culture in an interview, but when you interview remotely, you’re going to be left with more questions than usual (what the office and facilities are like, how big and diverse the team is, how the company culture feels, etc.). Whatever you want to know, ask. Don’t worry about looking silly. The recruiter will appreciate your curiosity.

That said, don’t just ask about the office and your benefits. We suggest asking questions about the kind of technology you’ll have access to when working remotely, if you’d be working in a hybrid team, or how success is measured at the organization. Eighty-five percent of successful candidates asked these kinds of questions to demonstrate their values and priorities, while revealing vital bits of information about their personality. For example, you could ask, “Do you have a flexible work policy?” Then bookend your question with, “I’ve been volunteering as an English teacher for marginalized communities twice a week and it would be great to be able to continue doing that.”