Tips for remote job interviews

Nowadays, more people want to find tips for remote job interviews. The coronavirus pandemic’s effects didn’t stay in public health as we can feel its impact on every aspect of daily life. Specifically, it introduced the world to a whole new way of earning a living. That might be the reason why you’ve stumbled upon this helpful guide!

Similar to any other job, you’ll have to go through an interview first. However, virtual interviews pose challenges that you usually cannot find in face-to-face sessions. This means you’ll need to prepare using new methods and tactics specific to remote interviews. Fortunately, we’re here to show you the steps to getting your first work-from-home role.

Before we discuss our tips and tricks for remote job interviews, we’ll talk about the benefits of working from home. This will help you figure out if you’ll be willing to use the following steps or not. Then, we’ll go through the steps you need before, during, and after the interview. Note that you may need new equipment for these tips.

Should I consider working from home?

You’re probably wondering why you’d ever want to work from your house instead of the office. You may find the answer if you check the impact of the coronavirus lockdowns.

People around the world stayed at home to avoid getting COVID-19. Unfortunately, this public health measure cost them their jobs and their businesses.

They couldn’t return to their offices, and they couldn’t work at new ones either. As a result, they went remote job searching, causing a worldwide “remote work experiment”.

Eventually, they got used to their remote roles, and many of them preferred those over their old jobs. Online searches from remote job seekers rose by 360% from June 2019 to June 2021!

What could be the reason behind this spike in demand? Here are the reasons why more people want remote work nowadays:

• More productivity – People can achieve work-life balance with the help of remote roles, and they also get more control over their work area. As a result, employees finish 20% to 43% more work.
• Higher retention – Some remote workers are happier, so they tend to stay longer with their companies. Many folks who joined the Great Resignation now want work-from-home jobs for this reason.
• Helps nature – When you work from home, you reduce your time spent on cars or public transport, reducing the greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles.
• Reduces costs – Offices spend less on equipment and space when they hire remote workers. That’s because they won’t have to go to the office often, and they must be the ones getting the tools they need.
• Fosters resourcefulness – Let’s say you have a remote job and your computer broke down. You’re in charge of your equipment, so you will have to find other ways to keep working. Perhaps you’ll keep a laptop as a backup and ready accounts in other online conferencing apps.

What are the downsides to work-from-home jobs?

Of course, no job fits everyone. There’s bound to be someone who doesn’t like a certain role. Sometimes, they simply aren’t cut out for them too.

If you like socializing a lot, remote work may feel depressing, and you’ll spend most of your time in front of a screen. When you do meet co-workers, they’ll be in little boxes on Zoom.

What’s more, you may feel like you’re not connecting well with your colleagues, and you may not learn from their best practices or brainstorm a project with them over lunch.

Besides this, there are other reasons why some dislike remote work:

• Work-life blur – Most people have been used to going to the office and then taking a breather at home. The line between them may blur if you work from home so that you may feel like your office hours never ends.
• No access to tech – Some people don’t have the gadgets needed to work remotely. Worse, wi-fi is hard to come by in other countries.

Consider these pros and cons to see if working from home is right for you. If you’re decided, read further to learn our tips for remote job interviews.

Read More: What Are The Best Remote Marketing Jobs?

Before a remote job interview

1. Look for roles – Find vacancies that match your old job. You’d be surprised how many roles are available nowadays. The internet has so many job portals, but you still have to read the job descriptions carefully.
2. Send applications – Before you click the “Apply” button, make sure you tell them why you want an interview for remote work and how you can add value to their company. Make it short and straightforward. Hiring managers have to go through so many other applications, so they will likely ignore long application letters.
3. Offer contact details – Provide various ways to reach you, such as your email address and cell phone number. This will show them that you’re serious about getting feedback about your application.
4. Set up your interview spot – Look for a place in your home where you can focus on the video interview. Make sure there’s no background noise or family members suddenly passing behind you.
5. Prepare equipment – You need a computer with a camera and microphone. It’s best to make your video call work smoothly so that you may want a webcam with higher resolution and a headset with good sound quality.
6. Dress the part – Treat the remote job interview like an in-person interview by wearing business attire. You will look appealing during the interview process, and the interviewer will see that you’re serious about getting the job. Also, exhibit proper body language because the interviewer will observe it too.
7. Have emergency plans – Things may go wrong, so know what to do when it does. Let’s say Zoom is not available due to maintenance. You may ask the interviewer to speak via Skype instead.

During a remote job interview

1. Prove you’re qualified – Connect any of your experiences or achievements to the remote job. They’ll understand if it’s your first time taking one, but you still have to show you can provide what they need. Give lots of relevant details since they won’t learn.
2. Mute during group chats – Sometimes, you may have more than one interviewer. Put your account on mute when they’re speaking. This will show that you know proper video interview etiquette.
3. Take notes – The interviewer will share valuable details, so you should write them down. They may ask again about those details, so the notes can help you answer properly. You may even place our interviewer tips on the notes before the session starts!
4. Ask questions – The interview questions shouldn’t just be coming from one person. Asking for more details helps you understand the role better while showing that you’re attentive during the interview.

After a remote job interview

1. Send thanks – Tell the interviewer that you’re grateful for giving time for your application, and include details from that session so they’ll remember you. What’s more, emphasize just how much you want the job.
2. Ask for updates – You’re likely to hear from the interviewer after a week. Expect delays and other hiccups during the pandemic. If you haven’t heard from them after that, send a follow-up once.
3. Keep searching – Don’t bank on that one role to be your next job. Instead, keep on applying, so you have options. If the first one doesn’t pan out well, the others could be your backup.

Final thoughts

The pandemic challenges that most people have never encountered. This is when resourcefulness becomes an important skill.

Open yourself to possibilities, even to those you don’t like. Even better, look for opportunities in places that you’d least expect. It’s easy to talk about, but how do you truly think outside the box?

You do it by expanding your horizons. Make sure your mind explores topics that you haven’t tackled yet. You can start by reading more Inquirer USA articles.