# 5 Tips for a Remote Job Interview
With the explosion of remote roles over the past few years, a trend that's grown along with that is remote interviews.
Initially a video interview would be just for the first stages of the recruitment process with the final interview being in-person at the company offices.
But with many people now working remotely for companies that are hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles away from where they live, the entire process can be done remotely right through to an offer being made.
As someone who has successfully been hired through an entirely remote process I wanted to share my 5 tips on how to make it a positive experience for you too.
# Dress for the occasion
It might seem obvious but even if your remote company is totally relaxed on what you wear to work from home (which most obviously will be), don't forget this is an interview and you want to make a good first impression.
Therefore wear a nice shirt, make sure it's tucked into your trousers and not scrunched up when sitting down. Shoes most likely not necessary!
Make sure you sort your hair and overall grooming as needed depending on your gender and just look overall presentable. But don't worry about those minor imperfections as they are rarely visible on a webcam via the interview - even with the best hardware - because of the frame rate the interview video is streamed at via Zoom, Teams or whatever meeting software you are using.
Pro Tip: Try and make sure your room behind you is not a messy state and if it's impossible to make it look tidy then turn on background blur on your video.
# Set up notes that you can refer to
One of the major benefits of a remote interview is that you can easily refer to your notes whilst you are talking to your potential employer, ensuring you say the key things that help you to stand out as a candidate for the role.
The important thing is to do this in a way that is not obvious. The best place to put the notes is slightly to the side of your webcam so that when you are referring to them, you are still maintaining 'eye contact' with the interviewer. Think of it like a TV autocue.
However, unlike an autocue you don't want to spend the whole interview reading an essay as that will be obvious and make you look unprofessional. Ideally you'd have bullet points no longer than a few words that serve as a reminder of things to say or talk about. For example "AI freelance project" so you know to spend a minute or so talking about that cool AI project you worked on and how that amplifies your relevant experience.
# Use MuteDeck to control the interview functions
During your interview, having control of the functions is key and stops you from looking flustered or unprofessional if you need to share your screen, mute your microphone or turn off your video.
Using a tool like MuteDeck lets you easily control the meeting buttons from one dashboard and can even be hooked up to a physical Stream Deck.
This is key for when you have an unexpected distraction during your interview, such as the dog barking, baby crying or someone walking in and you need to quickly take action.
# Speak slower and clearly to the camera
On a remote interview you are reliant on a variety of technical factors: your webcam and microphone quality, the interviewers speakers, the internet quality of both participants and the choice of meeting software being used.
With all these potential complications, there is the risk you aren't being heard properly. A choppy video is fine as long as your voice is clear and you continue to sell yourself well.
Therefore try and speak slower than you usually would in person. This can be hard as during an interview you are nervous and want to get across all your positives before time runs out. But slowing down and getting across the key points in fewer words will ensure you are heard well, and seen as confident, in control of the interview process and being honest.
The other key thing, as tempting as it is, is to not spend the whole interview staring at the face of the person on the other end. Because whilst you feel like you are talking to them - that's not how they feel. Look directly into the camera when giving your confident answers and then the interviewer will feel like you are really speaking to them. This can give you a powerful edge over other applicants as many people don't do this.
# Smile and be human
Finally - be human and try to enjoy yourself. This is a visual interview and all your prospective employer can see is you and your body language. If you are nervous, not smiling and sitting very still, this can come off as negative and even confrontational to your interviewer.
Relax, move your hands when giving your answers, smile, and bonus points if you can laugh along with your interviewer about something to show you are super personable.
Bonus tip: Use reliable home WiFi or a wired ethernet connection where possible rather than 4G or a public WiFi. A good stable connection is key. Nothing is worse than losing your internet connection whilst interviewing remotely.
It's all about practise. Whilst you may stumble on your first interview, don't be disheartened. Like many things you'll get better at it over time. So perhaps interview for some roles that you are not hugely passionate about on first to build your speaking confidence, and then once you are comfortable with everything above and your overall interview style, schedule in the chat with the company you really want to work for and go into that first meeting with a huge amount of confidence.
The job hunting process is not a fun one. Good luck!