Webinar Series Recording: How to Ace the Virtual Interview

We know that your life has been disrupted. How you live. How you work. How you interview and apply to jobs. Jopwell is ready to meet this challenge and will continue to add value to your experience during this stressful time. That is why we’re hosting a webinar series to help guide you through this unprecedented moment in time.

Virtual interviewing has become a mandatory tool in recruitment as more employers tap into the opportunity to access large pools of diverse talent and offer more flexible interview settings for candidates. As with traditional interviews, it's important to properly prepare for the interview.

During our live webinar, Jopwell community members asked interesting and challenging questions, one of these was whether or not it was appropriate to take a video interview as a phone considering the option was available for dial in. Jopwell Recruitment Program Manager, Maxine Mitchell, noted that,

“If there is an opportunity for you to go ahead with that video option, go with that because it allows you to show your personality and connect better with the interviewer. It might not be an option to do a phone call, but unless a recruiter is telling you exclipitly that you shouldn’t do a video interview, you should make the assumption that it will be a video interview.”

We also touched on how to have tough conversations about resume gaps and layoffs in your resume. Our approach? Prepare for these beforehand and make you drive the conversation towards how you are building on the skills learned in that experience for the role you’re applying for,

“Think about how you’re using this gap to elevate yourself... You want to provide any valuable information about the context. As you craft that response you will want to think through the adversity you’ve gone through, the skills that you’ve brought, and how you’re looking to be better and greater in this new experience.”

You can watch the recording for full tips and advice to implement on your next interview, insights about what recruiters will be looking for.

Watch Recording Here

This webinar features the following:

4:30 – Why embrace the new world of virtual interviewing?

6:30 - Virtual interviews are another opportunity for you to show your personality and help someone get to understand your experience without being in the room. It offers a chance to be more prepared than you would be in an in-person interview.

7:04 - Set your place and checking your technology.

9:21 - Preparation is key.

10:54 - Keep your energy level high - positivity and professionalism standpoint. The tone and vocabulary are aligned with the way you would be presenting yourself during an in-person interview.

15:55 - Remove all distractions - no auditory distractions. Do what’s in your control to minimize distractions. Make sure that you’re giving other people who have access to your living space, give them a heads up that you’re conducting an interview.

20:12 - Best Practices: Know your resume, discuss appropriate goals and passions, and do your research.

24:02 - Actually answer the question - “A failing that they… prepare anecdotes that they think demonstrate qualities that the interviewers will ask or frequently asked questions. The problem is that many of these individuals will pull up these anecdotes and talk about these experiences that don’t get at what the interviewer asked.”

27:40 - Virtual interview next steps.

31:07 - Audience questions begin.

31:25 - “Should you take notes during a virtual interview?”

32:16 - “Does professional attire still apply in a virtual interview?”

34:22 - “If we look at the camera, how can we gauge the recruiters body language to your response?”

38:00 - “Are there any other materials that you should have in front of you besides your resume?”

39:10 - “If you have the option to log into a video call or log into a phone, does it reflect negatively on you if you opt for a phone call and not the video call?”

41:29 - “What questions would you ask a recruiter during an interview that you would ask the recruiter that you can write down?”

44:58 - “How much of ourselves should we show?”

45:26 - “If you are required to do a video interview, does the thank you note apply?”

46:30 - “I just finished having a virtual interview and the interviewer's background was very distracting, how do I overcome that in the future?”

48:57 - “If you were let go from a position and the recruiter asks you about that position on your resume. How do you explain why you were let go and still position yourself positively?”

51:44 - “What is an appropriate timeline in which you should follow up with the recruiter after your interview to ask about your status?”

55:10 - “If you’ve been out of work for over a year and you’ve been job searching, should you or how should you express that during an interview? How to explain the gap?”

57:36 - “How relaxed is it acceptable to be during a virtual interview, can we make jokes?”

1:02:14 - “How do I assess which skills are the most relevant within this current job market?”