How to Master Virtual Job Interviews

If you’re looking to take the next step in your career, you’ll likely visit online job boards like ZipRecruiter to search for available positions that match your experience and needs. As hybrid and fully remote work environments have become the norm, so has video platform interviewing. Screening by phone has always been a typical step in the interview process, and now it’s not uncommon for recruiters to keep candidates at home for all interviews.

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Some people thrive in an in-person interview, but virtual interviews also have benefits — you just need to be prepared. Brushing up on your work experience and rehearsing your answers can give you the confidence you need to succeed at an interview.

Here are some basic considerations and reminders to make a great first impression and make your virtual interviews successful:

• Dress according to the circumstance
• Make sure you are in a quiet and well-lit place
• Mute notifications
• Have a neat and professional background
• Make sure you have a strong internet connection
• Avoid public places like cafes
• Familiarize yourself with the video platform by testing your camera and microphone before calling

Prepare for the conversation.

Interviews typically consist of behavioral, technical, analytical, functional, and open-ended questions. Employers want a better idea of ​​your experience as it applies to your open role, your office culture, and how you respond in certain situations.

Here are some questions to expect in your virtual interview and how to answer them.

Why do you want to work here?

This question is all about preparation. Study the job description and research the company. Interviewers can tell when you’ve taken the time to learn about the organization.

From there, you can provide examples of how the position aligns with your career goals, mention that you’re looking for mentoring, or if you’d like your next step to offer opportunities to build.

What are you most proud of?

Talking about your accomplishments can be a fantastic way to differentiate yourself from the competition. Try to sound confident without being boastful. Share your most interesting, relevant and impressive achievements. It’s even better if you can show an example or provide quantifiable results of your impact.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Interviewers ask this to understand your career goals and how you might fit into the organizational structure. Hiring can be expensive for employers, so they want to hire people who are more likely to invest in the company.

It’s okay to keep things general, but pay attention to how your career goals align with what the company and position can offer.

Tell us about a time when you encountered a challenge and how you overcame it?

The interviewer wants to see how you manage yourself and deal with ambiguity. Your response should follow the “STAR Method” format, explaining the situation, your role, the actions you took, and the results of your solution. Help your interviewers visualize your posts by providing quantifiable results.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Many candidates loathe this question, but you can use it to your advantage. Interviewers learn a little about self-confidence from this question.

Reference skills from the job description to create a list of your strengths. Don’t exclude your weaknesses from a hire, and be sure to explain what you’re doing to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

If you’re still looking for your next career move, ZipRecruiter can help. It is the #1 rated job board in the US¹ and offers a convenient mobile app and one-tap application so you can apply to jobs with confidence wherever you are. ZipRecruiter streamlines the hiring process and offers helpful resources like resume templates and interview tips to help job seekers land their dream jobs.

^{1 Based on G2 satisfaction ratings as of January 1, 2022}