Congratulations! After what seems a lifetime, your resume has made it through the various hoops of executive scrutiny, and you have snagged an interview. You have your interview outfit prepared. You are good to go! Or are you?
The professional world, like so much else in our lives, has shifted. Just as conventional job-hunting methods have evolved, so have the hiring practices and personnel evaluations of employers. Employers and their companies are challenged in ways they barely expected several years ago.
What has changed? For one thing, technology (think the ubiquitous Zoom call) is an essential tool for hiring managers. Often, it is the first step in the hiring process. Many employers appreciate the flexibility remote interviewing allows them. And they can employ from virtually any market and significantly expand their talent pool.
Another change is the focus of the interview. In addition to the traditional questions—tell us about yourself, how did you hear about this position, can you give an example of a time you made an error—you have another set of inquiries to which you must respond. Employers want to know if you are good at managing yourself. They want to discern how you organize your time, can you work remotely, can you manage remote teams, and how you can manage interactive communication. Employers also want to know about your relationship to your computer: both the hardware and software.
How do you prepare? Be sure your technology works. Be aware of the platform. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facetime all have different audio and video personalities. Be sure you know how they work. Be mindful of how you appear on camera. Check your body language as much as your appearance. Think about your answers. While there may be some curveball questions, think about how you work and how that impacts the potential job. Finally, be prepared to ask some questions of your own. It shows your interest in them. Finally, some things never change. Be sure to thank your interviewers at the end of the session and follow up with a thank-you note.
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