Remote interviews may have become necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now that the genie is out of the bottle, employers and job seekers are embracing the benefits of doing interviews over video chat.

For job seekers, the convenience of a remote interview is a trap. You may be able to take an interview in the comfort of your own home, but the way you present yourself still matters. Therefore, you should still take a deliberate and professional approach to have any chance of a remote interview. What are the best wWays to ace a remote interview?

Check the Overall Look

Many of us get anxious about appearing on camera, especially in front of strangers. However, you’re not expected to have a movie star presence when interviewing remotely. Your appearance and your background need to be unobtrusive.

Start by making sure your camera and microphone are working correctly. Then, take steps to prevent any audio or visual distractions. If construction or some other loud activity is being performed outside your home and noise is unavoidable, adjust your settings and explain your situation upfront.

Next, make sure you have a clear background. While a natural background implies trustworthiness and transparency, a virtual background shouldn’t disqualify you from getting the position.

Finally, make sure you have a good internet connection that will be maintained in the middle of your interview.

If you need a professional-looking setup, consider visiting a friend’s house or renting a meeting room through a coworking space.

Maintain Professionalism During the Interview

It’s crucial to come across as professional and organized during the interview. Start by being on time. Having a few notes going into the discussion for reference is OK, but you should avoid scripting answers.

Focus on answering questions directly using concise language. Refrain from belaboring a point or going off on unnecessary tangents. If you do, you not only risk saying something foolish, but you could also come across as someone who contributes to endless virtual meetings with their constant chatter. If brevity doesn’t come to you naturally, consider practicing it during your practice interview sessions.

Convey Your Unique Value

Every candidate is unique, but not everyone can convey their unique value to a potential employer. If you have in-demand skills or experience, convey that as best you can over the remote connection. Be prepared to send any links, articles, projects, and other materials that help convey your value over Microsoft Teams or Zoom during the interview.

Also, feel free to share a few personal details. Even if you are interviewing for a fully remote position, you still must work with people over email, text message, and video chat. If they can get to know you personally, it’ll make you a more compelling candidate.

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Both anxiety-inducing and mundane at the same, writing a resume isn’t an entertaining way to pass the time. 

Because writing it feels like such a chore, resumes often contain basic errors, and sadly, even minor mistakes can sabotage good candidates before they get to the interview stage. 

A recent study from Adzuna involving nearly 93,000 resumes found misspelled words to be the most common resume mistake. Other common mistakes included the need for a career summary, gaps in work history, and inappropriate file names. 

These simple mistakes may seem unrelated to a candidate’s job ability, but companies increasingly rely on automated software to screen applications. These automated programs are designed to flag any spelling, grammatical or other mistakes. Flagged resumes are often relegated to the bottom of the digital pile. 

To be fair to employers, simple mistakes can indicate an applicant did not take the process seriously, or they would be prone to making basic errors if hired. Job openings often receive multiple applications, and employers usually have the luxury of dismissing resumes with minor mistakes. 

A simple way to spot any typos or minor oversights is to have someone else proofread your resume. A fresh set of eyes is all it takes to avoid sabotaging your next application. 

How Do You Save Yourself from Sabotaging Your Next Application? Catching typos is just the beginning. 

Misspelled words may be the most common resume mistake, but many other pitfalls should be considered before submitting your next application.  

Another common mistake, according to the Adzuna study, is leaving a gap in the work history section. If there is a gap of two or more months in a candidate’s work history, it will likely raise a red flag for a potential employer.  

Between the Great Recession and COVID-19, many people have found themselves out of work in the past couple of decades, and there’s no shame in having a gap in your work history. However, it should be dressed in some fashion. If you went to school or did volunteer work while unemployed, it should be mentioned in your work history to close that gap. Even if you stayed home to raise young children or look after a sick loved one, putting that in your work history shows you didn’t just spend months sitting on your couch.  

It’s also vital to ensure you have an optimal filename and format for your resume. When titling your resume file, use your full name followed by the word “Resume.” This can avoid any mix-up on the part of the recruiter or hiring personnel

While some submission portals allow for PDF files, a Microsoft Word document should be your default format. Be sure to check any submission guidelines to ensure you submit a file format that can be read by both a human and any resume-scanning software.  

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