Many job interviews have had to be remote recently, but as the world heals of COVID-19, we think remote interviews may be here to stay, especially as remote work becomes highly valued. Of course, some people will still prefer to conduct in person interviews if possible. So, in this blog we cover what you can do to perform your best in both an in-person interview as well as a video interview. We will list out the must do’s and don’ts for each!

Video interview must do’s

• Make sure you have a strong internet connection hours prior to your meeting
• Ensure your technology is working or that you have downloaded any programs required for the video interview
• Make sure to set up in a quiet room with an appropriate background
• Position your laptop and/or webcam at a direct and straight-on angle
• Log into the interview on time!
• It can’t hurt to wave hello instead of going for a handshake
• Dress as you would for an in person interview
• Make eye-contact and smile
• Speak naturally and confidently, avoid looking as if you a reading off anything
• Remember to ask questions!

Video interview don’ts

• It’s not a great idea to have pre-written answers, you will be tempted to read them, just practice your answers as if you were meeting in person
• Don’t have a messy or noisy background
• Avoid speaking over others and make sure the interviewers question is complete before you answer
• Don’t use your phone!
• Don’t take the interview whilst out and about
• Don’t look at yourself the whole time (it’s okay to be worried about how you are appearing but what you say is more important)
• Present yourself as you would in person; don’t slouch, cross your arms, lean too close or fidget. Use positive body language like sitting straight, nodding and smiling

In person job interview must do’s

• Plan your trip and account for potential delays
• Make sure your outfit is fresh, ironed and suitable for their company and expectations (you can check out their level of professional based on your research into their website and social channels)
• Get there 5-10 minutes early
• Whilst shaking hands is a bit of a no-go right now, you can decide how you want to greet your interviewer beforehand to avoid an awkward greeting
• As in a video interview, sit up straight and project positive body language
• Make an appropriate amount of eye contact and smile
• Make sure to ask questions and create a two-way conversation
• If you want to clarify a question, just ask for a little more detail

In person job interview don’ts

• Don’t show up late
• Avoid checking your phone, if you can, turn it off or place it away entirely
• Walking in without researching the company first, in fact, this goes for a video interview too! We have a step-by-step guide on how to research pre-interview here.
• Another one that applies to ALL interviews is, not having an elevator pitch for ‘tell me about yourself’ (most people struggle to explain this succinctly and to include the right information)
• Giving generic, rehearsed answers is not so impressive, make sure to include anecdotes and personal experience instead

As you may notice, once you are in the interview, your behaviour, whether in a video interview or an in person interview, should be confident and natural. Research before the interview about the company, the role and even about yourself and what you’ve provided them with can help with these confidence levels.

After all interviews, we 100% recommend following up and sending a note (in whatever form you feel fits best) thanking the interviewer for their time and expressing your interest in whatever the next steps may be. An example email could be; “Thank you for your time today, [insert name]. I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with you about the [insert role] position. I look forward to hearing from you regardless of the outcome. All the best, [your name].”

For more interview advice you can check out our advice hub here.