It may be dismaying when you are invited for an online/virtual interview. Worst of all is when the potential employer is within your neighbourhood and your head starts drooping and you want to shout ‘I am next door just call me to the office!’. Well, currently most employers use online interviews to shortlist their candidates for the one-on-one interview and therefore it is almost hard to evade the process.

Tips for preparation

1. Perform a pre-test on your gadget.

This may be a laptop, desktop, tablet or smart phone. During this activity ensure the audio, camera and video settings are okay. You can try with a friend or family member to ensure you are audible enough and the camera is clear. Ensure also the electronic is in good condition and doesn’t have any indications of breaking down any soon.

Ensure you are conversant with the most common online meeting platforms like zoom, google meet, Skype , Microsoft teams among others. Learn skills like chatting on them, screen sharing and also recording.

Repeat this exercise a day to the scheduled date of the interview.

• Good physical presentation

On the day of the virtual interview ensure you are well dressed and properly groomed from head to toe. This will give you the confidence you require to face the interviewers and interact with them professionally without feeling embarrassed about your looks. Clean your desk and remove any unnecessary utensils or stationary. A bottle and glass of water is enough because you don’t know how long the interview will take and it will not be convenient to leave your desk to go and quench your thirst.

• Find a serene place

The place should have good natural lighting preferably close to the window with less decoration or colourfull background. It should also be free from noise, no baby crying or people chatting and laughing. This will enable you to focus and give proper feedback/responses.

The interviewers will also feel respected and their time valued.

• Research about the company/ potential employer.

This includes what they deal in, the offices and any other branches, rules and policy, goals and also past achievements.

Also do homework on the advertised position and all it entails and how your skills will impact on the company.

• Prepare your own questions.

Have a list of your own questions and also an opinion on how you will respond to them if at all the challenge is posed back to you. Do not be clueless about your own questions but also limit your response to the scope of the employer setting.