Career expert Richard Allnutt believes that virtual interviews are here to stay, but don't fret, he has given some fantastic advice on how you can be well-prepared for these.
Richard Allnutt, Director at CareerWave.
Whether you are searching for jobs, or applying to colleges or universities, a virtual interview is pretty much inevitable - and will still be here after the pandemic - according to Richard Allnutt, founder of CareerWave, a career guidance company in the North East.
Sometimes even hearing the phrase "virtual interview" can put you on edge, but any fears you have will soon be put at ease, with some excellent career guidance from Richard, a career development professional, to help you on your way.
Don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming magazine which will feature more useful pandemic-related career advice.
Richard believes it is important to know how to adapt to virtual interviews. "The first thing to note is having a conversation with someone in this format is important, and a lot of young people will not have done that before." He added:"I think we have to accept there will be lots of young people who don't like this, and there's lots of people who don't generally like having conversations this way, but it's here to stay."
One of the reasons Richard believes these interviews are here to stay, is because of their efficiency. "Employers don't have to get people coming into their office anymore to have these interviews." This is why he feels that its now an important skill for a young person to learn. "I think its important, whatever means people have to have these conversations, in a more formal setting, like a career guidance interview, its important for young people to understand that is part of their learning as well, being able to hold a conversation like this."
Photo Credit: Lukas Blazek via Unsplash
Richard advised that you should consider the room you will be in for the interview. "Basically, it’s a lot around the environment, setting up a call like this, making sure that you’re in private surroundings and that you’re not going to be interrupted." He also suggested making sure that you know how to use the technology prior, and don't forget the basics. "Do you understand your mute? even basics like the mute button, turning the camera off and on."
A vital point outlined by Richard was to ensure you maintain eye contact with the interviewer at all times. "It's very difficult not to keep looking at yourself in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, but know that’s you taking your eye contact away from the interviewer."
Other basic but crucial points included turning phones off, making sure there's no interruption, as well as considering how you dress."There’s not the same kind of rules around business dress but smart-dress would be needed for most interviews anyway."
Finally, Richard advised not to tread on unknown territory. "Keep it simple, if you don’t know how to share screens and resources, don’t try it for the first time in an interview." He added: "If you’re going to have to do that, then you should practice how to do it by going through it with family or friends."
Although it may seem daunting at first, virtual interviews are nothing to be scared about, just make sure you are well-prepared and know the basics of the platform before the call.
Good Luck! You've got this.
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