Remember when there was no internet and no standardized online hiring procedure? Yeah, me neither. But even back then engineers were being hired every day and starting new jobs. The point is though that back then, the principles for an interview were based on getting yourself physically in front of a person. So that you could then tell them who you are, why you’re interested in their company, and what you can do in order to positively impact the organization’s bottom line or improve the quality of their products or services.
Remote interviews are becoming more common in today’s job hunt. And thanks to technology it has become so much easier than ever before to find an engineering job in another country. Enter Skype: Skype has made it so easy to video chat over PCs and mobile devices that more employers are using it to replace (at least initial) in-person interviews.
Employers want to know a lot more about you than just your characteristics, contained in your CV . Specifically characteristics that may or may not qualify you for the specific engineering job before moving you to a new country. So if you are preparing to online interview for a job in another country, how do you give yourself the biggest chance of success? We have a few tried and true tips to prepare you for your online job interview:
# 1 Candidates often fall into the trap of thinking that phone or video interviews are different to ‘normal’, face-to-face interviews. The fact is the only difference between video and face to face interviews is the medium. You will be asked the same questions and the interviewer will expect the same level of preparation and quality as they would if you were right in front of them.
# 2 Make sure your (Skype) profile picture is professional and reflects that side of you.
# 3 Always dress for your online interview as if you were going to your interview in person.
# 4 Make sure you are in a location where you are alone. You want the interviewers full attention, you don’t want them distracted by other people. Do you best to make arrangements for children and pets during your interview. I’m sure they are adorable, but again you want the attention on you.
# 5 Keeping the attention on you: look around the room and see if any of the background has distracting items. Get rid off them, or change location.
# 6 If you are using a laptop it should be positioned on a stable surface, such as a desk. If you are using your phone, find a way to secure the phone so that you aren’t holding it. It is distracting when the picture keeps bouncing around. And don’t forget to take a moment to make sure that you can see yourself so you know how you look through the webcam.
# 7 Maybe most important: relax. You are the professional. We wouldn’t have you on an online interview if you did’t have what it takes.