The difference between an in-person and remote job interview

COVID-19 has changed many thing – one of those is that many interviews now take place remotely – so, what’s the difference?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Goals and achievement

Before discussing the differences, let’s look at the similarities.

1: Preparation: 80% of interviewees fail to do anything like enough preparation.

2: Practice: many interviewees lose out because they fail to practice and do mock interviews.

3: Identify and predict questions: typically, people predict 5-10 questions and fail to identify more than half. Many interviews now include approximately 20 questions in total!

4: Sell yourself: if you don’t sell yourself in an interview, someone else will and they will probably get the job offer, even if you have more experience or better skills.  

So how are remote job interviews different?

1: The technology: there are many different online meeting platforms, and you might be using one you are not familiar with. Be sure to research the platform and try to get comfortable with it to limit added stress on the day of the interview.

2: Building rapport: it’s not impossible to build rapport online – it just takes a bit more effort and practice.

3: Body language: always focus on the lens of the camera so that it feels to the interviewer that you are looking at them.

4: Concise answers: adding brevity is easier said than done and does take practice. You must at least be aware of limiting the long, drawn-out answer and prevent the interviewer from switching off.

Remote job interviews offer challenges and opportunities. Above all, you should try to adapt your approach and preparation to give you the best chance of success on the day of the interview.