When you attend an interview, making a great first impression has to be a priority. However, for many professionals, virtual interviews are a new experience. As a result, they may not know precisely how to approach the situation to ensure their success.  

Thankfully, many of the steps you take to prepare for a traditional interview help. By adding a few additional steps that focus on the virtual portion of the meeting, you’re often set. If you don’t know where to begin, here are some virtual interview best practices to embrace.  

Practice, Practice, Practice  

As with any interview, practicing your answers is a smart move. Through planning and repetition, you can hone your responses and increase your comfort level with the points you want to share. You also create an opportunity to work through any kinks, ensuring you can be articulate and precise when your interview time arrives.  

If you rehearse with a friend, family member, or trusted colleague, you can increase your practice time value. They can provide you with feedback designed to allow you to be at your best, ensuring the impression you make is positive and a lasting one.  

Dress for Success  

While it may be tempting to interview in pajama bottoms, it’s not a good idea. You never know if you may need to stand up during the virtual meeting. If such a situation arises, your lack of appropriate attire will be revealed.  

Additionally, how you dress impacts your mindset. When choosing professional attire that you would typically select for an interview, you ensure you approach the experience with the right attitude.  

Get Your Tech in Order  

With virtual interviews, technology can be your ally or your enemy. Technical issues can alter the impression you make, potentially harming your chances of getting a job.  

Before your interview, spend a little time to make sure the software or portal you need works properly. Additionally, check your camera, microphone, and speakers, or earpieces. That way, you can confirm that you can be seen and heard clearly during the interview.  

Watch Out for Your Background  

During a virtual interview, the camera captures more than just you; it also sees the space behind you. Objects, art, and anything else positioned behind you may be viewable by the hiring manager. And, if any of it is inappropriate or controversial, it may make a wrong impression.  

When you’re checking your tech, carefully examine what else is in the camera’s view. If it isn’t something you’d want the hiring manager to see (or base their impression of you on), move it to another location away from the camera’s lens.  

Create a Distraction-Free Space  

You want to make sure that you can focus during your interview. Choose a distraction-free space that you can at least somewhat control, like closing the door.  

Additionally, let any other household members know that you are unavailable during the interview. An interruption may not make a great impression, so it’s critical to ensure one doesn’t occur.  

Follow-Up Appropriately  

As with all interviews, follow-up is a critical part of the process. After the meeting, send out a thank you email expressing your appreciation and reasserting your interest.  

You can also plan for additional follow-up if necessary. If you don’t hear back by the decision date, the hiring manager provided or, if you didn’t get a date, one to two weeks after the interview, reach out again for an update.  

Looking for Your Next Career Opportunity? 

Ultimately, all of the tips above can help you leave a lasting impression during your virtual interview. If you’d like to gain more interview opportunities, the team at Alpha Consulting can help. Contact us or browse our online job portal and apply today.