How to prepare for remote job interviews

Remote work is no longer an uncommon practice. It may appear to be a poor arrangement at first, but multiple research pieces have shown its benefits to employees and employers. It is known to increase employee productivity and retention. Companies have begun to realize its usefulness, and most of them offer remote jobs for various roles. Employees certainly prefer companies that offer remote work over those who strictly maintain the traditional setup of working from office premises.

Just like any job, you’ll be required to appear for an interview before being hired for the remote job. It is necessary to be prepared for the interview to impress your employers and stand out amongst the competition. Don’t forget that remote work attracts talent from all across the world, not just your local area. You need to be at your best. To help you with it, we offer a few tips to prepare for remote job interviews.

Organize your interview space

Having a cluttered and messy area around you does not leave a good first impression on your employers. Remember this is the first look they’ll be getting of you, keep it positive. A lot can be gleaned about your personality from the surroundings you keep. So, after you have chosen an appropriate place to sit down for the interview, make sure that it is clean. If there are any extra items that are not required, then remove them from the area. If the frame allows your interviewers a look at the space behind you, clean that as well. There shouldn’t be any clothes strewn around the floor, or unnecessary pages lying on the table. Organize your interview space. Let them see that you are a complete professional.

Check your IT infrastructure

You are interviewing for a remote job where you’ll be working virtually for the company. Developing technical issues in the middle of the interview does not make you look good for a remote job. It is imperative that you ensure your hardware and software are all operating smoothly. Sometimes there are glitches that cannot be avoided. But the things which are in your hands, see to it that they work well. Ensure that the software/tool being used to conduct the interview is installed and updated, the computer is charged, the webcam is on and well positioned, the microphone is working, and the Wi-Fi is connected. Establish there are no internet connectivity issues. During the interview, close all extra apps and windows, and keep your phone on silent. To make sure everything works the way you want, perform a test run with the interview app to ascertain the video and audio quality.

Dress appropriately

Remote work doesn’t require you to work in appropriate office attire. If you are working from your home, you could be in comfortable pajamas, and it wouldn’t matter. But that doesn’t mean you can dress similarly for your interview. An interview is a professional meeting with your potential employers and how you dress up reflects on your personality and intent. We suggest you dress up in formals. Sometimes dressing the part makes you connect better with the role. Prefer sober colors that don’t stand out too much and ensure they are properly ironed. Apart from your clothing, tidy up your appearance as well. Clean up well before appearing for the interview. Get a good night’s sleep to avoid looking tired or inattentive. You need to make them believe that you are serious about this job by following the established interview protocols.

Keep your resume handy

Interviewers have the resume of the candidates they are interviewing ready with them. They refer to it while asking questions. It will be a good idea to keep your resume with you as well when giving an interview. Interviews can be stressful for some people, and it tends to make them forget about little things. If you are not one of them, great. But if you get nervous, having your resume handy allows you to look at it to answer specific questions if needed instead of panicking and taking too long to respond or answering incorrectly.

Prepare yourself for the common questions

This is the most crucial part of the interview that you need to prepare for- the questions they ask. Like any other job interview, make a list of all potential questions that are asked in your field or industry and have an answer ready for them. Look up questions that are asked for the job title you are interviewing for and prepare yourself, so you aren’t caught off-guard. You will also be asked questions pertaining to remote work because you are interviewing for a remote job. One of the most fundamental questions to have an answer ready to is, “Why do you want to work remotely?” Other than that, you can be asked about your managing abilities, communication skills, and accountability. They will be trying to gauge if you can succeed as a remote worker in their company. It is your job to show them effectively that you are reliable and self-motivated. Present them your prior remote work experience. If you don’t have any, then talk about the instances you successfully worked from home when you had to. Prepare yourself for remote work questions as well as you can.

Ask questions from your interviewers

When your interviewers ask if you have any questions for them, never refuse. This is a perfect opportunity for you to exhibit your knowledge about the company. But to do that, you need to read up on the company you are interviewing you and gain an understanding of them. Accordingly, you can put up questions asking them about their remote work policy, the tools used by the company for virtual meetings, or if they meet the remote employees personally before they start with the company. Follow up questions are a way for you to let your interviewers know that you are interested in the company and their work.

A remote job interview will try to ascertain not just your knowledge about the job you are applying for, but also your aptitude as a potential remote employee. You need to successfully substantiate both to be able to land the remote job in the company you want. We hope these few tips will help you prepare for remote job interviews.