A formal smile can make us look confident, right? But then how many of us can actually do that! All of us are nervous before an interview and yes we might end up messing with the situation even before the beginning. The importance of interviews remains the same be it offline or online. In both cases , first impressions matter. With the rise in employment opportunities through online interviews , people are getting confused as to what to do and what not to. Traditional interviews and online interviews are obviously similar, just the mode is different and this is what makes a huge difference to the entire procedure. One Awkward hello and another weird goodbye can really take the ball out from your court. Greetings and soft skills really play an important part in the idea of self advertising and can make a difference in the impression we create of ourselves. To stand out in an interview , we must know how to meet and greet people in the interview panel. If they sense you are not confident enough, you might really lose the game and have to take a step back from that dream job. Majority companies are hiring people through online interviews due to the surge in covid 19 cases. It’s a pandemic but the show must go on. Organisations are giving opportunities to work from home, but the interview process is still the same.
STATISTICS
- According to TechRepublic, a survey by Gartner says, almost 86 percent of the companies are hiring people through video conferencing due to the pandemic.
- Another poll by gartner showed that 85 percent of the organisations are hiring employees through new technology.
- As many as 82 percent of companies anticipate a decline in the external hiring process in the next three months.
- 54 percent of organizations have delayed starting dates of the employees , as in they got a job but they still did not get the opportunity to start.
- 31 percent of the organizations have cancelled internship programs due to their own reasons for not hiring interns.
- 63 percent of leaders in the recruitment process reported that more than half of the job openings are currently frozen.
- 39 percent of the people are open to switching their own positions within their own organisation due to active internal hiring.
Due to the slow hiring process , and according to the statistics above, there are less employment opportunities and more people to apply for jobs. This clearly shows the importance of standing out in an interview to grab the offer. To avoid that wrong move we need to keep certain things in mind such that we don’t mess up with the situations. We may learn or read about various things related to the company or questions related to the organisation, position or field and can even read and memorise the contents of the resume properly but still might not be confident enough to ace the interview due to few confusions in addressing the people in the interview panel.
Things to keep in mind before and during the interview
- Flash that confidence on your face - In general cases we meet the receptionist first but in an online interview , we directly meet the panel therefore, it is very important to maintain a confident facial expression as there is absence of physical gestures.
- Wish the people present in the meeting - It is better to say good morning , afternoon, evening according to the time , keeping the timezones in mind.
- Wait for the panel to start with your interview - One thing to keep in mind before greeting the panel is waiting for them to complete their tasks before approaching you and being patient when they talk to each other.
- Answer questions to drive the conversation - Awkward silences is not good, the conversation should go on and must be interesting. Therefore , it is very important to participate in the conversation.
- Avoid lies to shine bright - Be honest as much as possible, lies might put you in trouble because one lie would lead to another, thus in the process of covering up you might lose confidence or end up saying the truth both are not good.
- Join the conversation - Every interview starts with small talk about which state you live in and other casual questions. We need to answer the point casually but not end up rambling. It is just to drive the conversation and not a friendly talk.
- Don’t hurt anyone's emotion - Make sure not to hurt the sentiments of the people conducting your interview. It is important to keep them on your side , so manners really work well.
- Overconfidence is not the key - It is very important that we are confident and not over confident by answering extra things out of the league of what’s asked!
- Ace the test with ease - Interviews are meant to be pressure tests but being nervous is not the key to ace it.
Things To Keep In Mind After an Interview
- Thank the panel - You can tell them thank you for considering you for the position.
- Wait before you leave the link - Wait for any concluding thoughts to avoid an abrupt ending.
- Ask permission - ask them politely whether you can leave the meeting or not.
- Say things to end well - Before leaving the meeting, make sure to bid a polite goodbye or just say have a nice day to end things well.
- Don’t ask anything out of turn- Before leaving the meeting if you want to ask any questions, make sure to ask them when the panel gives time to question them or simply ask for permission to ask questions without cutting their conversation in between.
- Be on the same page - Do not go out of league. Make sure to be on the same page and not talk extra.
- Smartness is the impression key - Be smart and do not give them the opportunity to think that you do not know basic interview manners.
- Don’t send emails right after interviews - Do not ever send a mail just after the interview asking to consider you for the position, there’s a certain way to follow up.
Patience and confidence is the key when it comes to online interviews. There are many people applying for the same position , it is not just you. Be confident in whatever you say. Being nervous is natural but then what if you mess up with things you know the answers to? Being confident is the key. If you answer one question wrong, you might gradually lose confidence and pass the ball into their court for them to ask more and more questions and in turn confuse you. Therefore , create an impression in the beginning itself and be honest as far as possible.
This article talks a lot about confidence right? This quote by Mitch Hedberg defines it all, “ I had a job interview with an insurance company once, and the lady said where do you see yourself in the next five years? I said ``celebrating the fifth year anniversary of you asking me this question.” This sounds a bit savage right? But this won’t always work. We need to sense the person’s personality before giving such replies. It can ruin the chances of getting hired because it might sound over confident to some and it might sound confident to some. That’s when the balance of confidence comes in.
To conclude, I would like to quote Mark Twain “ A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” for you ladies, let’s just replace the words. We decide what we choose to be, therefore, be bold, young and confident, and yes do not disrespect. Ace that interview with your confidence and amazing answers. Just keep the points in mind to ace it with flying colours and make a space in the organisation. All the best!
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