Even a tech savvy person does a technical check before an online interview. A person who is not tech savvy must definitely do it without fail. Online interviews involve various apps and other technical details. One must be well versed with it such that there is no problem on the day of the interview. One technical failure can give us chills and might result in a reason to be nervous and anxious before the interview or might double the anxiety you already have. It is just not done. To avoid this, one must go through a checklist to avoid all possible mistakes.
Everything is happening online. People are still learning and that’s okay. You are not alone if you still feel nervous about things happening online. You will still shine in the online interview just the way you expected to do in the offline interview. Interview is the same, just the medium is changed. It is very important to have a technical checklist before appearing for the interview. The checklist should have every technical fear you might have regarding the online interview, it can be the app you would be using or any other thing.
Try out things which you don’t know and do not run away from your fears. Most importantly do not give up on those technical fears. It is just a cakewalk and you can do it. Technical setup and technical checks are huge words for a small procedure. We aren’t shooting a film here anyway. Let us put an end to all those technical fears for the one who has it or for those who don’t have technical fears just go through the checklist to avoid any mistakes whatsoever. One everything is checked in the checklist , you are all set to appear for an online interview.
Statistics
- Almost 13 percent of people have difficulty while working with technology at their workplace.
- Around 32 percent of candidates have difficulties getting a job done on time without any interruptions.
- About 38 percent of people feel that they are stressed.
Technical checklist before an online interview -
- Read the email containing technical details - before an online interview , the company will share details of the technical requirements. This might include information about web cams, laptop configurations, the software to use, guide on how to use it or any other special technical requirement if any. The mail will have details regarding the same and it is highly suggested to go through it and make a note of it in order to avoid any confusion. Making a checklist from the points in the email is very necessary. If at all you are doubting any of the technical requirements, work on it right away. It would be very useful to avoid any technical mishap. In case there is difficulty in understanding something even after seeking help from someone, contact the support id provided.
- Getting the hang of the software - the meeting invite will contain every detail about the interview. The time and the medium on which it will happen. Once you get to know the software. Try doing some mock runs on the software and be well versed with the basic options of raising hands, mute/unmute audio and video, how to leave the meeting and how to share your screen. It is very important to know how to share screens because it would be easier to share any document or ppt with the interview panel if required.
- Have an alternative - In case there is some problem with your laptop, your interview must not stop. Download the same software on your cell phone as well just as a plan B. use it if your laptop is stuck. Make sure to get the hang of using the mobile version as well. In case you are using your cell phone, make sure to let them know and give a valid reason. In case you do not own a laptop, in that scenario tell the truth, you would not be judged.
- Attend the practice round if any - few organisations do a mock trial before online interviews in order to ensure that there is no problem from the candidate’s end. If you are lucky to get a mock trial, it is highly suggested that you attend that. It will really ease the nervousness before the online interview.
- Select an area to sit for the interview - when I say select a space to sit for the online interview, I mean sitting in a space with proper network.
- Check the lights in your room - the place you select should have adequate light, well enough to light your face. The light should be from front such that your face is visible clearly. Any kind of back light without a front light source might deteriorate the light conditions and your face might not be visible after that. In a video conference , it is very important for the face to be visible clearly for a proper flow of conversation. The interviewers ask interviewees to switch on their cameras for two reasons - first, to recognise whether the correct person is giving the interview or not and to track their behaviour and other things. Second, to ensure they are not going through any notes or checking phones before answering whatsoever.
- Check the webcams - we do not really use our webcams all the time but this one time we need to check whether it is working properly or not. It is very important to clean the webcam because it might have some dust accumulated which might result in blurred images. To check whether it is functioning properly or not it is suggested to host mock meetings, switch on the video and check whether it is working fine or not.
- Do an audio check - being visible is important but we have to be heard clearly as well. We need to do microphone and audio checks to make sure we are heard loud and clear. If you are using earphones, make sure that the mic works well and you are heard loud and clear.
- Keep an extra device handy - mute the extra device you have and connect it to the laptop or PC you are using to the wifi and select the option to connect automatically. This extra device will save you if the current network does not work well.
- Have mock meetings - If you are not lucky enough to get this opportunity from the organisation, do it with anyone from your family. Mock meetings are very important to make sure if everything mentioned in the above points works perfectly fine.
On the day of the interview -
- Time factor - If the meeting link says that the interview is from 10 am, then don’t start setting up your device at 10am. Start from 9.30 am itself and join the meeting link 2 to 5 minutes before the joining time such that even if you have network issues before joining , you will eventually get in on time.
- Video and audio preview - make sure to check video preview to check the angle you are sitting in and the way you look. Make sure that the mic and speakers are working well. It is very important for them to hear you loud and clear.
“Let’s go invent tomorrow without worrying about what happened yesterday” - Steve Jobs
Forget about all past bad experiences you had in previous interviews and get ready for the upcoming one. Overcoming technical difficulties would be a cakewalk if you follow this checklist covering solutions for every possible mishap. This guide has enough precautionary measures to guide a candidate through the online interview process because these methods are tried and tested. Good luck for the next big interview! May you get hired!