Preparing for a Remote Interview

COVID-19 has changed everything around. The world is no more the same as before the pandemic outburst. The changing lifestyle is much more different from the earlier days. The worst hits are health, education, and the job market. Working from home or remote work is the present-day jargon for applying for a job. Most of the vacancy advertisements specifically mention the nature of attendance like part-time, full-time, office attendance, or remote work.

The pandemic will have to go sooner or later, but the concept of remote work is here to stay forever. Wise people avoid resisting reality. Remote work needs an open-arms welcome. Get ready for the work-from-home option when applying for a job through a remotely conducted interview.

In that case, you have to answer questions to prove your fitness for remote working. Your prospective employer surely is searching for someone independent, motivated, self-disciplined, and an impressive communicator. Following are some of the skills that are vital for a candidate facing a remote interview.

Day Organizer

Remote work offers many perks. The most significant among those is flexibility. Most remote jobs do not expect you to work on specific schedules. You are at liberty to set your working time. Some jobs do ask for time tracking. Still, you are free to wear casuals and work from your bed, sofa, or kitchen table.

Formal attire and an office table are not mandatory for working from home. You can set your work pace, get intervals, pick up and drop your kids from school and go to a cash and carry at the adjacent street corner. Your ability to organize your day can best help to succeed in a remote interview

Remote Contact

The formal office environment is demanding on many counts. Like dressing, timing, communicating and networking with colleagues. You have to remain alert because devices are monitoring and recording your every move. The same is somewhat true in remote work as well. Communication and networking are must-needed skills for outclass performance.

Fortunately, a single tool called a laptop is enough to meet all communication needs when connected to wifi. It provides a handful of applications needed for communication that can help you make calls, messages, email, and conduct virtual meetings with colleagues, teams, and customers. Knowing the art of communication and expressing yourself is your asset to impress your next boss in your remote work career

Setting Your Workspace 

Your understanding of the workspace setting is vital for your interviewer to make a fair assessment. Workspace setting is directly related to your performance. Sparing an isolated corner in the house near a window can help to avoid distraction. On the other hand, it provides sufficient daylight and fresh air.

A cozy, airy, and shiny workspace keeps your mood fresh that boosts your energy level. Your future remote interviewer will be happy to know your ability to set up a comfortable, suitably equipped workspace. This skill is merit for your selection. Look at your cozy, comfortable, and attractive place and leave a lasting impression expressing your ability to manage things.

An Effective Time Management

Time is money, and the world has fully understood what it exactly means. Businesses interested in hiring remote workers have developed monitoring and time-tracking tools. Technology helps to keep an effective check on their remotely working employees. Some employers rely on your skill to manage your remote work at your pace.

They might be interested in knowing the way you will get through the deal. Get awareness about the contemporary time management tools and techniques to answer the questions during a remotely conducted interview. Your knowledge and familiarity with the tools and techniques are perks to impress your interviewer.

Leading a Remote Meeting

Your skill to conduct and moderate virtual meetings is among the must-have credentials for the remote job. There are many applications for virtual meetings and video conferencing. Get attuned to the interface of leading apps like Zoom, Skype, Google-meet, and Zoom. Learn to skillfully use mobile and laptop apps at a professional level.

Getting familiar with such applications hones up your skill and expertise in interacting with your co-participants in a meeting or a video conference. Virtual meetings present a whole set of unique challenges. Your interviewer is rightfully interested to hear that you are ready to face these challenges and are competent to address them. 

Learn to Bargain

The interview is a two-way communication. You as an interviewee have a right to ask questions. Carefully frame your question to assess the job requirements, environment, numeration, and other perks associated with your job resulting from this interview. Never hesitate to ask questions that come to your mind.

Making a fair assessment of the office environment will help you adjust to your new job amicably. Never be shy to negotiate your pay package. An underpaid job reduces your productivity and demoralizes you in the long run.

Maintaining a Healthy Work-life Balance

Employers are concerned about their remote employees’ mental health in times of trouble as the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working is a blessing for many workers who can keep their jobs intact while offices are closed. It has its specific challenges. Peculiar mental issues like loneliness and stress are part of the package.

These issues can lead to hypertension and other health issues. Your potential employer for a remote work job must be interested in your abilities to create a work-life balance. “Always available” perhaps seems a mantra for readiness for remote work. But employers concerned about healthy work-life balance would discourage this practice. 

Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels

uhayat
  • uhayat
  • The author has rich management exposure in banking, textiles, and teaching in business administration.