Job Hunting and interviewing can be nerve-wracking, especially in the remote work landscape! But don’t worry, we have got you! Here are a few tips on how you succeed in your job hunt and interviews.
We’ll give you the best advice to stand out amongst other candidates who are applying for the same vacancy, to ensure that you land an interview with your dream remote company, and to leave a great impression on your future manager!
Step 1 – Stand out from the crowd with an outstanding CV
Your CV plays a crucial role in securing an interview with your desired remote company. As the first impression you make on recruiters, it’s essential to avoid grammatical errors and ensure the information is accurate. Here are some of the key points to consider:
• Tailor your CV: Make sure that the information on your CV matches the duties and responsibilities of the job you are applying for. The recruiter will look for keywords that match the job specifications written in the job ad.
• Maintain a professional format: Avoid unaligned margins, incoherent formats, and colorful texts. Keep your paragraphs or points short and concise. A well-structured and organized CV is an indication that you focus on quality.
• Seek feedback: Don’t hesitate to share your CV with your colleagues or friends for a peer review. Your loved ones will be honest about how your CV looks, so ask for their help to make sure your CV is perfect!
Step 2 – Share your CV!
To increase the visibility of your CV and stand out among other applicants, consider the following approaches:
• Company Portal: Once you have a CV that you are happy to submit, and you are sure that it best represents you as a candidate you can submit it through the company’s portal.
• LinkedIn: Search for the company you are applying to, go on that company’s page, and look for the job vacancy that you are applying for. On that job advertisement, 7/10 times you will find the person who is directly hiring for that vacancy also published there. If you find this key person you can also send them a short message on LinkedIn telling them you are interested in the vacancy, and why would you be a good fit by highlighting how you match the skills and qualifications they are looking for and send this message along with your CV.
• Connect with existing employees: Another way to get the recruiter’s attention or the hiring manager is sending a connection request to one of their existing employees. You can send a tailored message to them saying that you saw that their company is hiring for this vacancy and that you would be interested in it. You can ask them to refer your CV and most of the time you will get a positive response as existing employees usually know where or who is hiring for the vacancy you are interested in.
NB: Having a good CV and a good strategy in applying for a vacancy will position your chances well in landing you an interview with your dream company as the recruiter/hiring manager will be curious and interested in knowing more about you as you have stood out amongst the majority of applications.
Once you have landed your interview with the company you can move on to step 3 which is preparing for your interview.
Step 3 – Prepare to impress your future colleagues
Before your remote interview, in-depth preparation is key.
• Research interviewers: When preparing for your interview it is always a good idea to know beforehand who will be interviewing you and if it is a panel interview who will be part of it. Researching these people beforehand and finding out which departments they look after in the company and the roles they play will help you to feel like you already know them, making you less nervous for the interview because you are well prepared. You will usually find this information on who will be present on the day of your interview in the meeting invite and if it is not there you can ask the recruiter/hiring manager who will be in the meeting.
• Learn about the company: It is vital for you to know about the company before the initial interview with them. This means you need to spend some time researching them and going through their company website, LinkedIn page, and past posts to see what they have been up to in the previous months. You need to try to learn as much as you can about the company you are interviewing for as this helps you answer any questions better in an interview, it shows how motivated and interested you are in the company. Proper research will not only help you answer the questions well, but it will also help you in formulating your own questions to ask the recruiter during an interview as well.
• Make it a two-way process: It is important to remember that in an interview it is a two-way process, you are being interviewed to see if you would be a good fit but you are also interviewing that company as well to see if they are indeed your employer of choice.
• Prepare your questions: It is important for you to ask questions in an interview, ask about the company, the role, and the team because this will show the recruiter/hiring manager that you are curious to know more about them. It also shows how motivated you are. Avoid asking questions that are easily available on the company website or LinkedIn Page as this would indicate that your research was superficial, and you weren’t as prepared for the interview.
Now that you are well prepared for your interview, here’s how you will ace it!
Step 4 – Ace that call!
On the day of your remote interview, employ the following strategies to make a positive impression:
• Test your equipment: Make sure to test your Mic, Camera, and internet connectivity 15 minutes early. The last thing you need is a technical issue. It’s also a benefit in case you would need time to communicate to the recruiter that you are facing any challenges before your interview starts.
• Be punctual: Being on time for an interview is a good indicator of punctuality.
• Dress professionally: While it’s a given to dress formally for a physical interview, an online interview in the comfort of your home would still need the same effort! This means you need to ensure that the clothes that you are wearing are professional and presentable.
• Create a suitable environment: Make sure your background is neat and tidy and that you are conducting the call in a noise-free environment as 60% of the time the noisy environment does impact the overall quality of your interview. There is a high chance that you and the recruiter will be distracted by the noise or commotion that is happening in the background if this is not taken into consideration.
• Consider the light: Natural Light is usually the best. When sitting in front of the screen, light coming from a window often works better than even professional equipment. Natural light coming in from behind can cast shadows, making it difficult to see your face clearly.
• Smile and be comfortable: Lastly do not forget to SMILE! – the key factor for any successful interview is having both you and the recruiter comfortable during the meeting. Therefore, the recruiter will try their best to ensure you are comfortable, take advantage of that, and make sure the recruiter is comfortable too! Remember – No one wants to work with someone that makes them feel awkward and uncomfortable.
• Seek feedback and address concerns: At the end of the interview, ask the recruiter for feedback! Let them know that you care about this opportunity and look for ways to improve in future interviews. Do not hesitate to also ask about any concerns or reservations that were discussed during the interview or have any concerns on any of your answers so that you can quickly address this and give reassurance where it’s needed. This way you won’t leave any room for doubt as to why you are the best candidate for the position!
Are you ready to take the next step in your remote career? DiXiO is actively seeking talented individuals to join our dynamic remote team. Visit our careers page to explore our current open vacancies.
Good luck and Happy Job Hunting! 😊
