Over the years I’ve been involved in interviewing remote candidates, and I felt like most candidates were missing the big picture. It’s not just about facing the interview or about your skills — it’s about how you come across as a person through the screen.
In this guide, I will be focusing on tips that are equally important as your core skills. The 10 tips I discuss in the following video will help you approach your remote interviews effectively by projecting your personality through the screen while showcasing your skills.
Remote Interview Guide: Key Takeaways
- Check your outfit, internet connection, surroundings, lighting, noise, and background. If you think anything is off, fix it before the meeting starts.
- The first thing to do is listen to your interviewer carefully and patiently wait until you’re given the chance to speak. Don’t come across as someone who interrupts others while they’re speaking.
- Don’t read a description from paper or your screen that you’ve previously written about yourself. Instead, based on the job, write down key points you want to highlight and talk through those points. It’s perfectly fine to pause and think about something you really don’t want to miss talking about. Those spontaneous moments help the interviewer get to know more about you as a person.
- Do some research about the company and role, and be prepared to discuss how your expertise and skills fit the position. Your knowledge about the role and company should impress your interviewer.
- Don’t look up things on the internet or use AI tools to answer questions you don’t know during the interview, unless your interviewer explicitly asks you to do so. It’s obvious when you’re trying to trick the interviewer, and ultimately it’s yourself you’re letting down. So don’t do that.
- Be prepared to say “I don’t know” about things you’re unfamiliar with, but explain what you would do to learn them if given the opportunity. Share how you learned things in your current role that you didn’t know before joining. Show them you’re a fast learner.
- Be prepared to discuss how you currently balance your work and personal life effectively while working remotely. Show the interviewer you’re capable of delivering results without constant reminders about priorities. Bring examples from your current role to demonstrate how you’ve done this.
- Try to build up the conversation by asking genuine questions related to the role and express your curiosity about the position, the organization, and the team.
- Share a bit of your personal side – for example, your personal interests, hobbies, achievements, or things you’re passionate about outside your work field. Give the interviewer a chance to know you better and aim to leave a lasting positive impression about the person behind the screen.
- Finally, don’t be shy about sipping tea, coffee, or water during the interview. At the end of the day, we all love to work with people who know how to calm their nerves and come across as relaxed.
When applying for remote jobs, it’s worth reminding yourself that you should tailor your CV and cover letter to match the specific remote & technical aspects of that particular role. I have also written this article, if you are keen to learn about my top 5 career growth tips from my personal experience.
Need help with your remote interview preparation? Don’t hesitate to get in touch through our Contact page.
Remote Interview Checklist (For Hiring Managers)
I have also prepared the above as a printable checklist where you can use when interviewing candidates remotely. Use this as a supplementary guide alongside your established interview criteria. This checklist is not meant to be used independently. Always rely on your professional judgment and company-specific hiring requirements.
🎯 Need Expert Help?
If you’re facing challenges with remote work, I offer 1:1 coaching and tailored support to help you succeed at remote setup. Whether you’re just starting out, growing as a remote contributor, leading a team, or launching a remote-first start-up, Remote Winners offers targeted 1:1 coaching to help you thrive in a distributed world. We also provide tech consultancy services—from idea-to-product guidance to cloud deployment and cybersecurity reviews—to help organisations strengthen their technology and processes.
If you are unsure where to begin, drop us a message and we’ll be in touch.
Cover photo – https://unsplash.com/photos/a-woman-sitting-in-front-of-a-laptop-computer-LZR6GNRLdhU
