You may (or may not) be asking yourself “What is a virtual interview?” In this “new normal,” everything has been changing and evolving and that includes not only how people are working but in the way interviews are being conducted.

An online interview takes place remotely, mostly using a video conference type of format. With this in mind there are a few things that you need to look out for that you probably wouldn’t have considered while doing a face-to-face interview, doesn’t matter whether you’re interviewing for a real estate virtual assistant or an administrative remote assistant.

Here are a few tips to help you knock it out of the park during your next online interview:

Test test test!

Make sure you test all your technology beforehand to ensure that it works properly for your virtual interview, as well as your internet connection to avoid potential issues that could come up. You don’t want to leave this until the last minute so if you have to download any specific platform or service your interview might require, you’ll have enough time to do so and you’ll be able to familiarize yourself with it.

Professional Virtual IDs

In this day and age your virtual identity might be just as important as your real one. So, don’t let the virtual assistant agency doubt your professionalism before you even meet by still using that one kind of funny email account you created back in middle school. Instead opt for a simple username as well as email address, trying out a few combinations of your first and last name or even adding your middle name if you have one.

Virtual IDs have become this new type of first impression, and you want to make sure the VA company gets a good one.

Dress for success

Even though you’re not leaving the comfort of your home, you should dress for the occasion, hence dress just as if you were doing an in-person interview (yep, that includes changing out of those really comfy pajama pants).

Dressing formally for the meeting might not cost you much but not dressing up definitely can. Remember that the first meeting can really impact how the interviewer perceives you and your interest for that virtual assistant position.

Distractions are a no go

Since you’ll most probably be home for your interview try to keep distractions to a minimum, but if you know that there is something out of your control that might interrupt you, always mention it at the beginning so the interviewer is well aware of this. If it's possible, try and set up a room where you can close the door and let whoever you live with know to not interrupt you for the duration of the interview.

And don’t forget to follow up!

Properly follow up within a day of your interview. A simple follow up email thanking the interviewer for their time might just be what sets you apart from the rest. You can also use this as an opportunity to elaborate on a point or if there was a question you felt you could’ve answered differently, just keep it brief.

If you’re ready to land your first gig as a virtual assistant (or if you’re already a VA and looking for something new) check out our openings, as one of the top virtual assistant companies we have new positions regularly!