#009: Nailing Your Online Interview

Welcome to the Freelancing Marketplace Podcast. You’re freelancing guide delivered your brand online remotely. And now here’s your host, Grace Locsin.

Hello, how are you guys doing? I hope that you’re feeling amazing just like I am because we are celebrating our fifth year anniversary as an eBay Corporation. So if you’re following our social media sites, you are probably excited about our giveaways. If not yet, please go and check out at Surge Digital Agency or at FVA, consultancy and you can avail yourself of our courses also our mini-courses and the things are going to be giving all of the freelancer’s marketers and business owners out there and really enjoy the benefits of freelancing. 

I would like to officially welcome you to the Freelancing Marketplace Podcast. My name is Juma Grace Locsin and I am the owner and creator of FVA Corporation. FVA corporation is providing freelancing courses services and freelancing solutions. The freelancing marketplace podcast is a show dedicated to freelancers, marketers, and business owners in order to help you advance or leverage your freelancing opportunities, especially in the digital revolution. Today, we’re going to be talking about how you can nail your online interview May you be a freelancer, a marketer, or a business owner, a lot of us really find out the best fit for a company through online interviews. And with the things that I’m going to be mentioning today, it’s more from the freelancer’s perspective. But as a marketer, or business owner probably can also get ideas on what you can expect from the ones that you’re interviewing. So for this topic, we’re going to be sharing tips on how we can nail your online interviews before the interview, what are tips that you need to be doing during the interview and even after the interview. later down the show. I’m going to also discuss your freelancing Tip of the Week and share my key takeaways. So just like what I mentioned earlier, there are three phases that you need to be aware of when it comes to nearly your online interview. It doesn’t really happen. It doesn’t really make an impression when you are right in the middle of your interview. It starts right from the very beginning, before the interview process during the interview process, and even after the interview process. 

So let’s discuss first what are the things that you need to be doing before the interview in order for you to nail your online interviews. before the interview, allow me to share five tips that you can do in order for you to nail your online interview. 

• Number one is you need to find a quiet place having a quiet place not really noisy background, there are no barking dogs, no loud music, there are no noises in the background. This can make sure that you are not disrupted during the interview process. And it’s not also distracting to the interviewers, especially if your interview is on unlined calls or especially if your interviews related to customer service or anything related that may need a quiet background because it may somehow discourage your interviewer or the employer and may reconsider your application if they would hear a lot of noises in your background. So find a quiet place in order for you to really ensure that you are making a good impression on your interviewer. There is also a lot of software out there you can download maybe even an extension to your Chrome that will allow you to minimize or eliminate the distractions or the noises. One of them is the Krisp app. So you might want to go ahead and check out or search the internet. What are the apps or the software that you can download in order for you to really limit noises and be distracted during the interview process. 
• Number two, what you need to be ensuring before the interview is setting up a good background. You need to ensure that you are in the right framing. So when the video interview is happening, there’s a good impression of what you look like and what your environment or working environment looks like. Because if there are people passing by in the background or under our messy kitchen or part of your house, it may also discourage your employer or your interviewer. Make sure that you have a need or simple background, maybe something plain and wide. You can also add a little touch to your background like maybe adding a plant or a lampshade. Or if you are having your interview via zoom, just ensure that you have the background that would suggest some static appeal. So number two, again, set up a good background for your framing. So when the video interviewer is looking at you, you have a neat and clean, and impressive background. 
• Number three, you have to ensure you have good lighting, good lighting can make a huge difference during interviews. If your interview is in the morning, you might be facing windows so there’s proper lighting, if you’re doing this during the evening, or if you’re situated in a place that’s not really bright, you might need some lampshade or a ring light. Just make sure also that if you’re using a ring light, you’re not wearing glasses, so it’s not really reflecting in your eyeglasses. So so just make sure that you are properly lighted, it may be through the natural light coming in through the window or a lampshade or a really light. 
• Number four, you have to address tech problems in events, it’s not really a good impression if during the interview process, your video will just be loading or they can’t hear you properly or you can’t hear the interviewer properly. That interference that’s happening right there may be a deciding factor for you to be hired or not. Because that’s actually a communication if you have a good internet or you don’t have and during the online interviews, this is for freelancing, so you need to make an impression that you have stable and reliable internet. So before the interview, make sure that your camera is working, your microphone is working. Make sure that you do important checks as well that there are no glitches that can be happening, later on, make sure that you can address the possible tech issues and events. So when you are interviewed, you just go ahead and focus on how you can deliver value and communicate your proposals and not have to worry about detect issues anymore. 
• Number five is a dress for success. And again, we’re talking about what are the things that you need to prepare before the interview process. When everything else is set up like you have good lighting, you have a good background, the tech issues or probable issues are already sorted out, you have a quiet place. So make sure that you are professionally dressed, you may not be going to the office physically, but just have a good impression that you’re professional enough as well to be there for the interviewer. So maybe a buttoned-down shirt with a blazer is a good choice for the interview that will give them an impression that you are prepared and you mean business for this opportunity to bring presented to you. 

So again, the things that you need to be doing before the interview are the following number one, find a quiet place. Number two, set up a good background number three, have proper or good lighting. Number four addresses possible tech problems before the interview and number five, dress for success. 

Now let’s go ahead and discuss what you need to be doing during the interview. 

• Number one, make sure that you have a personal brand, your personal brand makes you distinct and competitive that will separate you from the rest. Because if you come in there with personal branding, you are not just like everybody else who comes in to be possibly hired, you are there to present that you’re 30% of your professional and you’re capable because of the things that you’re about to deliver are already applied your own personal branding. So have a personal brand. So it may be that your files are branded with your logo or with your fonts with your text format. Or it may be in PDF and you’re already prepared something when it comes to your portfolio or your examples, maybe insights. You’re ready and it’s already marked with your personal branding. This may be even a deal-breaker when it comes to your applications. May you have experience or not at all in your freelancing because having a strong personal brand can help you advance yourself in the interview process. 
• Number two, make sure that you know how to communicate your past experiences into the present job application. Yes, you may have an experience but it’s all offline. You did it in an office setting. You did it in the corporate world. Learn how to articulate these things into the online setting. Like for example, if you have been applying or interviewed for customer service, yes, you may not have done this in a remote setting, but maybe you’ve experienced being in a BPO setting and those experiences the accounts that you’ve handled can mean something to your insurance. A viewer because you’ve been there, processing and helping clients may be technical or customer support. And these can bring a lot of value to the application process, so learn how to communicate the past experiences into the job application that you are currently being interviewed.
• Number three, make sure that you come into the interview and share your research about the brand. So don’t come in not ready, make sure that you know what the job description is all about, you know what the job post is all about, you know, the pain points, you know, the branding, you know, what the business is all about what they do function, what are the target markets, what are the segmentation. Do your research before the interview, and you come in during the interview and share all these things. Because you are a potential employee of the company, you need to have a piece of knowledge about the company and the idea and the type of work that you are coming in and helping and giving value as a freelancer. Make sure that at least you know what the job description is, you know, the pain points, and you can deliver a proposal in order to bring in a solution to their needs. Actually, oftentimes, when I was a freelancer, I was always being asked about the company. So I really added this here that you need to be researching about the company because a little side note on this one I can recall when I was still a freelancer is that oftentimes my interviewer will ask me about the company and sometimes even assume that I already know what the company is all about. How do they function? What are their services? What are the products. So I really added here that you need to research in advance and bring in your research to the interview process. So when they are going to ask, you know what to deliver an already familiar with what the company stands for, what are your core values, what are the things that you need to be doing for the company, and that will really create or make a big impression during the interview process. 
• Number four, be confident. The toughest thing that you can do during the interview process is staying confident because a lot of us are nervous, even if you have done interviews several times, you still come in with the nervous feeling, it would seem like you’re doing it the first time all over again. And I get that even until now if I’m going to be reporting for my class, even if I’m doing live coaching sessions, you know, the moment I come in and introduce myself, I’m still a little bit nervous. So being nervous is normal. What matters for the interviewer is how confident you are with the product. So what matters is how we can handle ourselves confidently all throughout the interview process. There was one incident also in my life where I had to do a thesis defense for my school, I think this was for my Masters, or maybe for my doctorate, and not really sure. And when I was there, you know, one of my spiritual mothers mentioned this to me, because I was a little bit nervous, you know, I told her as I was going out of the house to pray for me because I don’t think I would be able to really defend everything. And she mentioned that just go out there and present everything confidently, your confidence will be a deal-breaker, and to really make a long story short, and even in my freelancing. When you come in, they’re confident, even if you are not that skillful, even if you are probably lacking ideas, or you don’t know how to really persuade them. But if you’re confident enough to know the product, you have a little knowledge of how it’s being done. you’re presenting it confidently, that will really help you a lot. A little personal tip that I would like to share with you. In order for you to stay confident when there are situations where you’re really nervous is to do some things that will divert the pressure. I saw this movie before. You know this one man, okay, I think it was the mayor or something. When he’s giving a speech, he would put in like a paper clip in his pocket and be delivering a speech he would be pricking again, it would be like touching the paperclip and all of the tension would go towards that. For me personally, what I’ve been doing is I would put on shoes or maybe socks, and what they would do is they would put coins under it. So while I’m doing this interview, I’m like touching the coin, you know, with my toes. And that some house helped me with the tension and my nervousness. I don’t know if it’s going to work with you, but it’s been working with me so far. So you can go ahead and try that and learn how to be confident and focus during the interview process. Well, they’re working all of the pensions into something that the interviewer might not be able to see. 
• Number five that you have to do during the interview process is you have to know, the job description that you’re applying for this is really big. When you study the job description in advance and understand truly what the job needs or what the company needs from you. This is one essential way in order to nail your interview. If the job calls for attention to detail, make sure that you demonstrate by exemplifying your skills, and really giving them portfolios or giving them avenues as proof like I did this before I did this training, I have a certification of this, make sure that you know what you’re applying for and can articulate why you are the best fit for the job.

before we’re going to the last phase, which is what you need to be doing after the interview here is our freelancing Tip of the Week or freelancing Tip of the Week.

For freelancing Tip of the Week, I actually got this idea from one of my one-to-one sessions this week, because I was asked what do you need to do in order for you not to be discouraged. And for our freelancing Tip of the Week, I’m going to share with you two things that I am doing not to be discouraged because this person or this student who talked to me during our one-to-one coaching sessions, mentioned that she’s actually currently discouraged. And she doesn’t know how to move on with the course, she doesn’t know how to focus anymore, because she’s just really overwhelmed with the situation with a pandemic, and cannot even understand the lessons anymore, or the coaching sessions anymore, because she’s just too overwhelmed. And it’s really discouraging. And I shared with her. 

Number one is to pray. And number two is to really focus on your dream. When it comes to prayer and focusing on your dream, it’s really a personal choice. But it somehow helped me when it comes to discouragements. There are avenues in my life in how we were able to bring wherever VA is right now we’re surge digital is right now that discouragements and attacks, are we normal, there are people that will come to you and we’ll leave you there are people that will attack you and then move on. There are people that will not understand you, there are situations that will just bring you down, or just like what we’re probably experiencing right now opportunities are lacking, the good thing would be freelancing is giving us opportunities where we can continue online. 

But what really helped me become positive is number one, always praying, and number two, always focusing on the dream. So no matter what, I’m not really focusing on the external factors, yes, people will come and go people will appreciate or not appreciate. But it’s not the external factors that will be my defining identity or my goal in moving forward. It’s prayer and the dream that I have. And the dream that I have is to be able to help people. 

So when I focus on my dream and pray consistently, the focus doesn’t really become external anymore. But internal, what are there things that I can do today in order to improve this scenario? What are the improvements that I can do? What are the little things that I may be needing to improve? What are the consistent things that I need to probably advance or probably change? What are the habits that I need to change? So once I’m focusing on what are the changes that I need to be doing, what are the things that I need to be improving, I go ahead and live it out, day by day, one day at a time, slowly but surely, consistently. And before I know it, I’m not any more aware of the surroundings, I’m not any more aware of the external factors, the external factors will not be my defining factor anymore, but the dream so prayer helps a lot and focus on what you need to accomplish in life helps a lot. 

So I hope that that will help you as well. We already discussed that. The things that you need to be doing before the interview process are finding a quiet place, setting up a good background, having good lighting, addressing tech problems before the interview, and dressing for success. 

And during the interview. The things that you can do in advance in order to nail your online interview are the following make sure if you have a personal brand, use your past experiences to articulate your present job application research, be confident and then know the job description you’re applying for, for the last part of this podcast and we have been talking about how we can nail your online interview. 

One of the things that you can do after the interview is number one, make sure that you email the interviewer so maybe I’ll know they’re thanking For the time, or for the things that you discuss during the interview process, and then also include the number two some key actions that you need to be doing. So, yes, it’s still part of the email, but you need to ensure that that’s included, like what are the key actions? What are the action points that you need to be doing? Maybe you can mention, hi, Grace, thank you so much for your time, if you’re located for an interview, and I look forward to your response, action points for me are the following any to be submitting you insights from my social media accounts, I need to be giving you my portfolio and I need to be waiting for your feedback within three days, so something like that. So at least it will also ensure that you are communicating that you are waiting and you are serious with this application. 

• Number one, write a thank you email after the interview process. 
• And number two, include the action points, if there are no option points, then just go ahead and stick to number one. 
• Number three is you have to do a follow-up. So maybe after a week, if they’re not responding to you yet, or they’re not giving you updates, go ahead and send a follow-up, that will somehow imply or disclose that you are serious and you’re wanting this job, it will also give you somehow a closure if you didn’t get the job. And you can ask them for feedback, like what are the things that I need to improve in order for me to be better. So again, after the interview, the thing that you need to be doing in order to nail that interview is to write an email thanking them for their time. Number two, add the call to action. And number three, do a follow-up. And if you are not being hired, you’re probably shortlisted or interviewed still ask for feedback on how you can improve. 

We have been discussing how to nail your online interview so far, and we divided this into three phases. And these are before, during, and after the interview. 

For my key takeaway on this episode, it’s going to be all notes are actually an avenue for you to grow. If the client will interview you and will say no towards the end, don’t treat that as a form of rejection. We should be used to rejections in our lives because that’s still giving you an idea and a lesson on how to target later on how to be better in your applications later on. So go ahead and improve. Go ahead and learn from your mistakes. Don’t be discouraged. Make sure that you are taking the know as an answer to a possible opportunity in the next interview process. I would like to thank you for listening to our freelancing marketplace podcast we were able to talk about how you can nail your online interviews and I hope that that will help you namely your online interviews moving forward.

 Let’s get connected we are in social media at Surge Digital Agency. You can email me check out our website and hire virtual assistants at Surge Digital Agency. Thank you so much again for listening. I will see you again in the next episode. God bless and have a great day. The freelancing marketplace Podcast is a production of Surge Digital Agency.