Last year’s clerkship season saw the increasing prevalence of online interviews, in light of COVID-19. Although applicants may be familiar with in-person, there are some key differences you should look out for to make sure you can master online clerkship interviews. This article will run through how you can prepare and successfully execute your online interviews.
What’s the difference with Online Interviews?
It would be a mistake to under prepare because the interview is not in the office. Online interviews can throw you off, because online communication is quite different to in person. For most, building an interpersonal connection online is much harder. There are also a lot of other risks to take into account. These include your webcam, how you sound and internet connection.
Law firms conduct online interviews in different ways, so it is best you check with the designated recruitment officer to understand the process that applies to you. Generally, there are two kinds of online interviews: the pre-recorded interviews and live interviews.
- Pre-recorded interviews: Involve an online program using text or a pre-recorded video to ask a question, with time allocated to consider the question and answer.
- Live interviews: Involve a real person from the firm asking questions to you, like an ordinary interview.
This article will focus on the more common live interviews. If you would like to read more about more general and practical tips you can check out our earlier articles on interview preparation and executing your interview.
Online Preparation Tips – how to feel Ready
Fundamentally, the three bases of interview preparation are the same: knowledge of your written application, insight into your interviewers and a list of pre-prepared questions.
While it may be tempting to think online interviews require less time reviewing your notes because you could always have them in front of you, this is far from the case. While it may be useful for you to prepare condensed dot points of your application or other relevant information you may want to raise during your interview, for reasons discussed below this isn’t encouraged.
The two key distinguishing areas to prepare for with online interviews is with your interview environment and your technology.
Tip 1: Create your interview frame
For online interviews, applicants should be aiming to create an interview environment that simulates the essential features of in-person interviews. The goal here is to create a distraction-free environment, so interviewers can focus on you. This is a place where no one will interrupt you, away from pets and family.
In the lead up to the interview, you should consider the room or place you will conduct your interview. The ideal background that the interviewers will see is plain and well-lit.
A plain background could mean a blank wall, but if that is not possible, you may choose to opt for an online background (which is available on platforms such as Zoom) or blurred background (which is available on Teams and Google Hangouts).
Having a well-lit background is important to increasing the quality of webcam output. It is also important to develop a personal connection with interviewers, as they will be able to see you more clearly.
Finally, to create a more natural feel, elevate the webcam so that it is eye height and you are in the centre of the frame. This avoids the uncomfortable perception of looking down or looking up at interviewers.
Tip 2: Know your technology
The prerequisite for any online interview is a camera, microphone and working internet. Online interviews do not require you to have fancy microphones or webcams for you to be successful. A simple laptop and pair of earphones (preferably with a microphone) will do just fine. Depending on how your interview is hosted, you can also use your phone.
Practice is also key, for making sure your technology works. It is also normal to check at the start of your interview if your interviewers can hear and see you.
If you have an unstable internet connection, you could consider having a hotspot on standby or even flagging with your interviewers at the start that this may be an issue. Some interview software also have the option of calling into your interview if you don’t have access to the internet.
Even if everything works beforehand, applicants need to keep in mind their action plan if something doesn’t work on the day.
Executing Online On the Day
Tip 3: Develop a personal connection
Eye Contact
Body language is harder to convey online, so it is important during your online interview to make clear efforts to be more open and approachable. Consistent eye contact is one way in which you can build this connection.
While it is a little awkward initially as this involves looking directly at the webcam, it helps if you can visualise the webcam as the eyes of the interviewers.
While there is no rule against notes being used in online interviews, they can form a distraction if too lengthy or heavily relied upon. Consistent eye contact can also indicate to your interviewer that you are speaking naturally and not relying on notes.
Communication Cues
The lag from communicating online may mean sometimes people speak over each other. While awkward, it is nothing unusual when it comes to online video conferences. Online interviews are essentially like any normal conversation and should be approached that way.
One way of dealing with these awkward moments is to ensure you pace yourself and take the necessary pauses to allow for any questions or input from your interviewers. However, the extent of engagement with interviewers, depends largely on the interview approach of each firm, with this issue being more common with more conversational styles of interviewing.
Interviewers and firms will be understanding and generally sympathetic to the challenges of online interviews. However, online interviews require just as much, if not more work to prepare and ace.
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