February 8, 2021
By Daniela Cohen, Canadian Immigrant
Maximize your chances of getting hired with effective preparation for online interviews
Do you have an upcoming virtual job interview? How can you be best prepared? Body language is a critical component of online interviews, says Masha Rademakers, settlement and integration services lead at the North Shore Multicultural Society in North Vancouver, B.C.
Maintaining eye contact with the interviewer in an online interview is one aspect that can be particularly challenging. Rademakers has a trick she shares with jobseekers: look at the camera rather than at the interviewer’s picture on the screen. “I do it all the time myself,” she admits. “But it can look as if you’re distracted when you’re constantly looking at another place on your screen.” She recommends practising this beforehand on the virtual platform you’re using for your interview.
It’s also important to be aware of the hand gestures you make. While they can be helpful to emphasize talking points, be cautious that you don’t overdo them.