How to Make a Connection During Digital Interviews

Making a great impression during a job interview is nerve-wracking for many. It feels like the make-or-break moment that decides whether or not a candidate lands the job. That kind of pressure makes candidates frequently question every decision they make. They worry about their attire, body language, answers, questions, and everything else associated with this important event.

In the past year, the traditional interview process has gone through many significant changes.  Now, instead of hosting in-person interviews, many recruiters and hiring managers are conducting interviews via video conferencing platforms. A more convenient option for busy professionals, remote interviews help take a lot of the pressure off candidates. Candidates can feel more relaxed by participating in the process from the comfort of their own home instead of having to venture into new surroundings for the first time.

Even though digital interviews are more convenient, less time-consuming, and more casual, there is a major downside. Many job seekers have voiced their concerns about not being able to make a connection with hiring managers during remote interviews. They find it difficult to express themselves and convey their humanity via technology.

Luckily, there are a couple of simple yet highly effective ways you can make a connection with your interviewer during the remote interview. Here are three digital interview tips that can make the experience much more engaging.

Create a Digital Portfolio for Your Job Interview

If you wanted to share your work with a hiring manager during a traditional interview, all you had to do was hand them your portfolio. Then, as you're answering their questions, they could flip through its pages and get a better understanding of your experience, skills, and knowledge. 

That’s not possible during a digital interview—unless you create a digital portfolio.  Although this may sound like a daunting task, creating a digital portfolio is actually quite simple. Thankfully, today’s technology tools mean that you don’t have to be a website developer or invest a lot of money to build a portfolio online. Try a drag-and-drop website builder like Wix, or a user-friendly tool like Blogger to build a simple yet impressive showcase for your professional achievements.

After you pick a template (we suggest choosing a simple, clean look so as not to distract from the important content), you can then flesh out the design with text, images, video clips, or any other pieces of content that will help tell your story and spotlight your professional work. Be sure to include a link to your digital portfolio on your resume and LinkedIn profile.  

Tip: If the hiring manager mentions wanting to look at your portfolio during the remote interview, you can easily send them the link in the chat feature of the video conferencing platform. 

Write a Professional Blog to Spotlight Your Success

A resume only has so much room to summarize your professional experience and highlight your achievements. While multi-page resumes were acceptable in the past, they are not recommended for contemporary applications. Hiring managers and HR staff only have a limited amount of time to review resumes. They need resumes that are clear, easily readable, and concise in order to quickly absorb the necessary information. Plus, many automated job application platforms have difficulty uploading resume files that are too large or too complicated with extraneous items (like text boxes!) 

A great alternative to writing a dense resume is to create a new home to host that additional information. A professional blog is a perfect place!  Using a free platform (like the previously mentioned Blogger) allows you to tell your story in great detail. Instead of listing achievements as bullet points, a blog allows you to add a more human element to your professional experience. Here you can explain the challenges you faced, what solutions you implemented, and how your skills and knowledge lead to optimal results.  You can also include a link to a professional blog on your resume and LinkedIn profile so hiring managers can be more familiar with your story before the interview. 

Create a Social Media Resource to Create Buzz

Including your social media profiles on your resume is not a good idea.  As proud as you are of that new recipe you cooked or the marathon you ran last year, managers are more interested in your professional background.  However, there is a way you can use social media to help make a meaningful connection.  Try creating a social media account such as a Twitter feed to share helpful hints with other professionals, industry news and announcements, and engage with your professional community.  Hiring managers will be interested in learning more about this endeavor during the interview. 

We hope these digital interview tips will help you effectively express yourself and better highlight your professional experience. If you’d like to make even more connections with eager employers, contact us today. We’re ready to introduce you to great employers in DC, Maryland, and Virginia who are looking for talented individuals like you!