As COVID-19 continues to limit physical interactions and travel, many job searches and hiring processes have moved online—everything from networking mixers to virtual career fairs to video interviewing.
With so much going digital, how confident are you in your ability to answer video interview questions? Solid responses can be the key to unlocking exciting career opportunities for students and graduates alike.
The team at VidCruiter, a popular video interviewing platform, recently created a helpful guide of questions you can expect, insights into why they’re asked, and the best ways to respond.
What’s the Most Common Video Interview Question?
You can increase the likelihood of a successful video interview by preparing well in advance. Part of that preparation includes learning the video interview questions that candidates are most commonly asked.
By far the most popular question is some variant of “Tell me about yourself.”
This open-ended icebreaker helps recruiters gain a better sense of those who’ve applied—through your own eyes. References can provide their perspective of job applicants, but this question illuminates how applicants see themselves, and by extension, how they want to be perceived.
The answer you give to this question reveals what parts of your academic and work experience you see as most important, which can be indicative of your values and job performance. It helps reveal pieces of your personality and homelife by what you choose to share while helping set the tone for the rest of the interview.
Ideally, you’re able to provide an impressive, high-level summary of who you are, both personally and professionally. Think of it as your highlight reel!
Other Questions Job Applicants Might Be Asked
The number of questions asked during a video interview depends on the type of job you’ve applied for, as well as the recruiter/hiring team. Some employers choose to ask a lot of questions in one preliminary interview, while others like to break their questioning into two or more interviews.
Regardless of how many questions you’re asked, here are some other popular video interviewing questions to expect:
- Why are you interested in this job?
- What is/are your greatest strength(s)?
- What do you know about our company/organization?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What makes you the right person for this position?
How to Answer Video Interview Questions
Prepare to answer these questions the same way you would an in-person interview: be professional, courteous, honest and enthusiastic (but not desperate) to work. Take some time to reflect on your university years and the lessons you can carry with you into the world of work.
Ask yourself: what valuable specific skills can I bring to this role? Interviewers are always keen to know how candidates can help advance their business objectives. So try to make the focus of your answers them instead of you. Of course you must still “sell” yourself, but hiring professionals love it when you speak to how you can provide real value as you build your career.
You can practice by recording your answers on your cell phone and watching them, or by roleplaying with a career coach, friend or family member. Once you feel confident in the answers and your delivery, relax. The goal is not to memorize each and every possible response; it’s to collect your thoughts and be prepared. You don’t want to sound scripted during your video interview. Take a deep breath and answer sincerely, knowing you’ve prepped as best you could.
Good luck!
