How to Build A "Cheat Sheet" To Ace Your Next Virtual Job Interview?

A "cheat sheet" is an interview tip that can help you ace your next virtual interview. You can easily shine among others by utilizing each aid you usually can't use during your face-to-face interview.

Don't let your virtual interviews cheat you. They may sound simple relative to the following stages or face-to-face interviews, but you're still going to have to do well to move to the next step. Much like your cv should be customized to each position you post, the responses to your virtual interviewer should represent the role you are interviewed for. But when you try coming up with precise, tailored answers instantly, it can get on your nerves.

So, it's time to use a cheat sheet. In virtual interviews, you enjoy the advantage that the interviewer doesn't see you directly and can't see what is in front of you. So, notes are the perfect solution. It isn't really cheating. It's a way to be more prepared and confident.

However, this doesn't mean that you'll write down all the answers to all the common questions. Your interviewer will easily discover if you're only reciting the already written answers or following the conversation standards.

You can depend on a cheat sheet to plan a few crucial points to help as a reminder. It has been specifically designed to streamline your responses: narrowing the answers down to a few keywords and phrases will remind you of the main points while helping you make your answers simple and natural.

Build a cheat sheet that includes the following areas:

An Answer to The Common Interview Question "Tell Me About Yourself"

You may not precisely listen to this form of a question, but it has many other ways that interviewers always use to break the ice and set the tone for the whole coming interview. It will be helpful to write notes about the main points you want to tackle before the interview. List a few keywords to remind you of what you want to say.

Your Reasons for Applying For This Job

The interviewer may not directly ask you this question, but the answer to this question is precious and has a lot to do during the interview to help you move to the next steps. Showcase your interest in getting the job, why it will be a great opportunity, how you will add value to the organization, and what makes you a perfect candidate. Before the interview, think about what has pushed you to decide to apply, why it is better than your current role, and what it will add to your career.

Find two or three reasons. These reasons may include, for example, your passion for the company culture or your goals to achieve more career successes.

Research The Company

Make the best use of the company's website, Google search, and company profile on Drjob to know more about its owners, history, culture, values, mission, and products and services. Select the top three things that make you want to join this organization and work with its team. Preparing an answer to this question will give you confidence during the interview as you understand the work culture and the mindset of employees working there.

Suppose you are not directly asked this question. In that case, you can inject your information about the company into answers to other questions to show interest in the position and show that you've exerted an effort to achieve your goal of getting the job.

List Your Key Skills and Experience

The job description will typically serve in preparing an answer for any question around your skills and qualifications. Take notes of the job description's key skills and find some of your previous achievements highlighting these skills. Don't forget to use the power of numbers to quantify your accomplishments. Show how these skills help your current company in achieving more sales, for example.

Hiring managers always headhunt exceptional talents. So, highlighting your unique skills and qualifications will help you stand out among the crowd. You can pick one or two of your skills and explain how they will help the company solve a problem it faces or add value to the position you're applying for.

It's an excellent way to summarize your resume in short, strong sentences that mainly demonstrate your power in bringing too many benefits.

Answers to Behavioral Questions

In most interviews, recruiters ask questions to value your behavioral skills in different situations so expect questions like "Tell me about your last mistake and how you overcame it," or "Tell me about a time where you utilize your leadership skills." The answer to these questions will be telling a story. Don't waste your time in recalling and arranging your story coincidences. You can also pick one or two stories and tailor them to fit different situations.

Set Your Salary Expectations

It's a tricky question that we hear in almost all interviews. Do well research to find what you really worth and the salary ranges for employees holding your position. This will help you in determining your real value.

Drjob can help you in this process through our salary calculations and Salary filter option that allows you to know the salary range for all career levels starting from the entry-level jobs to the management jobs.

List of Questions to The Interviewer

No matter how the interview is: by phone, video, or in-person, you'll definitely listen to the question of "Do you've any questions for me?"

Don't leave it to answer on the spot. You don't know how will the interview stress will affect your concentration.

Prepare a list with questions like:

• How do you measure success at work?
• What will be in the next step in the hiring process?
• What are the qualities of good leaders in your company?

Tailor your question to your depending on the position, company, goals, and what you need to know.

This shows that you take the interview process seriously and conveys your strong commitment to your task duties.

Remember,

• Don't misuse the written notes. They mainly aim to support your communication skills, not to distract you. It's essential to know how to make this cheat sheet the best way to achieve your career goals.
• To avoid repetitive looking down at your notes, you can use sticky notes and put them around the laptop camera or on the wall behind the laptop.
• To maintain your organizational skills, you've to know where's every information to avoid searching among notes and getting distracted.
• The cheat sheet is a guide that helps you define the framework of the conversation, but it shouldn't confine the discussion to the points that you've prepared only.
• Don't forget to add a note with something that makes you smile. A smile carries many positive effects behind it.
• Although the information here changes depending on each position, job seekers can tailor a standard cheat sheet that matches every virtual meeting and then spends some time before the interview tailoring it. It helps in diving into the interview mode, showcasing your interest to get the job, and proving your readiness.

The unpredictable can be stressful, but there's no reason to be worried about preparing for your first virtual interview. With a well-organized cheat sheet, you're guaranteed to ace the next virtual interview and be asked for an in-person interview. Know the secrets to make a positive impression on the interviewer: prepare your cheat sheet, dress well, watch your body language, and be yourself!

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