Yes, first impressions count! ~ Nikk Carmichael

I was asked to give five tips. I could give you five hundred but ain’t nobody got time for dat.  These aren’t necessarily the most important (that I think) but rather the first five that came to mind. Heed them and you’ll have a better chance in your Zoom interview for a virtual office job!

Be Early

Be one minute early. I always thought I learned this from my father but apparently not.. I asked him about it recently and he said he never told me this. Wherever it came from, it’s a rule I’ve set for the team at Oracle Tree, as a leading digital marketing agency in Australia. Always be one minute early to an online meeting (of any type), whether it’s an interview or just a catch-up. If you’re the one holding the meeting you should start it two minutes early so that people have the opportunity to be one minute early.

Why do we do this? Simple. If you’re too early, people become annoyed. They aren’t prepared for you yet. Try turning up to a party before the start time and see how people like it. If you are right on time, early starters will be there and wonder whether you’re coming and asking themselves where you are, so… don’t be late. There is no “fashionably late” in business. You’ve lost the job two minutes past the interview time if you aren’t there. I’ll wait for 15 but you won’t get the job if you turn up. If you don’t turn up by that time then you can expect a strongly-worded email in return.

Dress the Part

Dress nicely as if you were going to an interview.. because you are! Gosh. I shouldn’t even have to say this but I’ve had some people turn up to interviews that were dressed for cleaning the bathroom, not for a job interview. Yes, times have changed and a suit and tie are perhaps over the top but show some respect to the person on the other end. You do want the job, don’t you?  Also, if you have a piercing and you intend to wear something in it to work, wear it to the interview. I’ve had a few nose rings turn up on the first day of work that weren’t at the interview.  If you’re not game to wear it in the interview, don’t wear it to work or ask whether it’s okay to wear it to work at your induction. Honestly, I don’t have a problem with piercings (both my ears are pierced) but it seems kind of dishonest to me to hide that at the interview and then expect that it’s fine to bring it out of the closet on your first day at work without mention. 

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