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9 Things to Prepare for Your Virtual Police Interview



9 Things to Prepare for Your Virtual Police Interview

The worldwide pandemic has changed the hiring process, possibly permanently. Technology regularly evolves, and for the last while, this evolution has coincided with COVID-19. Advertised positions are applied for online; many are working from home and pursuing new jobs online. Applicants can also expect a virtual interview where once they would apply for a job and wait in anticipation of a face-to-face interview. 

If you are interested in a career in policing, you cannot escape the virtual interview. 

Not only is COVID-19 keeping people apart with social distancing, but the process of virtual interviewing is also allowing employers to interview more applicants while keeping costs and logistics nightmares to a minimum. 

As a candidate for a police officer position, being interviewed via webcam and video conferencing software like Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, or Google Hangouts can feel intimidating, especially if you are experiencing your first. 

We have put together our list of 9 virtual interview tips to make the process less stressful and to master your virtual interview to land the job. 

Once you have received word that your policing application was successful and that you’ve landed a coveted interview for a policing role, you need to start planning. As with anything in which we wish to be successful, proper planning is key to coming out on top. 

There are many things to prepare, and prepare for, when you are readying for a virtual interview. Being mentally ready, ensuring that your computer is glitch-free, and preparing for your virtual interview will give you an advantage over the other candidates.

1. Assess your Technology

Once you have agreed to a virtual interview with a hiring manager, you must ensure that you have the type of technology required for the interview. Check your internet or wireless connection from various rooms in your house. Find out where your computer has the best connectivity, and set yourself up in that room ahead of time. You can test this by calling a friend- check your camera and microphone, and have the friend provide feedback. 

 

Ask for what can be improved, if the camera angle should change, if your camera is clear, and if your microphone sound is ok. If the feedback is negative, you may wish to purchase an external camera or microphone. You may even want to buy a light ring to highlight your face.

 

You want to appear calm and relaxed. Fiddling with technology will send the wrong impression to anyone looking to hire you, plus being technology-minded is another feather in your cap. 

2. Get Dressed for an Interview

Even if a virtual interview feels less formal than its traditional face-to-face counterparts, you need to present yourself professionally to send a message to the hiring manager that you are taking the interview, and therefore, this job, seriously.

To do this, you should dress as though you will be sitting in front of the hiring manager at their desk. Wear business attire. Depending on the lighting, and your wall colour, light colours on the webcam can wash you out, and dark colours can do the same thing. You will also want to ensure that you are sticking to simple patterns and accessories so that the hiring manager focuses on you rather than what you are wearing. When interviewing for a position on a police service, it is important to remember that policing is conservative. Dress for the part— conservative dress and colours are essential. 

Dressing professionally will show the hiring manager that you are serious about being hired and that you will take the position seriously. Dressing for a job interview will make you feel better, especially if you have been working from home. 

3.Create Your Background

People can forget to take care of during virtual meetings and interviews to set up the background scene. Choose the colour of your 'set' carefully, depending upon what you decide to wear to your interview. 

One of the skills an interviewer is looking for is attention to detail and organization, and your scene should reflect this. A blank background is best so that the interviewer is not distracted by your home. If you have walls covered with art or photos, choose a spot in front of an area that looks the most professional. You will also want to make sure the background is spotless. Turn your camera on and look everywhere, from ceiling to floor, to ensure no clutter is visible. 

Some virtual meeting platforms have a feature to blur your background, and while this may be an option for you, ensure that you test it with someone else first. 

Finally, ensure that you have adequate lighting. If you can't be near a window, a video camera lighting kit, as discussed earlier, might be worth the investment, especially if this is only one of many virtual interviews.

4. Be Aware of Distractions

If you have been working or studying from home, you understand the distractions that come with being remote. Even if you are new to virtual meetings, it is critical to know how distracting being at home can be. 

At an employers’ office, you would not have to deal with ringing doorbells, pet interruptions, laundry, television or cell phone, or even children's distractions. 

Before your interview, ensure that all potential distractions are limited or eliminated. Silence your cell phone and keep it at a distance from your interview position, close animals safely in a room, turn off all electronics other than your computer and wait to start laundry until you have finished your interview. 

Another thing to keep in mind is silencing notifications on your computer. Email and news alerts can be loud and very distracting- potentially throwing your concentration in the middle of answering a question. 

5. Check Your Body Language

You might have a smile or personality you pride yourself on. Your handshake might show how firm and resolute you are. However, in virtual interviews, the only thing you can control is your body language. 

Show off your confidence by looking directly into the camera. It might be tempting to look at your image or the image of the hiring manager. Smile, sit up and keep your shoulders back for the duration of the interview.  

6. Be Prepared

While it is inappropriate to shuffle through papers to come up with an answer during your virtual interview, you do have the opportunity to post one-word reminders on your computer to refer to during your interview. 

However, preparing extensively for your policing interview is even better than this.

When you have prepared for an interview, you will appear attentive and interested in the position. Having a few solid pieces of information that you are totally confident in will help you, such as:

Have a few points you can make for each talking point. Rather than sounding robotic during your interview, try practicing with a friend or family member so you can have a grasp of the information without sounding too rehearsed. 

7. Be Yourself

An HR manager or recruiter looks to see how you will fit into the police service and the distance created in a virtual interview makes this more challenging. The interviewer also is not getting a full view of your personality, so you must ensure that you emote while being interviewed. 

You can create a connection with the interviewer by being expressive and making conversation. This is especially easy if you share a common interest with the interviewer—you can pick up some hints during your interview. Your interview might be in the middle of an extensive list of people, connect with your interviewer and make an impression. Do not force conversation with the interviewer, however, just let it flow naturally. 

 

8. Look at the Camera, Not the Screen

It can be tempting to look at your computer screen while you are interviewing. Especially when you are trying to maintain eye contact. However, eye contact in a remote interview via computer is not with the screen, it is with your camera. 

One thing to consider when preparing for your remote interview is standing for the duration of your interview. When standing, you look more confident, and it will limit any fidgeting. Position the pinhole of the camera to be at eye level, which will make looking into the camera effortless, and you will appear self-assured, which is a trait that a police officer should have.

9. Follow Up After the Interview

One of the most important things to do after an interview is to send a follow-up email. Try to send the email within 24 hours so that your interview is still fresh in the HR manager's memory. Thank them for speaking with you, and keep the email brief. 

Consider Police Interview Coaching

Virtual interviews can be intimidating, perhaps even more so than face-to-face ones. However, with a little bit of preparation, you can master any interview. When you hire a Police Test Tutor to help you prepare for your interview, you are giving yourself a boost above the other applicants. 

For a consultation in the police, corrections, Special Constable, dispatch, or border services, you will get coaching from a career expert who has gone through the process and understands the skills you need to get hired, such as resume building, career planning, negotiation and interviewing. 

Career planners are continually upgrading their skills and knowledge base so that they can guide you through current job hiring practices and help you get hired in law enforcement.

Contact Police Test Tutor for resume building and interview coaching. Amy is an award-winning professional career planner and resume writer. Police Test Tutor can help you get the job you want.