The Essential Digital Interview Handbook

Open the Door

Winning a job means securing a face-to-face meeting with the person who hires. Your résumé must compete with thousands of others for the same job. Human resource officers or other professionals set up digital interviews with hundreds of the most promising applicants. Perhaps four to six finalists win real-world face time with a hiring manager.

Job applicants must outshine their rivals during the digital interview. Considering the importance of these interviews, it’s odd that most job applicants do little to prepare. They seem to feel that they need only to get their webcams working and set the sound at the proper volume. Most applicants get weeded out at this juncture. Instead, to compete and win the personal interview, plan and prepare for your digital audition. Be aware that digital interviews are more personable than one-dimensional phone discussions. They are as close to a face-to-face interview you can get without being in the same room.

Media contacts and other interviews also take place over the web. Companies save money and employee travel time by handling interviews, meetings and conferences online. The webcam is here to stay. The more...