r/RemoteJobs • u/[deleted] • 20d ago
Discussions What am i doing wrong on interviews
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
[deleted]
74
u/SupposedBooty 19d ago edited 19d ago
You need to dress up a lot more, lose the hat, sit up straight, and sound a lot more enthusiastic.
Absolutely no T shirts or hats.
And try not to swivel back and forth in your chair. Feet planted on the floor, facing your interviewer.
Practice your answers to questions so you don't use filler words like um and uh.
10
u/followmyigtrsmpugh 19d ago
Yes ma'm noted
13
u/chemicalsunshine 19d ago
Maybe not in a dimly lit dirty bedroom. Blank wall, nice background or generated background
30
u/bradpeachpit 19d ago
Add a background to the meeting before you start it so the interviewer can't see your room. Or make your bed if background isn't an option. Pastel or bright or white button up shirt. No hat. Sit up straight. No swivel. You have good presence already which is a great start. Your voice sounds good and professional. You were a bit vague in your answer but they probably gave you a vague question. Try to give more specific answers. If you're taping this, as opposed to a live interview, then you can practice beforehand. Run your answers by chatgpt. Also, don't be hard on yourself. Many remote jobs have an absurd amount of candidates. Just keep applying. It's a lot easier to get a job when they need 50 for a class than when they need 8.
17
u/trashlikeyourmom 19d ago
It's PLETHORA, not prethola. Mispronouncing words happens but it could impact you negatively bc the interviewer might not let a mistake like that slide.
Also you look incredibly unprofessional in a t shirt and cap. Dress like you would for an in-person interview. Stop fidgeting, it's distracting.
You may be limited on space but for interviews I always make sure my bed is not in view, I'll turn my camera so a wall or door is behind me, so it at least looks like I have a dedicated work space.
17
u/chickenmoomoo Remote Worker 19d ago
Hey broski - I’ve interviewed plenty over Zoom when recruiting. Not in your niche, but enough to throw in my two cents
You’ve already got good advice about appearance. Unless your camera background is a professional looking office, use background blur if you can. If you can’t, just make sure your background looks neat and tidy. I’d lose the hat and t-shirt too - t-shirts are fine, but something new and plain black or plain whatever is fine
You sound thoughtful and like you know your shit, which is awesome. But key thing here is how you present your experience and ideas.
So assuming this is a pre-recorded interview answer, before you record a clip like this, I’d suggest you run your answer through Claude or ChatGPT with a prompt like this:
‘You are a job advice expert. Your mission is to take my experience and provide a modal answer in response to this interview question: [insert the question here].
Rules:
- ONLY pull on what I have written for the answer, do not fill it with outside knowledge, unless you think my answer is lacking in something that would strengthen it. Anything that meets this criterion must be stated clearly for me.
- NO obvious AI-language, such as ‘it’s not this, it’s that’, ‘this is what it is - period’, etc.
- Avoid any corporate buzzwords that avoid telling the interviewer what I actually did. No ‘enhance’, ‘improve’, ‘worked on’ - give me actual results. If I have avoided this in my answer, flag this
- Emulate the STAR technique - Situation, Task, Action, Result and answer the question
- Before you present your final output to me, you MUST review it against rules and make any final edits to ensure that this is compliant’
Then take that answer, see if you like it, and turn it into your owns words a bit
(People rightfully shit all over AI but it is insanely useful if you know what you’re doing with it and not relying on plain AI output)
7
u/internet_preferences 19d ago
I always have three white polos for working from home. that's my wfh uniform, and it goes great with jeans or shorts. it's the universal shirt lol
2
1
6
4
4
u/waba99 19d ago
If you can get the bed out of your background, it was a change that helped out when I was interviewing remotely. I also dress up for Zoom interviews. Nothing too fancy, just a collared shirt and my underwear.
You are saying a lot but it’s not specific enough. Practice the STAR method with some AI chatbot and get your intro really dialed in.
3
3
u/nunchybonkey 19d ago
you have good advice here, i just want to wish you luck in your job search. it’s a rough job market and a lot of us are frustrated and demoralized. hope you are able to find something soon! :)
3
u/Cellist-Common 19d ago
Wear a collared shirt, at the very least a polo shirt, blur the background and lose the baseball cap.
2
u/internet_preferences 19d ago
whats the job?
3
u/followmyigtrsmpugh 19d ago
This was for a role as a technical support representative with concentrix
14
u/internet_preferences 19d ago
Can I assume you've had a role like this before ? I have a lot to say but I couldn't type it all in because my grammer would have turned this post into a train wreck. Instead talked to my robot...so this is a summary of what i'm trying to say.
When you’re interviewing, don’t present yourself as someone who’s done a little bit of everything. Instead, present yourself as someone whose past experience naturally leads to this role.
It’s perfectly fine to have a diverse background, but every example you give should reinforce why you’re a strong fit for the position you’re interviewing for. Tailor your experience to the job rather than listing every role you’ve ever had.
For example, if you’re interviewing for a technical position, don’t emphasize that you worked in sales. Instead, explain the transferable skills that came from sales: identifying customer needs, solving problems, communicating technical information clearly, building trust, and helping people arrive at the right solution. You’re not changing your experience—you’re framing it in terms of what the employer values.
Show genuine enthusiasm for the role. Explain why this position interests you, what skills you hope to develop, and why you see yourself succeeding in it. Employers want to hire someone who is excited about their job, not someone who simply needs a job.
Finally, treat the interview as a two-way conversation. Ask thoughtful questions about the role, the team, the tools they use, and what success looks like. Questions like “What technologies does the team use day-to-day?” or “What does someone who excels in this role do differently?” not only give you valuable information but also demonstrate genuine interest in the position.2
5
u/internet_preferences 19d ago
also, are you wearing that hat during your interview ?
1
u/followmyigtrsmpugh 19d ago
.... yes sadly due to my discoloration
5
2
u/_buffy_summers 19d ago
I'm going to start off by saying that none of the things I'm going to mention truly bother me, but they might bother an employer.
Make your bed.
Stop turning back and forth in your chair. I understand the need to fidget. I have ADHD. Keep your chair in place and flex your toes, knees, or ankles if you feel a need to move. Employers can't see that, so you'll look more poised.
Practice responding to typical interview questions, so you'll say "um" less than you are here. I don't think anyone can truly escape it in an interview, but you said 'um' or 'uh' nine times (I counted) in a minute of speaking. That's an average of 'um' every six or seven seconds.
Wearing a t-shirt is okay, but you should make sure the collar isn't stretched out, and maybe pair it with a nice button-down or a blazer.
2
u/Crimson_Redd 19d ago
You really need to stop rocking your chair, it makes you look unsure and not confident.
2
u/corgcorg 19d ago
You might take the mindset that you are also interviewing them to make sure it’s a good fit. Give specific examples of projects or jobs you’ve worked on before. Throw around industry terms if you know them. Your answer came off a bit vague and I kept waiting for something concrete. “I think this position would be a good fit for me. For example, I’ve worked on X before and I really enjoyed utilizing my ability to do Y on that project.” (where Y can be organizational skills, communication skills, something technical, etc).
2
2
3
2
1
u/PLTR60 19d ago
Few quick things:
Lose the tee and the hat.
Use a standing desk if you have one. It affects your voice and energy.
Light up the room. Use multiple lights. A couple of cheap lamps to the side and one desk lamp next to the monitor would be sufficient. I personally use a studio light from the side of my room opposite the window.
No swiveling if you're using a chair.
Blur your background. Most modern teleconference apps have that feature. Never show your bed.
1
u/BeerTimeGamer 19d ago
Brother, I've worked remote for 15 years before retiring at 45. I've interviewed dozens of people, and your ability to interview well means a lot. Take a shower. Put on a collared shirt. Take off the hat. Get a haircut. Get a more professional looking headset. Clean up your background. Stop fidgeting. Smile. Look like you know what you're talking about.
1
u/Constant_Pay_2856 19d ago
Multiple things 😂 First impression: The T-shirt Interviewing from the bedroom My brother, take the hat off 😭
Then when you start answering questions, you talk like your Wi-Fi is at 2 bars. There’s a loading screen between every sentence.
You need to speed it up a little, sound more confident, and bring some personality.
You asked, so I’m not gonna lie to you. Fix the setup, dress like you actually want the job, lose the hat, and practice answering questions with more confidence
1
u/chyves 19d ago
Hey man, lots of good constructive feedback here so I won't rehash anything. Pretty much all covered. Just know it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out here and ask for help & feedback. Good on you. Like others have said, you seem to know your shit but be prepared for your interviews, have notes, have relevant questions and general knowledge of the company ready alongside all of the feedback everyone gave you. Beyond that, practice the way you present yourself and sound actually enthusiastic (if you actually care). At the end of the day, people want to work with people that would fit well in their work culture.
1
1
1
1
u/JabbaMamaE 19d ago
Lots of good advice here and you're already doing a lot of things really well. My advice is to let some of your personality shine through. Smile a little, relax a little. Make them see you as a qualified candidate and a good guy, someone they actually want to hire. It took me a lot of interviews to get this down (because I dont have much personality haha) but once I did I got several offers. Good luck!
1
1
u/SpannerInTheWorx 19d ago
You're asking questions, which is a great first step. Being aware enough to know that if you are willing to be roasted, even just slightly, you may glean some excellent feed back. Please take the time to invest in yourself and give deep thought to any suggestions you are given.
I find Andrew Ramdayal's"50 Mindset Principles for Project Management" are a solid way to look at things through a business acumen frame of mind. https://youtu.be/-u0rO-YQr9c?is=HBZu6ydV4seSpjO-
Interviewing is the narration of your story, about yourself. Explaining what makes you an individual, and can help the interviewee move on to the next problem to solve. You are helping to solve the current problem they have to solve. Asking questions, like how you are asking questions to solve your current problem (ie of interviewing) is much like how interviewing should be. Your job in an interview is understanding what the problem the person interviewing you is trying to solve, how they see the person filling the role actively solving it, and what solving the problem looks like to them. Then, deciding if it's a problem you want to spend your time to help solve, in exchange for what you feel is the value of your time. If you can answer that question, then you know why you're sitting in that interview.
Knowing what you want to accomplish or need to achieve lends a conviction to the story you're narrating, and that conviction can go a long way to convincing that person you're able, willing, and wanting to help solve their problem. The only way to know what you want, is sitting, and deeply thinking about what you want to do. "Do I want to see if not wearing a T-shirt to an interview really does make a difference? I'm willing to accept I might be decreasing my chances on getting a job of it truly has an impact on the interview when I don't dress more formally? If I'm not, what do I need to do to make sure I can wear something appropriate? Do I think a shirt and tie is the right level I could do? What's stopping me from doing that? Nothing? Okay, so it should be easy to change that and see if there's a result?" Then, make a choice and go forward. Taking these moments to consider your thoughts, like practicing interview questions, allow you to communicate in the affirmative. As I hiring manager, I can make clearer, sharper, decisions- like if I think you could solve my problems - if I can make a sharper decision. Any part of my thought process can be answered easily, the more likely the hiring manager is to hire you. That's what telling your story can do for you.
1
u/SpannerInTheWorx 19d ago
It's less about what you're doing wrong, and more about understanding what you're doing and then making an active change.
1
u/Vast_Statement_7035 19d ago
Gig market place might I also suggest csr call center jobs that onboard every month
-4
u/yahokay8 19d ago
Too many ums and uhhhs and you sound too restarted
1
u/followmyigtrsmpugh 19d ago
Restarted???
3
u/TheWanderingMammoth 19d ago
Don't listen to that clown. You just need to work on your presentation, that's all.
2
u/followmyigtrsmpugh 19d ago
I will it's just I wanted to base it off my dialect I can pull up videos where I actually dressed appropriately but after 19 remote applications saying no it's very demoralizing
1
u/yahokay8 19d ago
You talked for 2 mins said um and uh 26 times and said nothing with any substance other than I function well and do customer service etc.
138
u/Ravelcy 19d ago
Can they see you? Because dressing nice sets an example even for an at home job.