As technology develops, it is becoming increasingly common and cost-effective for companies to conduct job interviews online. Today, not only leading employers such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, but also smaller businesses are using online job interviews for their recruitment process. This approach reduces transportation costs, speeds up the interviewing process, and allows them to choose from non-local job seekers. Furthermore, online interviews seem to be very comfortable for candidates as they can attend the meeting right from their apartment or any other preferred place. 

Such interviews can be conducted via Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and other similar programs. However, both job candidates and hiring managers often use email to schedule an interview and discuss important details beforehand. 

In this article, we will talk about preliminary steps you can follow to make your online job interview go off as smoothly as possible. Let's start with an email signature generator.

Tip #1: Add a meeting/CV link to an email signature banner

Did you know that a well-designed email signature is one of the best ways to make an impression of professionalism and credibility via email? It's highly beneficial for job seekers, as it can give their interviewers a deeper look into their activity and achievements. When you create email signature, include a banner with a link to your CV, expert blog, or any other achievements you want to highlight. 

As a recruiter, you can share your personalized meeting link in your email signature. This way, recipients will be able to book a convenient time for an online interview with you. 

A dedicated email signature software is the quickest and most reliable way to create your professional email footer. You simply put in your contact details, upload a photo/CV/etc., and choose from various premade design templates. Then the software builds a signature and installs it in your email for you.

This is what a professional email signature can look like. 

Tip #2: Mention meeting time in a subject line

A subject line (along with the sender's name and email address) is the first thing recipients see while scanning their inboxes. The decision to open or move an email to the trash bin is usually made based mainly on the subject line if the recipient doesn't know the sender. That is why you need to make sure that your subject line is clear and catchy enough to make the recipient read your email.

In an email applying for a job / inviting someone to a job interview, use the job title and the meeting time as the subject line. 

Keep in mind that a lot of people check their email on smartphones that display only a small number of characters in the subject line (up to 30 characters). 

Also, be sure to proofread your subject line. You would be surprised how many times senders proofread and polish the entire email and then leave a stupid mistake in the first line that the recruiter will read.

Tip #3: Ask initial questions via email

Both job seekers and hiring managers usually spend a lot of time preparing for job interviews. Email is an excellent way to exchange some questions and get answers before the interview starts. Job seekers may want to ask about who they will be meeting with, how long the meeting will last, what they need to have during the online interview, what services will be used for an interview, etc. 

Hiring managers may ask to provide an extended resume, a portfolio (if it's not already in your email signature), and make sure the candidate knows exactly what they should have with them.

Tip #4: Don't write too much in one email

It's okay to ask all the details about the online interview in advance, but be sure not to overload your email. 

In your first message, ask only about the most important info. You can always send another email or call a second time if you need clarification.

Tip #5: Say thank you

Email can be useful not only before but also after a job interview. Sending a simple follow-up email with a thank you note to your hiring manager could show your dedication to joining the team and make the difference between getting hired and being rejected.

Consider this email as another chance for you to reiterate your selling points. A good thank you email will express gratitude for their time as well as continue the conversation. You can mention your qualifications for the position one more time and use the opportunity to address any details that you felt you might have missed during the online meeting.

Of course, it won't save you if your online meeting went badly from start to finish, but you still can say thank you.

To sum things up

These days, many of the job interviews are likely conducted virtually. Not only large companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft but also much smaller employers invite their candidates to meet online.

Email also plays an important role for both job seekers and hiring managers before and after the job interview. It is a convenient method to exchange questions and arrange the interview. 

Every email a job seeker sends to employers is a chance to stand out and prove they are the right candidate for the position. Asking thoughtful questions before the interview helps candidates prepare for what comes next. Email can also be used to say thank you. 

But, what's even more important, modern services allow doing everything quickly and smoothly, saving a lot of time. For example, you no longer need to send emails back and forth to find a perfect time to meet or google some extra information about candidates or a company (depending on what your role in an interview is). Both sides (hiring managers and job seekers) can benefit from using professional email signatures with banners that allow adding links to a CV, portfolio, personal blog, and other achievements, as well as links to schedule a meeting in a convenient way.