Many people find interviews a daunting prospect – lots of questions, time pressure, thinking on the spot, and racking your brain for the best answer – all whilst sounding cool, calm, and collected. Sound like too much to ask? Don’t worry, we’re here to help break things down!
At Virtual Internships, our application process also involves “interviews”, which are in the form of a Virtual Video Application. This is a process where we give you plenty of time to prepare your answer for each of our 5 video application questions, then have you record yourself talking about your answer.
As a remote intern, your face-to-face interaction with your company and our team will be conducted mostly over video calls, which is why we include our Virtual Video Application as a mandatory step. We want you to feel comfortable and confident when you eventually speak on camera with your company and our team, so our video application can be excellent practice!
This is also the easiest way for us to find out more about your interests and motivations for applying to our program, without the pressure of putting you on the spot. Saying this, it is still great to be prepared and feel confident for your Virtual Video Application, and also know what will help you create strong responses!
In this blog, we will break down our tips and strategies for how to ace your Virtual Video Application.
Whilst you set up to answer the virtual video questions, remember to make sure your camera is set up with a neutral background. You will want to be in a quiet setting where you can speak clearly into the microphone and will have no disruptions.
Make sure you watch the pre-recorded video questions and read the questions carefully before starting your answer. You will have a list of the questions before you start to record, so take some time to make a couple of notes or bullet points on the key messages you would like us to take away from your answer.
For example, if you have chosen the Business field, remember to tell us what you like and enjoy in this field as well as the tasks that you would be interested in completing during your internship.
Hint: there may be two parts to some questions! When reading through the questions carefully, you may realize there are sometimes two questions in one! For example, we may ask:
“Please tell us what skills you most want to gain from a Virtual Internship AND how this may help with your future career or job search?” Notice how this question has two parts to it, and thus, will require a two-part answer.
1. We are looking for you to name two or three skills (hard skills or soft skills) that you would like to improve whilst completing your virtual international internship.
2. THEN, we would also like to know how these skills will tie in with your future career or job search (e.g. developing analytical skills allowing you to decipher data and find solutions; improving communication within a professional setting, building public speaking skills as you’re interested in law, etc.).
“I am very interested in enhancing my knowledge of the finance industry. I find the dynamic nature of the field very engaging. I am currently working on a project at university and getting an introduction to financial research, which is something I really want to improve through this internship. In the wider field, I like the idea of analyzing data, working out patterns and trends, and making decisions from this data. I would also like to work on my problem-solving skills.
I noticed online that previous projects have included analysis of the Shanghai stock exchange, and analyzing live data would be a really interesting and beneficial skill for the finance field. The opportunity to create reports and discuss my findings with the company supervisor sounds really appealing to me and would be very beneficial in my finance career. When I begin looking for jobs in the finance field, research, data analysis, and problem-solving skills are areas I will want to highlight on my resume/CV and any interviews I take part in.”
Notice how this above example answer touches on both parts of the answer quite well. This applicant is interested in developing their research, data analysis, and problem-solving skills (part one), and feels these skills will be beneficial as many opportunities in their field of interest would require skills in these areas (part two).
There’s nothing worse than getting jumbled with your words and going on a tangent during an interview! Remember you have time to prepare your answers so make sure that you keep your answers clear and concise! We want to know as much as possible about your interests in your chosen Track, the skills you want to develop, and why YOU are a good candidate.
You have 2 minutes so don’t rush – clearly articulate your aims and goals of applying for the internship, and we are sure you will do great!
Finally, just enjoy the experience! Remember to smile and look happy and engaged during your interview process. This is a great opportunity to practice for future interviews, so make the most of this video application process.
It is a good idea to take notes after your Virtual Video Application – note down the questions you were asked and how you answered the questions. If there is something that you think about after, jot this down and remember for next time! Applications are a continuous learning process!