Professionals – especially those used to working in an office set up – have had to make some adjustments to bring their work home. Amidst this, those seeking new jobs have been preparing for interviews that would be conducted virtually. While virtual interviews are not new, the current situation has left us with no alternatives.

Below are some tips and suggestions to stand out in these virtual interviews:-

Testing Tech Set-Up & Minimising Distractions

Examining your technology before you do a virtual interview is critical. Testing your internet connection, and confirming that your camera and microphone are working well is important. This is because if there is any hindrance during the interview, it will break the flow of the interview. It also gives off a vibe to the interviewer that you, as a candidate, are not adequately prepared or may not have taken the interview seriously enough. 

While one is testing their technology, they also need to check the environment they will be carrying out the interview in. Setting up a neat surrounding creates the impression of being detail-oriented and organised. When the right environment is set up, make sure there are no distractions around as well.

Be Prepared

Being on a computer does not mean that one can access the internet mid-interview to try and look for answers. A data science interview will have some difficult technical questions, and the only way one can crack and confidently answer them is through solid preparation.

One can be asked common data science questions about data cleansing,

Linear and Logistic Regression, Normal Distribution etc. These common topics must be kept in mind while facing an interview. Also, understand that giving a virtual data science interview is not as easy as it looks – you still need to be just as well-prepared.

Keep A Copy Of Your Resume Ready

You have probably made your own resume and know it inside out. But still, keeping a copy of your resume around will offer key talking points during the interview. Another piece of advice would be to stick some notes around your laptop and carry related information, including some tech buzzwords that you can use while giving the interview. These notes can also contain some thoughts of your own (related to data science) which you would like to slip in during the conversation with the recruiter.

Asking The Right Questions

While you are preparing to answer the questions and at the same time, perfecting those prediction models and drawing insights from raw data, you should also come up with some questions of your own. While there are some standard questions you can ask during data science interviews, there is no harm in preparing some of your own.

Asking questions to potential employers indicates your interest in the role, and will also help you understand if the company is a good fit for you as well.

Outlook

Although a lot of aspects of attending a virtual data science interview are similar to attending an in-person interview, there are a few differences. The candidate is in a safe and comfortable environment, and one will have ample time to prepare for the interview. But as they progress with the data science interview, some things must be kept in mind:

• While working on a problem, the interviewer will be giving you feedback, generally highlighting where you are going wrong or sometimes, hinting at the answer altogether. Sometimes, the recruiter might ask you to work on a problem, giving you an ambiguous assignment, and it becomes your responsibility to ask questions and get a clear idea.
• Sometimes, with take-home projects, the recruiters give you a time frame to complete it. But, nobody knows how much time it would take for the project to be completed. In addition to the given time frame, there is an added pressure of competing against other candidates. One piece of advice would be to reconnect and decide on a realistic time frame by communicating effectively.