Virtual interviews have become the norm. Master the art of presenting yourself professionally through a screen and making meaningful connections with potential employers.
Eye-level camera, a window or key light in front of you (never behind), and a clean, uncluttered background. Wired ethernet beats Wi-Fi if available. Test audio in the actual platform — Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet all handle microphones differently.
Spend an hour on their project portfolio, leadership team, and recent press. For mechanical contractors, look up their license, recent permitted projects, and any awards or trade-press coverage. Bring two specific projects into the conversation — it signals genuine interest.
Look at the camera, not the face on screen, when you speak. Smile more than you think you need to. Use the candidate's first name once or twice. Keep answers to 60–90 seconds and check in with "did that answer what you were asking?" — it reads as confident, not insecure.
Ask about the next three projects, who you would report to, how success is measured in the first 90 days, and what made the last person in this role successful (or unsuccessful). These signal that you think like an operator, not a passive applicant.
Treating it as less formal than in-person. Same suit, same prep, same closing. The candidates who win virtual loops are the ones who run them with the same rigor they would bring to a site walk with a general contractor.