Interviewing virtually has become increasingly common. It is a standard practice in remote-flexible workplaces like Karsun. Given the competitive remote work environment, it is more important than ever to be well-prepared before starting your interview. 

Our Karsun Talent Team hopes every candidate has the opportunity to present their best self on the path to finding their next. Today, as part of our series on remote jobs, we are sharing our best virtual interview preparation tips. If you are preparing for a virtual or remote interview, consider these tips.

How Can I Prepare for a Remote Job Interview?

There are several strategies to help you succeed in the virtual format. Set up your technology and space well in advance, practice and prepare your responses and send a follow-up note are all common recommendations.  We have expanded on these tips for remote job seekers. By preparing well and paying attention to these details, you’ll present yourself as a confident and competent candidate in virtual interviews.

Setting Up Your Technology and Equipment

The first step in preparing for any virtual interview is using reliable equipment. Test your camera, microphone, and headphones to make sure everything works smoothly. Next, test Your technology. That includes checking your internet connection. Finally, you should familiarize yourself with the platform or website used by the company performing the interview. Do not wait until your appointment to install new software. Whether it’s Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or in the case of an interview with a Karsun hiring team, Google Meet, make sure you know how to use it before the interview.

Setting Up Your Space

Plan ahead and set up your space in advance of your remote interview. Create a professional environment by having a quiet space and all materials nearby. In addition to locating a room with minimal background noise and distractions, make sure you inform household members. Let others in your home know you will be interviewing to avoid interruptions. And while many of us like to keep our phones on our desks, please, silence your phone and disable notifications on your computer to avoid distractions.

As part of preparing your environment, you may also want to consider the room you will use. Check your lighting and position yourself so that your face is well-lit. A lamp behind your camera can help. A clean, uncluttered background looks more professional and reduces distractions.

Finally, have your materials ready. Prepare notes on your experience or other common interview questions. It can also be useful to prepare questions for the interviewer. Place these nearby, but avoid reading directly from them during the interview. 

Dress and Act the Part

In addition to preparing your technology and interview space, you should plan to dress professionally. Wear appropriate attire as you would for an in-person interview. Avoid overly bright or busy patterns. And remember you should dress for your full body, not just the top half, in case you need to stand up during the interview.

Acting the part is critical too. If you are not used to video interviewing, it is a good idea to practice eye contact and body language. Practice looking at the camera, not the screen. This creates the illusion of eye contact and makes you appear more engaged. When it comes to your body language, good posture conveys confidence. Consider using hand gestures sparingly. While these can aid communication, too many gestures can be distracting on screen. You may also want to practice to see what gestures are visible to your camera and on screen.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The final interview preparation steps are to plan your answers and practice with mock interviews. When you prepare your answers, practice common interview questions. Be ready to discuss your experience, skills, and why you’re a good fit for the role. Many companies, like Karsun, use common formats for your examples. Prepare your examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to create structured answers that match these formats.

Once you have planned your responses, practice mock interviews with a partner. Work with a friend or use online tools to simulate the virtual interview experience. Get feedback, then improve your answers.

Following Up

Sending a follow up note to thank the interviewer for their time is still a best practice. When interviewing virtually for a remote job, consider sending a thank you email. Remember, your interviewer may also be remote and they may not be able to receive mail at the address published on a company’s website. Instead, send a personalized thank-you email to express your appreciation and reiterate your interest in the role.

Karsun Solutions is the place where enterprise modernization experts from every background can find their next. To help candidates looking for their next remote job, throughout this month we are sharing our top remote job tips. Previously we shared our tips for avoiding remote job scams.  We hope you join us as we share more tips and if you are looking for your next, check out our remote jobs at https://www.karsuncareers.com/jobs.  

With many companies offering remote positions, the opportunities to take advantage of unsuspecting job seekers continue to rise. In fact, aided by AI, job scams have surged 118% from 2022 to 2023, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. These scams often attempt to gain money, learn personal details or other information to commit identity theft, or access your computer for malicious activity. 

Job sites like Indeed or FlexJobs list some of the most common job scams and strategies for avoiding them. Avoiding fake remote job scams requires a cautious approach. Here are some tips to help you stay safe:

1. Research the Company: Always research the company offering the job. Check their official website and LinkedIn page, and read reviews on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed. If a company seems to lack a credible online presence, it may be a red flag. Our job postings are available at Karsun-LLC.com and KarsunCareers.com. Karsun employees will only attempt to contact you from email addresses using @karsun-llc.com at the end of the email address, such as talent@karsun-llc.com.
2. Verify Email Addresses: Legitimate companies usually use their own domain names for email addresses. Be wary of employers contacting you from generic email services like Gmail or Yahoo.
3. Be Wary of Upfront Payments: Legitimate job opportunities will not require you to pay fees or purchase equipment upfront. Avoid any job that asks for money to start.
4. Check Job Descriptions: Job listings with vague descriptions, poor grammar, or unrealistic salary expectations could be signs of a scam. Genuine employers provide detailed job descriptions with clear requirements and responsibilities.
5. Use Trusted Job Platforms: Use reputable job search platforms that verify employers and job postings. Platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor have systems in place to reduce fraudulent listings.
6. Avoid Quick Job Offers: If a job offer comes with little to no interview process, it’s likely a scam. Legitimate employers will take time to vet candidates through interviews and assessments.
7. Watch for Personal Information Requests: Be cautious if a potential employer asks for sensitive information like your Social Security number or bank details early in the process. Provide such information only after confirming the job offer’s legitimacy.
8. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off about a job offer or a company, trust your instincts and proceed with caution.
9. Seek Recommendations: Ask for referrals from friends or professional networks who have worked remotely. They may provide leads to trustworthy companies.
10. Report Suspicious Listings: If you encounter a job scam, report it to the platform where it was posted and relevant authorities, like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States.

By staying vigilant and following these tips, you can better protect yourself from falling victim to fake remote job scams.

Finally, if you’re looking to join our team, you should know our current job openings are available at Karsun-LLC.com and KarsunCareers.com. If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, Karsun employees will only attempt to contact you from email addresses using @karsun-llc.com at the end of the email address, such as talent@karsun-llc.com.

As we adapt to government recommendations regarding COVID-19, maintaining the safety of prospective candidates and Karsun staff is our top priority. As a result, our Talent Team and hiring managers have moved to remote work. In addition to protecting our team members, we also want to ensure public safety. As of this week, we are either postponing or moving Karsun hosted events online until further notice.

Subsequently, our job interviews are also moving to a virtual format. Our Talent Acquisition Specialists will provide instructions when scheduling upcoming interviews. Candidates may also connect directly with our team on LinkedIn. Simply click the pictures in the upper right-hand corner for the LinkedIn information for each of our Talent Acquisition Specialists or email talent@karsun-llc.com.

Hiring in Oklahoma and Virginia

We are still hiring for both our Oklahoma and Virginia locations! Even in this uncertain time, we are filling roles across our organization. Our teams are growing to serve customers at agencies like FEMA, FAA, and GSA. Outlined below are some of our most recent hot jobs. Each week we share these top openings here on our website. We will continue sharing those opportunities here as they are available.

• Java Full Stack Developer – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Data Architect – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Service Delivery Lead – Herndon, Virginia
• Integration Lead- Herndon, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
• API Developer – Herndon, Virginia

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative enterprise modernization firm. Recently awarded Best Company Culture by Comparably.com, its teams deliver modern software development, cloud, and data solutions to customers at government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. Leveraging GoLean, Karsun teams drive digital transformation and help its government customers Do Extraordinary. Learn more at Karsun-LLC.com.

HERNDON, VA- Karsun Solutions, a provider of IT modernization services to the United States government, announced it will open a new headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Karsun Solutions will occupy multiple floors in Worldgate Metro Plaza, a Moore & Associates property. This more than 50,000 square foot office space will serve as the new headquarters for the growing government contracting firm.

In addition to the current employee base of nearly 350, Karsun Solutions intends to hire an additional 100+ people. Current openings include technical roles such as Project Manager, Technical Architect, DevOps Engineer, Security Engineer, Solutions Architect, Delivery Manager, Full Stack Developer, Test Automation Engineer and Data Engineer. Applicants may visit www.karsun-llc.com/careers  for detailed information on open positions.

This hiring surge coincides with rapid growth across the organization. From 2015 to 2018 Karsun Solutions was recognized among the Inc. 5000. Recently the Virginia Chamber of Commerce named Karsun Solutions to their Fantastic 50 list, a ranking of the fastest growing firms in Virginia. Nationwide the firm employs teams primarily located in the Oklahoma City and Washington, DC metro areas.

Karsun Solutions is a government modernization firm specializing in modern software development, cloud solutions, and advanced analytics. Their customers include the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. In April, the company announced DHS awarded the $80 million FEMA Grants Management Modernization (GMM) BPA to Karsun Solutions. The GMM Program seeks to streamline grants management across the agency’s 40+ grant programs. Previously, Karsun Solutions was awarded the FAA Software Solution Delivery (SSD) five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $145 million ceiling value. Under this contract, Karsun Solutions teams provide technical services in support of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Information Technology (FAA AIT). These support services assist in the implementation and continuing support of enterprise-wide software application and database development.

“Our team is proud of our sustainable growth record,” said Karsun Solutions Chief Executive Officer Sundar Vaidyanathan. “Karsun continued expansion is due to our high-performing teams’ pursuit of excellence at every turn. With the opening of our new Herndon Headquarters, we offer the opportunity to join a team that supports your growth as we grow.”

The new facility will include a training auditorium, extending the resources available as part of the organization’s Karsun Academy professional development program. It will also house the Karsun Innovation Center. One of the company’s earliest teams, this research and development unit houses Centers of Excellence, prototypes customer solutions, hosts an internship program, and cultivates subject matter experts across the organization.

Worldgate Metro Plaza is a Moore & Associates property. Moore recently completed a $10 million renovation of the 4 building, 354,000 sf property. It is conveniently located ¼ mile from the new Herndon Metro Station. In addition to the Metro, Karsun Solutions employees may access other public transit options and an onsite bike sharing program. Additional amenities include an onsite gym, WiFi lounge and conference center.

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions is a premier IT modernization firm delivering a portfolio of services to its federal and commercial customers. Its core competencies include Modern Software Development, Cloud Solutions, and Advanced Analytics. The organization’s quality, development, and information security practices include CMMI Level 5 DEV, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000:2011 and ISO 27001:2013 certifications.

About Moore & Associates

Since its founding in 1979, the Moore team has enhanced the value of its commercial real estate investments through proactive management, leasing, and tenant interior construction, strengthening the decades long belief that platform execution drives down risk while increasing overall return. Moore’s portfolio currently includes $510 million in assets under management, consisting of 1.9 million square feet of commercial real estate. Furthermore, Moore has developed numerous low- and high-rise office buildings.