Text interviews are becoming a growing part of the hiring process for some companies, and they can streamline the process when used well. It might seem strange to respond to an interview over text message, however, as it’s still a newer method. If you are responding to a text interview, there are a variety of things to keep in mind to ensure you get another interview. In this article, we explain what a text interview is and provide tips for a text interview, such as screening for scams, proofreading and how to say thank you.
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What is a text interview?
A text interview is a job interview that is performed over text. There are many reasons a company might do a text interview, including to streamline the hiring process, assess many candidates at once and appeal to different types of people. As increasing amounts of business are done by text and email rather than over the phone, it makes sense that interviews are included. Most companies that do text interviews use them as a replacement for a phone interview to screen candidates rather than a final, more complex interview.
Tips for a text interview
Here are some tips for participating in a text interview:
Screen for scams
There are some scams out there that pretend to be a job interview via text, but are an attempt to get personal information from you to steal your identity in some way. These scams might ask you for your name, date of birth, address or social security number. Legitimate companies performing a text interview will rarely ask you for this type of information, especially anything other than your name. A real text interview may ask for your name to confirm they’ve reached the right person, but not for any other personal information.
Use proper grammar and spelling
When you are responding to questions in a text interview, you should respond in a professional manner, which includes using proper grammar and spelling. Even if you’re in the habit of shortening words or using a casual manner when responding to texts from friends and family members, this should be treated as something different. You should capitalize words appropriately, use punctuation when needed, write in complete sentences and spell everything correctly.
If you’re working in a more casual industry, you may not need to be extremely formal in your responses, but it’s always a good idea to err on the side of being more formal and professional, even if it’s not mandatory. You might be texting with a live person or you might be texting with a computer AI, but in either case, your answers are likely being saved and recorded. As this is often your first direct interaction with the employer after your application, you want to impress them with how professional you can be.
Avoid emojis
Emojis are frequently used in texts by a wide variety of people, but it’s best to avoid them in a text interview. They may be seen as unprofessional, especially in an interview context. Once you’re hired, depending on your workplace, it may be acceptable for you to use emojis in emails and texts to colleagues, but for most of the hiring process, it’s a good idea to avoid them. If you feel what you’ve said needs to be softened or you need a way to indicate a joke, you may need to reconsider what your response is and how you’re framing it.
Proofread before you send
Before you send a response, you should proofread it. Many potential errors can creep into a text message, from a spelling or grammar mistake to an issue caused by your phone’s auto-correct feature. Reviewing what you’ve written can help you make sure you are presenting yourself exactly as you intend to and that you and your phone have made no mistakes. Sometimes it can be easy to get into a flow typing out a response and hitting send, so keeping this in mind can help you send something with an error.
Additionally, by proofreading before you send your message, you can give yourself another opportunity to consider your answer and be sure you are happy with it. One of the greatest benefits to a text interview is that you have more time to plan your response. Unlike a phone interview or in-person interview, you don’t need to respond immediately, so you can take your time to consider the best response, as long as you don’t forget to respond entirely.
Be aware of automation
Since some text messages are conducted by real people and others are done by computer AI, you may not always be sure which you’re responding to. It’s always best to respond professionally and with the assumption that another human is who you’re texting, especially as even if it is a computer, your answers will be reviewed by a human. If there are any odd shifts in the conversation or ways of communicating that seem strange to you, it’s best to assume you’re communicating with a computer and not let it confuse you as you respond.
Be direct and straightforward
Generally, text interviews are conducted to speed the hiring process up, either by comparing a large group of candidates all at once through automation or by communicating with a candidate directly in a way that is often faster than email or scheduling a phone interview. Your answers to any questions should be direct and straightforward, so you definitely want to avoid any answers that wander or go on too long.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show any personality, but keep in mind that the questions you’re asked via text are unlikely to be extremely complex or detailed questions. It’s more likely they will relate to your skills and experience just so the employer can be sure you’re a good fit for the next stage of interviewing. The employer probably expects shorter answers in a text interview than they would get in a phone or in-person interview.
Know where you shine
If you are an introvert or excellent writer and you know you’re particularly good at text messaging but not as good at phone or in-person interviews, definitely show your skills in your text interview. You might be able to impress the employer so much that if you struggle in an in-person interview, they still know what you’re capable of. You should still try your best with any non-text interviews, but you may be more successful if you do extremely well via text.
If, however, you are more of an extrovert or struggle to express yourself in writing, you may find a text interview isn’t the easiest for you, especially compared to a phone or in-person interview. In that situation, you should answer professionally and following the tips listed here, but know that the goal is to get you to the next stage of interviewing so you can really show who you are.
Use a thank you email
After your text interview, it may be tempting to thank the interviewer via text. However, it is still considered more appropriate to send a thank you email rather than a text. This is especially true if you aren’t sure if you are texting with a real person or not, as you want to try to get your thank you to a real person. You may be provided with contact information during the interview or you might be able to find it online.
If you aren’t sure of what email to use or who to contact, you could send an immediate and brief thank you text when the interview is complete, acknowledging the interviewer’s time and consideration, but if you have a contact at the employer that you can email, you should do that instead.
I hope you find this article helpful.
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