Do you have a video interview coming up soon? Read our top tips here.
Prepare your environment and tech in advance
It is important to prepare for the meeting well in advance to iron out any potential issues that could interfere with the quality of the interview. Choose somewhere quiet with limited background noise, and warn anyone who might be within the vicinity to avoid interrupting whilst the call is taking place. Do you have a dog that won’t stop barking when the postman arrives? It’s a distraction you could do without, so be sure to find ways to keep noise to a minimum. The background in the video should be plain and professional – no bedroom posters or fancy Zoom green screen images.
Also, it would be extremely beneficial to test your technology before the interview. Do you need to download an app? Do your camera and microphone work? If not, these could stall the interview taking place and leave a negative, unprepared impression on the employer. Ask all the right questions to ensure you are not left struggling on the day.
Dress for success
Remember that even though you might not be meeting the interviewer face-to-face, they can still see you and appearances count. Dress as you would for a regular job interview to show that you are smart and professional, not careless. Be aware of what the interviewer can see in the frame also, as it is not a good idea to wear pyjama bottoms with your shirt if your bottom half might be seen – you may regret it if you are asked to stand up at any point. Get some interview outfit pointers here.
Work hard on building rapport
Humans are very social by nature, and it is somewhat more difficult to build a rapport with an interviewer when speaking via a screen. You will have to work slightly harder to achieve this, therefore it is extra important to remember to be enthusiastic, maintain eye contact and smile throughout the interview as videos tend to mute our natural vivacity. Listen to the employer and watch their body language closely so that you can react accordingly and appear engaged.
Stay calm if things go wrong
We all know that technology has a tendency to misbehave when we need it the most. Testing everything out in advance of the interview should lessen the chances of this happening, but if things do go wrong you should maintain your composure – don’t let yourself get into a fit of panic. How you react in an unplanned situation can say a lot about your problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure to an employer.
Treat it like a face-to-face interview
Don’t get caught off guard by thinking that a video interview will be less formal or important than a face-to-face one – as with any interview, researching thoroughly beforehand is essential. Do your homework on who you are going to be speaking with and the company you have applied to work for, prepare for the types of questions you can expect and read the job description. You should aim to use the STAR interview technique when answering questions – find out how to use it here.
Remember to also have a list of questions you would like to ask the employer ready, to show that you are interested. Find some questions you could ask here.
