Below we share our top tips for preparing for a video interview.
Practice:
Conducting a dry run is one of the most important things you can do to ensure you come across as polished and professional. Coordinate with a friend to do a practice interview to make sure you are comfortable connecting to the call and that your equipment works. Do everything you can to ensure your internet connection is as strong as possible and practice with your conferencing equipment so that you are aware of tendencies to delay or lag in the transmission.
Setting:
The last thing you want during your interview is for the interviewer to be distracted by a pile of dirty laundry, distracting pictures on the wall behind you or anything else deemed non-professional. Practice proper job interview etiquette by setting up your computer in a clean, well-lit area and do a trial run to see what is showing up around you on the screen. You can adjust your position and the angle of the camera to make sure only what you want portrayed is visible. Make sure all distractions such as TVs and mobile phones are switched off. If you are using your phone for the interview; make sure people are aware of this so that you do not receive calls during the interview which will interfere with your connection. Children and pets should not be in the room with you.
Dress for the interview:
A video interview is every bit as much an interview as an in person one, so make sure you are properly attired. Proper job interview etiquette is to always dress appropriately for the job in which you are applying, not necessarily a day on the job. Even if you know the company has a casual dress code, most interviewers will be taken aback if you show up in jeans and a t-shirt. The same holds true for the video conference. You can change back into your pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers as soon as it’s done!
Prepare for the interview:
Your preparation should be as intense for a video interview as any other. Google, LinkedIn and other resources make it inexcusable to be unaware of the company’s product, mission and other information. Study up on the company and the interviewer to ensure you’re ready for potential video interview questions. Prepare a list of things you want to learn during the interview and some questions you want to ask.
Master ‘eye’ contact:
It’s likely that if you adhere to the previous four job interview tips, you will already be a step ahead of the other applicants. However, there is one more big hurdle to cross and that’s the ‘eye contact’ phenomena of video conferencing.
We are innately conditioned to show attention to people by looking them in the eye when they speak, and to nod and smile. When we are video conferencing, it is almost impossible not to do these things. Remember, that when you make eye contact during a video conference, it should be with your web camera – NOT the person’s face on your computer! This feels very awkward and is also distracting because you will continuously catch glimpses of your ‘paying attention’ face. Resist the urge to fix your hair or act like you are alone in front of a mirror. Instead, focus on your web camera – this is the interviewer’s eyes – and make appropriate, non-staring eye contact, as naturally as possible. Of course, we recognise that for neurodiverse candidates this can be a challenge. We can provide further help to support you.
An interview is about showcasing your very best professional side, so follow these video interview tips and you will be one step closer to getting hired.
