Regardless of whether the person interviewing you is a university admissions officer, an employer or otherwise, it’s vital that you’re ready impress your interviewer just as you would in a face-to-face meeting. To do this you’ll need to be prepared for all the ways in which Skype and video interview can let you down, in order to make sure to avoid them.
You may be a touch-typing digital native with a love for coding, but video interviews are tougher than they look even for someone keyed up on the world of video communication. Read on for our top 7 Skype interview tips, plus a few extras.
Skype interview tips: preparation
1. Tidy your surroundings
This
is something many people forget when they have a video interview, but
if your backdrop is one of torn Metallica posters, used underwear and an
unmade bed, then the likelihood is you’re not going to get the job. And
it won’t be because interviewers hate heavy metal, it’ll be because you
look disorganized, lazy and unbothered about making a good impression.
Opt for a neutral background for your
video interview, and don’t feel that you need to show off any personal
information – you will be judged on your competency, not because of your
collection of the complete works of Dostoyevsky.
Additionally, if you live with others, or
your neighbors are obnoxiously noisy, then you should tell them in
advance that you’re taking an important call. This should ensure your
video interview won’t be disrupted by housemates calling your name or by
blasts of loud music.
2. Dress smartly
Although
it’s tempting to just throw on a shirt over your ice cream-covered
pajama bottoms, you absolutely shouldn’t. If you have to stand up to get
something during the interview, you’ll be instantly exposed as the slob
you are. Instead, you should dress as you would for a face-to-face
interview – head to toe – and present yourself as is appropriate for the
job or position you’re applying for.
Because you’re not there in person,
appearance is all the more important in giving a good impression and,
therefore, has a bigger role to play in getting you the job. So make the
effort; have a shower, brush your teeth, do your hair and dress up rather than down.
If
you’re new to Skype and video calling you’d be wise to play around with
the program before your interview, to better understand how it works
and how to fix things should they inexplicably stop working.
It might also help to do a test call; the
last thing you want is to rock up at your desk one minute before the
interview to find that your speakers don’t work, or that your internet’
bandwidth is too low. So make sure you’ve tested your equipment as well
as your video call program well ahead of your interview and once again
on the day.
4. Angling your webcam
The
position of your camera can be very important to your video interview.
Too close and interviewers will see just your face, too far and they
won’t see anything at all. Test out your camera beforehand and position
it so that it incorporates most of your top half. This will allow
interviewers to see your hand gestures and make it easier for them to
gauge your overall body language.
Another key aspect is your lighting; make
sure you’re lit by as much natural light as possible (although try not
to sit directly in front of the light source as this will shadow your
face). Natural light will make you and your surroundings look brighter
and more inviting and will assure interviewers that you’re not entirely
averse to daylight and the outside world.
Skype interview tips: during the call
5. Look at the camera, not yourself
I’m
not calling you vain, but try not to look at yourself in the bottom
right-hand corner screen. This is very easy to do, especially in a job
interview when you’re conscious of how you look and want to make a good
impression. But try not to. The interviewers are likely to pick up on
your erratic eye movements and mark you down as a) someone who loves
themselves or b) someone who’s as skittish as hell.
Nor should you try and make eye contact
with the person on the screen because, although it might feel more
natural to look directly at the person you’re talking to, in the eyes of
your interviewer it will look as if you’re gazing at something else.
Instead, you should focus mostly on the black dot of your camera or
webcam while doing your Skype interview, as this is the only way to
actually make eye-contact with your interviewer, albeit eye-contact that
you can’t tell you’re having.
6. Sit up straight
You’re
at home, no one’s made you travel for an hour for a 10-minute interview
slot, you’ve just had a perfect cup of tea, you’re comfortable, happy
and only feeling a little bit nervous. When you’re as relaxed as this
it’s easy to forget about your posture and how you’re sat – but this is
one of the most important aspects in showing positive body language.
Don’t slouch or lean back too far and don’t cross your arms or lean on
your desk. Be alert, sit up straight and look ready to answer questions.
To
ensure none of your brilliant answers are misheard, ensure that you
enunciate your words clearly. Also make sure that you speak loudly
enough, but not too loudly – you don’t want the interviewers to feel as
if they’re being shouted at!
Additionally, instead of relying on
non-verbal communication to express how much enthusiasm you have for the
opportunity, in a Skype interview you should focus more on your verbal
intonation and clarity. If you’re excited about the role, sound excited. If you’re pleased to meet them, tell
them so. This is because in a video interview many of your non-verbal
cues, such as facial expressions and hand gestures, will be lost on your
interviewer, often due to low video quality or the fact that many of
your gestures will be cut from the shot.
Skype interview tips: other common problems
- Low broadband speed – this can make your camera freeze unexpectedly and give you low video quality.
- Background noise – this will sound much louder to your interviewer and may drown out your answers. Do your interview in a quiet space and close the windows.
- Other technical problems with your camera/speakers – if you have any technical issues during the interview itself, remain calm. If the problem can’t be fixed, suggest rearranging the interview or, for audio problems, suggest using a phone to speak while still using the camera. Whatever the problem, don’t get angry, don’t start hitting your computer and definitely don’t start swearing at it – even if you think the interviewer can’t hear you!
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