Are you prepared for a successful video interview?

Interviewing can be difficult for many people, which is
nothing to be ashamed of, practice and preparedness can help make the interview
itself easier. Nervousness is normal, just try to keep yourself in check, build
your confidence, and make your presentation clear and concise. There are many
things you can do to prepare and make an interview go smoothly but different
types of interviews will require different types of preparation.

Video interviews are becoming more and more common these
days due to improved technology, ease of use and accessibility. Most commonly
video interviews are used early in the interview process by recruiters and
hiring managers as a way to quickly eliminate undesirable candidates. Video’s
ease of use permits interviewers to conduct a more thorough interview than they
would solely over the phone, allowing them to move through the hiring process
faster. However, video interviews should not be used as a replacement for
face-to-face interviews, it is important for employers and candidates to meet
face-to-face before any hiring decisions are made.

The “ease of use” should not indicate a lack of commitment
by either party or give the interview a sense of informality. It is still a
first impression after all and should be treated the same way they would be if
held in an office. Presentation in any interview is a large contributor to the it
will take and much like face-to-face interviews there are plenty of factors
involved in a video interview that can become unwarranted problems if not
properly prepared for.

Videoconferencing Technology:
As with all technology, there is a chance that some of it may not work
properly. In order to make sure this is not an issue during your video
interview check your tech beforehand. The last thing you want is for the
interview not to happen or to have it be delayed due to a lack of or faulty
tech.

·
Software – Skype, Google Chat, BlueJeans, etc.

o
Find out what software you need before the
interview is supposed to happen.

o
Download any updates for the software before the
interview.

·
Headphones

o
Headphones will lessen the amount of echo and /
or disruptions in the video’s sound, just make sure they are working before the
interview begins.

·
Microphone

o
Computer microphones are pretty sensitive to
sound so make sure the background noise is at a minimum (this includes tapping
on the table, crumpling of papers, etc.)

o
Many sets of headphones come with a microphone
attached (ie. the headphones that came with your mobile device.) These should
work just fine, and have been made to eliminate external background noise that
can interfere with the sound quality.

·
Device – Laptop, Tablet, Mobile Phone, etc.

o
This may seem obvious, but check the battery
life of the device you are using for the interview. Have the device fully
charged, preferably plugged in, or at least have the charger available.

·
Internet connections

o
Always check your internet connection before you
are going on a video interview. Yes your connection may work and then suddenly
not, but its best to check beforehand.

Audio and Video: Sound
quality is very important in a video interview, poor video quality is more
likely to be forgiven than poor sound. If your interviewer cannot hear you
properly the interview will crash and burn.

·
As already stated, test both beforehand.

·
Use video in video to watch yourself, see what
the interviewer sees. This may help you to better control your body language. Also,
be aware that facial gestures are more likely to be picked up on during video
interviews.

·
Video Setting

o
When you go to an office to interview it will
hopefully be presentable, the same goes for your home or apartment where you
will be interviewing from.

o
If there are things in the background of the
video, the interviewer will see them. Try to use blank wall space as your background, a
singular (appropriate) photo in the background is not an issue, but a cluttered
mess will not only be distracting to the interviewer, it will give them an
impression about you (most likely a negative one.)

o
Avoid having movement in the background, its
distracting and can make the video quality fluctuate as it adapts to motion in
the picture.

·
Lighting Source

o
Use a lighting source that comes from the front
of you, lighting in the video that comes from behind you will make your face
too dark and the interviewer will not be able to see you.

o
Light from in the front and from behind will
make your picture look fuzzy, the idea here is to get a clear image.

·
Clothing

o
Just like bad lighting and motion in the
background, wild patterned clothing does not show up well on video and can be
distracting to the interviewer. Make it easier on the video tech and the
interviewer by wearing solid colors (avoid bright white).