The magic of a job interview on Skype works in two ways- the interviewer gets to have a traditional face to face session with you and you get to give the interview from the comforts of your home. Protocols surrounding such video call interviews are quite different from the in-person or telephonic interviews. If you nail the art of a legendary Skype interview, there is nothing standing in the way of your job. Here’s how you can rock that Skype interview:
Prepare Your Background
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Although you’re the person of interest for the duration of the call, it is highly recommended to clear out your surroundings of anything that could distract interviewers from you. Keep the environment neutral, well-lit and with minimal sound interruption. You could even set up a plain backdrop to keep it formal and clean. Ensure that you’re not going to encounter any loud noises during your interview i.e. any construction noises, crying babies, etc. You’re supposed to be the focal point and let nothing inanimate take away from it.
Dress The Part
Although you’re not in their office, you should still dress up like you mean it. Dress professionally from tip-to-toe. You can’t have a messy hair situation going on at this point. Dress crisp and look presentable yet comfortable from your head to waist, so to speak. A sharp look adds to your personality and a shabby look is inexcusable even for a video interview.
What You Do!
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A major essence of video interviews just like in-person interviews is how you are perceived by your actions. Body language is still a factor despite of an unconventional interview method. Don’t fidget, don’t look around and don’t forget to smile. One thing you should pay extra attention to is where you look at during the interview. Do not look at the screen. Instead, look at the camera lens so as to maintain a direct eye contact with your interviewer. How you behave is equally as important as what you speak.
Basic Interview Etiquettes
Even though this is not an in-person interview, don’t forget that this is still is a real professional opportunity. Shut down any other programs on your computer/laptop when you’re interviewing especially the ones that may make any noise. Don’t forget to put your phone on silent before the interview begins. No notification sounds are pleasant during an interview. Not only is it distracting, it is also unprofessional. Show them how serious you are. You may keep a glass of water beside you or a cup of coffee but that’s about it. No solid foods or fancy juices during the interview.
Practice And Prepare
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Before you’d go for any interview, you’d rehearse what you would answer when asked certain standard questions. The same mantra applies here but you’re at an advantage. You can keep your notes handy as a form of cheat-sheet so you don’t have to memorize everything. Having said that, don’t depend on it too much either. You can even keep a copy of your resume with you in case of referential questions.
And of course, check your video connections and microphone operations beforehand to avoid a ‘Can you hear me?’ situation.
All the best!
