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Tips to Ace Your Video Job Interview

Tips to ace your video job interview

Are you an active jobseeker? Do you have a virtual interview on your schedule? It’s needless to say that we live in the virtual interview era where almost all the employers are using video platforms at least for the first-round interviews. It not only saves on transportation costs but also gets the interview process started much faster than scheduling onsite in-person interviews. It has become a way to quickly conduct the hiring process. The majority of job applicants feel nervous about whether they will be able to represent themselves well in front of a camera. We know it doesn’t help to be nervous about the interview and the platform, so we have some tips to take your digital interviewing skills to the next level.

Pick a good location

Your video background matters a lot. Poor lighting, messy backgrounds, and noisy environments create distractions. Do not take the interview while driving or commuting (you probably won’t get the job if you crash in the interview) and try to find a place where your kids, pets, or any other person won’t disturb you. Ensure that your room is quiet, well lit, and you have strong wireless reception. For example, if you are using your bedroom, make sure that your video is not cluttered with clothes, an unmade bed, piles of boxes, and food and beverages. Try to make your background clean, uncluttered, and professional so the interviewer focuses on you rather than your environment.

Check your tech stuff

Technical failures can ruin your interview, so make sure your devices are working properly before you start. Check whether your battery is fully charged, download any software, app, or plugin needed, check the audio, and make sure the camera works. Learn how to mute and unmute, and how to turn the video on and off. Familiarize yourself with your tech stuff. Check your internet connection. Make sure that it isn’t glitchy and choose a spot that has strong Wi-Fi. Try to do a trial run with a friend or family member at least an hour before the interview. Checking your setup will help you relax and focus on the call as you minimize the possibility of technical difficulties during your interview.

Dress appropriately

Although it is a video interview, you still have to dress just as you dress for an in-person interview. Choose an outfit you are comfortable in that mimics the way your interviewer expects employees to dress (or maybe goes one step more formal). Try to avoid overly bright colors or distracting prints and jewelry. Although your interviewer can see only the upper body, wear your pants. It would be embarrassing if you had to hop up to fix a technical issue and didn’t have pants on. Your attire affects both how the interviewer perceives you and how you feel in the interview.

Maintain good eye contact and body language

Since you have to show your authenticity via video, look into the camera when you speak to make the interviewer feel you are making eye contact. Set your stage properly. Focus on sitting up straight and making eye contact, react to the conversation appropriately with proper body language so the interviewers can see that you’re engaged.

Read more about the effect of body language in the digital video environment from our previous blog article.

Get well-prepared

Practice for the interview well by doing some mock interviews with your friends. Although video interviews give you space to keep some notes, try not to study them during the interview. It may be too tempting to look at your cheat sheet during virtual interviews. Referring to the cheat sheet too much can make the impression that you are reading answers and the things you are telling them are not genuine. It may give the impression that you are inexperienced, careless, or incompetent. Therefore, if you need some notes, make them quick bullet points to jog your memory, but nothing more. Practice well so you can be genuine and open throughout the conversation.

Be an early bird to the interview. Log in at least five minutes before the interview, take the time to be calm and centered when the video interview begins. In the end, close the interview well by thanking the interviewer for the opportunity. Make a great digital impression at the end as well as at the start.

There are many other facts that you should consider during a virtual interview too. We just scratched the surface here for a quick read, but we hope that you’ll find these tips useful in preparing for your next interview.

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