In our last blog entry, we
addressed the ins and outs of telephone interviews. Today we are going to address online interviews, using
programs such as Skype. While most
people would rather meet face-to-face during an interview, it’s not always
possible in today’s hectic world.
Because of an interviewer’s busy schedule or frequent business travel, a
Skype interview may be the only choice.
Don’t feel pushed aside if asked to interview over Skype instead of in
person – remember that it’s an opportunity to interview in a format that will
give you much more feedback than a telephone interview. Here are four tips for making the most
of your next Skype interview:
1) Be comfortable with the format
An interview is not the
time to get acquainted with new software, new hardware, or the process of video
conferencing itself. If you aren’t
comfortable and at-ease during your interview, it will show. Do everything you can to make things go
smoothly.
First, make sure you have
the necessary equipment. As
technology is inexpensive these days, not having a properly configured setup or
using a poor-quality camera is a really bad excuse for refusing a video call.
If you don’t Skype often
and are unfamiliar with the program, practice with your friends and
family. Practice until you are
fully confident that you won’t seem awkward and uptight with video
conferencing. Test the program and
your hardware so that you feel at ease and relaxed during a real interview.
If you are familiar and
comfortable with Skype, you may want to create a new account with a
professional username to use just for your interviews. And practice with this account to make
sure everything is working smoothly.
2) Imagine you are on the other side
Since this interview is
critical to getting that invitation to meet the team in person, you want to
make sure that your enthusiasm, energy, and answers as well as questions come
through undistorted.
Test your hardware when
practicing with friends and ask them for feedback. Can they see you clearly? Can they hear you well? Is the camera pointed at a funny
angle? Take the time beforehand to
ensure you are set up properly before the actual interview.
Choose your location
carefully. Test to see if the
lighting is good enough for people to see you clearly. Find a place to sit where there a solid
or business-like background; this will ensure that the interviewer’s
focus is on you and not your room.
3) Look professional
Even though you may be in
the comfort of your own home, this is a real interview and you still need to
have your “game face” on and look prepared, ready, and excited to join this new
company.
Take care to choose a quiet
place where you won’t be interrupted during the interview. And make sure that
people in your household know that you are interviewing so you don’t have
distractions (like people walking past or children making noise in the
background).
Dress and groom yourself –
it’s just as important to look professional for a video call as it is for an
in-person interview. There are many funny stories out there of people who only dressed
well from the waist up who for some reason had to stand up in the middle of the
call!
4) After the interview
When testing your
equipment, make sure that you know how to use the mute button, and also how to
hang up. And after the interview, take
care to make sure that your system is really turned off! More than one candidate has made the
mistake of thinking that a video or cell phone call was over even though they
were still connected. So keep the
discussion about the interview for later, when you are certain you are truly
disconnected… just in case!
