Are you hunting for a new job?
Looking to relocate to a new city or even country?
Then you might be asked to participate in a Skype interview for your prospective position.
Gone are the days where you always find yourself sat in the same room as your prospective employer.
But just because it’s not your normal ‘face to face’ interview, it doesn’t make it any less nerve-wracking. Especially if you haven't had a Skype interview before.
That’s why we've put together a breakdown of handy tips below to help you ace your next Skype or video interview.
Timing is Everything
1. Don’t be late and check time zone differences (if there are any)
2. Check your privacy settings so you can be found and contacted easily
3. Decide who is calling who to avoid confusion
4. Exchange phone numbers in advance in case there are any issues
Your Skype Profile
5. Make sure your Skype profile name and picture is professional
6. Ensure your status is set to ‘available’ so your interviewer knows you are ready
7. Make sure your profile is correct and presentable before contact details are exchanged
Technical Considerations
8. Make sure your mic is working properly and that you can be heard clearly
9. Check that your internet connection is stable and working
10. Make sure your video is working and gives a clear picture
11. Keep your internet connection speedy by halting all other activity or downloads
12. Try a test run with a friend to iron out any technical kinks
Appearance is Key
13. Dress in the same way as you would for a face to face interview
14. Speak slowly and clearly
15. Try to look straight at the camera for a better connection with your interviewer
16. Avoid over the top hand gestures
Check Your Environment
17. Let family or friends know about your call so that you won’t be interrupted
18. Put pets in a different room or area
19. Close down anything that might distract you (television, music, Facebook etc)
20. Make your background as unobtrusive as possible (posters, mess, clutter etc)
Note Taking
21. Have any important documents close to hand (job specifications, company info, CV etc)
22. Try taking notes the old fashioned way to avoid too much keyboard noise
23. Make use of post-it notes on and around your screen to avoid having to shuffle through pages of notes
Conclusion
Follow the Skype interview tips above and you'll be a video interview pro in no time at all!
Try not to think of a video call interview as any less important than a face to face meet.
After all, it could lead you to your dream job.
What have been your experiences of video interviews? Good or bad, let us know in the comments below...