Video interviews are a really popular way of recruiting for many companies today. Because whether it is the first stage of a job interview process or a company is looking to hire candidates abroad, it can be a really cost effective way to meet potential candidates before actually inviting them to a face-to-face job interview. So in your current job search you may find yourself having to do a job interview via something like Skype and if this is the case, here is a few tips to help you, hopefully, really impress the employer.
One of the most important things to do before you sit down and have a video job interview is to print out a copy of your CV. Because no matter how well you know it, the employer is no doubt going to be asking you, joining your video chat, about your previous work experience and your expertise and what makes you the right candidate for the job. And it’s going to be really embarrassing if you stumble and can’t remember the content of your CV. And you won’t be able to leave your laptop, because obviously you’ll be sitting in front of the employer. So, it’s really important to familiarize yourself with your CV before the job interview and make sure you have a copy printed out in front of you to refer to.
Although it’s not a face-to-face job interview, it’s still going to be the first impression the employer gets of you. And as it’s a video interview it’s very likely they will want to see what you’re wearing for the job interview. So, it’s really important to dress smartly and dress appropriately, because not any will make you look more professional but it will help you to get in the job interview state of mind. Because if you are doing a video interview it’s not likely you’re going to be sitting in your living room or somewhere you don’t associate with work. So, dressing for a job interview will make you feel more professional and make you more prepared for the interview too.
Now an employer will find it really frustrating if they schedule in the time and date to do a job interview with you and they make the call and it rings through and you don’t pick up. They will find it really frustrating because obviously it’s a waste of their time, they will have to reschedule it. And it also looks like you are not that prepared and not that interested in the job. So, once you’ve picked the date and time for the interview, ensure you stick to it and make sure you’re in front of your laptop and ready to go at least 10 min before the interview is scheduled.
Now, there’s no point in trying to do a video job interview somewhere that’s really loud as somewhere you can’t concentrate or hear what your employer’s asking you. So, if you take your laptop to something like a coffee shop on a Monday afternoon, it’s going to be really hard to concentrate and make the best impression possible. So instead, pick somewhere that’s really light so that employer can see you while the video conversation. And pick somewhere that’s quiet too, where you can concentrate, taking everything they are asking you and you can hear all their questions thoroughly.
Now, just like in a face-to-face job interview it’s really important that you take your time to answer your questions appropriately. So, joining a video conversation it can be a bit awkward looking down a camera lens and trying to visualize the employers in front of you. And that can make you rush things, like speak very quickly or answer their questions very quickly without thinking. But instead, just make sure you take your time to answer everything properly, that you think through what they have asked you. And if you really worry about it just let the employer you’re going to take a few seconds to think about the questions they’ve posed because this is the first impression you’ve got to make and it’s going to be a good one to get you to the next stage of the interview.
Just like having your CV printed out in front of you, it’s really crucial that you have details of the job advert in front of you too. Because the employer is going to be asking you a lot of questions about the job role and obviously how you can fulfill it and what you can bring to their organization. If you don’t have the job advert in front of you and if you haven’t prepared, and you don’t know what they are looking for, what skills they want and what responsibilities are required, it’s going to be really hard to answer those questions to impress the employer. So just make sure you look at job advert before the interview to make sure you are getting the best chance, best possible chance of showing the employer that you are the right candidate for the role.
