Strategic Points

Acing a Video Interview

Social distancing will be with all of us for several months to come. With it comes a myriad of the new normal; working from home, not going to restaurants and events, limited travel and of course video meetings and video interviews for job seekers.

After over two months in lockdown I’m sure you have already had at least one video meeting. You may have struggled with sound, lighting, or even your internet speed. You might be on the lookout for a new job and want to impress over video. Strategic Personnel has done the research! We have had many video meetings and interviews ourselves and have drawn up a few tips to make sure that your next video meeting or interview goes well.

Step 1: Prepare

Preparation is the number 1 tip. If you are prepared you will feel more relaxed and in doing so you will perform better. Ensure that you have downloaded the relevant software for the video meet on your laptop or phone. The most common tools used at the moment are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Skype.  Test your audio before the meeting starts and give yourself enough time before the meet in case you have any technical issues. Make sure the room where you will have the video meeting is quiet and that you will not be disturbed.

Step 2: Audio

Make sure that you are connecting to the call with the best quality sound. This means using headphones to ensure good quality sound. Avoid using air pods or Bluetooth headphones as they can be unreliable and don’t always have a good quality microphone. If you do use them make sure they are fully charged. If you find that your audio is poor it can be due to a poor internet connection. It helps to turn your camera off in these cases, so you use less bandwidth.

Step 3: How you look on Camera

The angle of your camera is very important on a video call. Make sure that you can see your whole face and shoulders in the camera. Often you have to move your laptop screen to a 90 degree angle to ensure you look your best. Raise the height of your laptop so that the camera is at your eye-level. This can be done by simply placing a few books under your computer. The room where you have the call is important. A plain white background isn’t appealing and doesn’t always make you look your best. Try one of the many virtual backgrounds that you can download or position your camera somewhere in your home that looks great. Sit with an attractive picture or a bookshelf behind you. Lighting is important! Sit in a room where there is as much natural light as possible but don’t sit with a window directly behind you.

Step 4:  The Call

Remember you are on camera! If you are looking at your emails, your phone or Google the other participants will notice! Turn off your notifications so that you are fully present in the call. Be yourself if you are in an interview. If you need to refer to notes split your screen so that you can look at the camera at all times. Video calls can be daunting but if you are well prepared then you will be fine!

For more tips on how to prepare for an interview, please also have a look at Strategic Personnel’s other articles / Strategic Points.