Live video interviews are becoming increasingly common in the job search
today. Whether these take place over Skype, Zoom, or on a pre-recorded
platform, don't be surprised if you're invited to a live video interview,
especially if you're a remote candidate. It lets the employer see how you
interact on screen and kind of simulates that live, in-person interview more than
a phone interview will. I'll give you my top tips to having a successful video
interview. I'll focus on the Zoom platform, though these tips apply for
Skype or even for pre-recorded interviews. I'm focusing on Zoom
because it's one of the fastest growing platforms right now. I'm Jen with The
Career Force. We help smart, career minded professionals stand out in today's job
market. For more career advice and insights, subscribe to the channel and
check back in each week to see our latest videos. Let's first talk about how
to get set up on Zoom, if you aren't already. Now if you're already set up on
Zoom or you know your interview is taking place on a different platform, I'll put a
link in the description to where I start talking about tips that apply to any
video interview. That way you can skip ahead if you don't need the Zoom details.
If you're ready to get set up on Zoom and you don't already have this set up,
how do you go about doing it? It's pretty simple. You can go to the website
either on your phone or your computer, download the app, and create a login and
you're pretty much good to go from there. What you should expect when it comes
time to do your interview is you'll get an invitation and likely this will come
a day or two ahead of time from the person you're interviewing with. They'll
send you a link to login to for your video interview. Be prepared - in some
cases people can set things up so your video turns on automatically when you
join the call. So act like you're going to be on video from the start even if
you maybe don't end up automatically being broadcast. You don't want to go
on assuming that you've got time to set up because that's not a safe assumption.
That's going to be determined by the person that sets up the meeting.
Now, let's look some tips that apply to any type of
video interview: Zoom, Skype, or some other platform altogether. When you're
preparing for a video interview, the first - and probably already obvious - tip
to keep in mind is the other person can see you so your body language is going
to matter a lot more than on the phone. Sit up straight. Talk articulately.
Don't cross your arms and lean back. These all are a bit off-putting to your
interviewer and they convey a sense that you're closed off and may not be being
truthful, whether or not that's actually the case. Be prepared to interact like
you are interacting with someone in person even if that's just looking at a
camera lens. Here's another tip - prepare as you would for any other interview.
Whether your interview is in person, on the phone, or over video, you need to be ready
to talk about what you know about the job, how your experiences fit with it.
Research the company. Do some research on different questions that are maybe
common for that company or other standard questions like "tell me about
yourself" or "why should we hire you?" These are questions everybody should be
prepared to answer in an interview, regardless of what the platform for the
interview is. Next, consider your location. Ideally you'll pick a place at home
that's quiet, well-lit, and is a pretty neutral background.
Don't try to do your video interview in a coffee shop where things
are likely to be loud. There will be a lot of distractions around. Pick a
place that's kind of like the backdrop of this video. I've got a plain wall
behind me. You can clearly see my face. I'm looking at the camera talking to you.
I've got a kind of neutral couch around me. This is a perfect setting for a video
interview. The only thing I might do different is I'd probably move the camera
a little bit closer to me if I was on a call interviewing for a job. Next - check
your technology and light setup. You'll notice that you can see my face
on the screen, it's well lit. Before I started recording this, I practiced a
quick video to make sure that you would be able to see me, that you'd be able to
hear me, that my app on the my phone would work to record
things. Check all of these things ahead of time. Can you hear yourself
easily? Can you see yourself on screen well? Is your internet connection
reliable in the spot that you're in? All of these things are really disasters if
you don't take care of them ahead of time.
They might not seem like a big deal, but they can mean not having an interview if
you don't have a connection or they can also mean just coming across poorly.
People don't necessarily notice if all of those different pieces are done well,
but they notice when they're not done well. The idea is to minimize the
distraction. You want to be about yourself and the interviewer. You don't
want it to be about all of the things that are around or them having to move
closer, try to brighten their screen to be able to see you during the call. Make
sure you dress well for your interview. So I think everybody thinks it's a funny
joke to have a business suit on top and some sweatpants or raggedy shorts on the
bottom during a video call, but don't do that. I know that it's unlikely that
anyone's going to see the full length of you, but be prepared in case something
comes up. You want to look professional head to toe. Be prepared to just come
across how you would want someone to be impressed with you if you're were meeting
with them in person. Have you had video interviews before? I'm
curious if you found them more difficult or easier than phone interviews or
in-person interviews. People are all over the place. Some people think that they're
much better than a phone interview. Some people are much more intimidated. Let me
know in the comments what you think. My last tip now is maintain composure. Just
like any other interview, sometimes you're going to be asked questions that you
don't know an answer to and that's okay. What you don't want to do is start
looking around the room, hiding your face, typing on your computer. You really want
to still maintain that eye contact and pause just for a moment gain your
composure and then go into the answer to the question as best you can.
That's totally normal. People expect that when they're
interviewing potential candidates, whether it's in person, on the phone or
over video. It's okay to take a little time. Just don't forget that the other
person can see you. I've definitely had interviews where I've seen people
roll their eyes, look away. I've seen them distracted talking to somebody else in
the room. That's not the impression you want to leave the interviewer. You want
them to be thinking about you and the connection that they made even if that
means you need a moment before you answer the question. Put these tips to
use and you'll ace your next video interview. I mentioned pre-recorded
interviews as well. All these same tips apply. The only difference is that you'll
be hitting start and stop on a recording on the computer rather than having
someone talk to you live in real time. With most pre-recorded video interviews,
you have a question that's written that you get you probably have about 30
seconds to think about it and then you have a certain length of time - a lot of
companies take two minutes - for you to be able to respond on video. Keep this
in mind. You've got a little bit to think about it, but you don't have that long so
be prepared to answer pretty quickly. Light set up, technology, making sure your
backgrounds clean, crisp - all of these tips still apply even if it's
pre-recorded. If you need more tips on how to land your next job, I've put
together my cheat sheet to help you be a huge success in this job search. You can
get it at the link below. I'll send you a copy so you've got all the critical
inside tips to landing your next job. Thanks so much for watching!