Do a Video Interview

Because of the convenience offered by modern technology, more and more employers have begun using video interviews as a way of finding and evaluating qualified candidates remotely. If you’ve got a big video interview lined up, you’ll want to prepare by making sure your webcam and microphone are configured to provide high-quality video and audio, and by connecting to a fast, reliable Internet connection. It will also be worth it to take steps to improve your personal presentation, such as dressing appropriately, maintaining eye contact, and situating yourself in front of a distraction-free background. From there, it’s just a matter of staying composed and laying out your qualifications with the occasional flash of your disarming smile.

Steps

Setting up Your Equipment

1. Check your webcam and microphone well ahead of time. Don’t wait until 20 minutes before your scheduled interview time to test your webcam and microphone. Fire them up at least 2-3 days beforehand and confirm that you can send and receive video and audio clearly. This will give you plenty of time to troubleshoot any technical difficulties that you happen to run into.
   • If you’re using a separate webcam, microphone, or both, take a few minutes to ensure that they’re fully operational and configured correctly.
   • Inviting a friend or relative for a quick video chat is the best way to establish that you can see and hear them, and vice-versa. You’ve been meaning to call your grandmother, anyway.
2. Make sure your Internet connection is speedy and stable. If you’re relying on a wireless connection, situate your computer as close to your router as possible. It’s also wise to close out any tabs or programs that you don’t need for your interview in order to keep them from eating into your bandwidth. Otherwise, you may experience unexpected lag or drops, which could make for a potentially embarrassing situation.
   • Consider testing your Internet speed to see how fast it’s running. If you get back anything lower than 25mps, it's a good idea to plug your computer directly into your router.
   • If you have family members or roommates using the same connection, ask them to hold off on running any especially demanding devices or apps until you’ve wrapped up your interview.
3. Familiarize yourself with the video chat program your interviewer will be using. Your interviewer should tell you what app or software the company prefers when they specify a date and time. Log in for at least one trial run with the program to get used to the basic layout and settings. The last thing you want is to miss a question because you were busy searching for a certain button.
   • Some of the most common programs used to carry out business-related video interviews include Montage, InterviewStream, Zoom, JobVite, and Interview4. However, there’s also a chance that the company will elect to use a more universal app, such as Skype or Google Hangout.
   • Read through the recommended tech requirements for the program chosen to optimize your computer’s settings for seamless streaming.Template:Greenbox:'''Tip:''' Pick a username (or change your existing one, if necessary) that’s straightforward, distinctive, and professional. "JenDelaneySF" has a much better ring to it than, “MotherOfDragons420."
4. Bring a pair of headphones just in case. One way to guarantee that subpar audio won’t ruin your spiel is to equip yourself with a headset with a built-in mic for clearer speech and reception. That way, you won’t have to worry about straining to hear your interviewer over environmental noise or being thrown off by a slight echo. Even a basic pair of earbuds could prove to be a lifesaver, especially if you’re interviewing from a crowded coffee shop.
   • You can pick up a quality headset with a fixed mic for as little as $100 online. Think of it as an investment into your future.
   • The quality of your video feed won’t make or break your interview, but if you and your interviewer can’t make out what each other are saying, you’re in trouble.

Improving Your Presentation

1. Find a nice quiet location to carry out your interview. A private office or conference room is an ideal setting. Since you’ll most likely be conducting the interview from home, however, your best bet is to head to the most “business-like” part of the house. In most cases, this will be a modestly furnished study or living room where you’ll have plenty of space to set up comfortably with a minimum of attention-grabbing distractions.
   • Intimate areas like your bedroom or a cluttered game room don’t make the best locales for a high-stakes video interview.
   • Forewarn your family or roommates about the date and time of your interview so that they’ll be prepared to give you the privacy you need to focus on making a good impression.
2. Set up your computer in front of a plain background. A blank wall will work just fine in most cases. If you’re in your home office or living room, turn your webcam away from windows and walls covered in pictures, shelves, or other eye-catching odds-and-ends. Remember, the point of the interview is to sell yourself to the prospective employer, not to give them a tour of your living space.
   • If you’re preparing for your interview in a public place, such as a café, try to stake your claim in an area where as few people will be walking back and forth behind you as possible.{{greenbox:Warning: Be sure to remove any potentially distracting, embarrassing, or offensive items from the frame before you actually start the interview. No one wants to see a pile of your dirty laundry.}}
3. Make use of lighting that maximizes your interviewer's visibility. If possible, switch on a light source on either side of you to illuminate your face evenly. This may require you to carefully configure your overhead lights or reposition a couple lamps. If you don’t have the right type or number of lighting solutions, you can also sit facing a partially-shaded window to take advantage of natural light conditions.
   • You want your features to be well-lit and plainly visible, but not blinding. Aim for a level of lighting somewhere between dungeon and Broadway stage.
   • Video chat with a friend to see what the lighting in your chosen interview location does to you. A dry run will give you the opportunity to tweak your setup before the real thing.
4. Dress the way you would for an ordinary job interview. As with any other interview, the exact dress code will really just depend on the culture of the company you’re applying to. A collared shirt or blouse with a complementary suit jacket is a safe bet, but you can probably also get away with more business-casual selections like a pressed button-up with no jacket, a polo shirt, or even a classy sweater, if it’s suitable for the season.
   • Stick with time-honored neutral tones like black, brown, gray, and navy blue, and opt for solid colors over patterns. Bright colors (including white) and busy designs may be too much work for your interviewer’s eyes.
   • Don’t think that just because you’re interviewing from home you have free reign to wear whatever you want. Tees, sweatshirts, housecoats, and other casual clothing items are a definite no-no.

Conducting Yourself Professionally

1. Sit up straight and face your webcam head-on. You want your interview to have a clear view of you at all times. By the same token, you might need to play with your seating arrangement in order to find your sweet spot in terms of your distance from the webcam. If the person can see your waistline or legs, you’re too far away. If they can count your nose hairs, you’re too close.
   • It’s okay to cross your legs, if it makes you more comfortable—just keep in mind that it could make you look “tilted” from your interviewer’s perspective.
   • Avoid angling sideways in your chair. This kind of body positioning comes across as overly casual at best, and rude and dismissive at worst. It can also make it awkward to talk to you.
2. Maintain assertive eye contact throughout the interview. Eye contact is one of the hardest things to get right during a video interview. Most people have a tendency to want to focus on the other person’s face, but this can make it seem like you’re staring off absently somewhere else. One helpful trick is to move the person’s video window up closer to your webcam to make sure you’re looking where you’re supposed to without losing sight of your interviewer’s face.
   • Get into a cycle of making eye contact for a few moments, then looking away briefly to break the tension before reconnecting.
   • Consistent eye contact conveys confidence and respect while also preventing you from fixating on all the bells and whistles flashing on-screen, or, worse, your own image.Template:Greenbox:'''Tip:''' A good rule of thumb is to hold eye contact for around 4-5 seconds at a time to show that you're attentively engaged without coming off as creepy or aggressive.
3. Resist the urge to fidget or move around excessively. Video interviews can be nerve-wracking, and you may be tempted to tap your fingers, play with your hair, bounce one leg, or reposition yourself incessantly in order to work off some nervous energy. A little adjustment here and there is fine, but try not to overdo it, as this can be distracting to your interviewer and send the message that you lack confidence or basic social skills.
   • Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm your nerves and make you more mindful of unnecessary movement.
   • Feel free to talk with your hands, as long as they don’t cover your face or take your interviewer’s attention off of what you’re saying.
4. Smile! Smiling makes you appear more affable, enthusiastic, and engaging. You may also find that it helps ease your anxiety during the interview—studies have shown that even a forced smile can release feel-good hormones and reduce stress and feelings of unease.
   • Don’t forget to check your pearly whites for traces of lunch’s lettuce before you flash them for your interviewer.
   • If you’re so tightly-wound that you can’t let a genuine smile shine through every now and then, chances are you’re taking the whole situation too seriously. Keep in mind that most employers are attracted to positive, good-natured candidates who they think would be pleasant to work with.
   • Smiling can help your chances of getting hired, but it could also hurt them if you do it too much, too mechanically, or at inappropriate times.

Tips

• Keep a glass or bottle of water within grabbing distance in case you come down with a case of cottonmouth mid-response.
• Recent surveys indicate that over 60% of companies are now using video interviews at some stage in the hiring process, which means knowing how to handle yourself during one is critical to your professional success.
• As stressful as video interviews can be, just remember that they actually put you at an advantage, as they give you more control over how you present yourself to your prospective employer.

References

See also

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• Rock Your Media Job Interview
• Explain a Termination in a Job Interview
• Take Control in Your Interview
• Answer What Is Your Biggest Failure
• Prepare for an Informational Interview
• Succeed in Your Final Interview
• Keep a Job Interview on Track

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