Due to COVID-19, conducting interviews in person is no longer the norm. As a result, many job seekers have had to adapt to hone their video interview skills instead.
While much of the virtual interview experience is the same as an in-person meeting, there are some significant areas where the two approaches differ. Ensuring that you come across well on video is a must, and that may require some adjustments to your usual interview technique.
Luckily, making the changes isn’t incredibly difficult. Here are four video interviewing tips that can help.
1. Be Aware (and Protective) of Your Space
Most candidates participate in video interviews from home. This means that a portion of your house is visible to the hiring manager.
Job seekers need to be aware of what’s in the video frame. They need to examine walls, shelves, floors, and any other areas that the camera captures. That way, they can make sure that any home décor, art pieces, or other items reflect well on them. Otherwise, they may leave a poor impression.
Similarly, candidates need to be protective of their interview space while the meeting is underway. Having pets or children running through the background is distracting, both to the job seeker and the hiring manager. Since making a great impression needs to be a priority, it’s best to choose a space you can control when it comes time for your interview. Ideally, this would be a home office with a door you can close.
Additionally, it would help if you ensured that any other household members know that you’re unavailable during the interview. A single interruption can derail the meeting, so it’s best to ensure that you won’t be disturbed.
2. Dress the Part
While it’s funny to see pictures on social media of someone interviewing while wearing pajama pants, you’re better off dressing just as you would for an in-person meeting. You never know what may happen and, if you have to stand up for an unexpected reason, your whole outfit may be visible.
Plus, dressing professionally doesn’t just increase the odds you’ll make a great impression; it also alters your mindset. You’ll be more likely to take the interview seriously, and that works in your favor.
3. Tech Tests Are a Must
While you can simply walk into an in-person interview, you have to deal with the associated technologies when you’re meeting online. Problems can certainly arise when dealing with tech, such as connection trouble, poor sound or video quality, and more.
Before you participate in a virtual interview, you need to conduct a tech test using the platform that is hosting the meeting. This allows you to confirm your connection and ensure that your audio and video work properly.
Plus, you can discover more about how you’ll come across. For example, you may find that your lighting isn’t ideal for the video, giving you a chance to adjust it before the big day.
4. Eye Contact Is Different
It’s easy to make eye contact when you meet with someone in-person. However, during a video interview, you have to change your approach to mimic eye contact.
If you spend your time looking at the hiring manager’s eyes on the screen, it appears as if your gaze is shifted downward to the hiring manager. To mimic eye contact, you actually need to look at your camera’s lens. It can take a little practice to get used to focusing on the lens instead.
Additionally, you may want to rehearse your amount of eye contact. Staring at the lens and never breaking your gaze could be a little unsettling to the hiring manager. You need to develop a rhythm, ensuring you don’t overdo it.
Ultimately, all four of the tips are based on lessons learned during 2020. If you’d like to learn more about successful video interview, the team at The Advance Group can help. Contact us today.
