How to Ace a Video Job Interview

We constantly hear about how technology is influencing the way we do things – particularly our connections and interactions both personally and professionally. Businesses are constantly looking to implement new systems and technology to speed up processes and reduce costs. This is now filtering to recruitment, in particular, adding video interviewing to find the right candidate amongst the (potentially) hundreds of people who might apply. At people2people, we recently utilised video interviewing to help place over 60 candidates within a very tight time frame. However, unless you’re a Millennial (and used to broadcasting your life through photo and video), preparing for a video interview can be daunting. I’ve included some tips below, which will hopefully let you know what to expect and how to ace your video job interview:

1. Know your tech: Always test your internet speed, camera, microphone, and the system you’re using before the interview (whether it’s a pre-recorded interview or live via Skype for example). A technical glitch demonstrates unpreparedness and could potentially cut into your allocated interview time

2. Lighting and sound: Consider using a headset or headphones with an inbuilt microphone – for pre-recorded interviews, your employer can’t ask you to repeat yourself, so this is particularly important. Make sure you’re in a room with plenty of light directed towards you. It’s similar to taking a photo, avoid a strong down/or backlight and angle yourself so you’re not washed out either.

3. Know your surroundings: Be seated in a quiet and undisturbed room (we all know that BBC interview ), framed from the chest up, and be dressed professionally.

4. Consider your body language: Maintain good eye contact, don’t fidget, and remember to smile. This is easiest if you have someone to interact with on the other side, so if it’s pre-recorded, definitely practice beforehand.

5. Have everything you need in front of you: Have your resume on hand, and do your research as though you were heading in for a face-to-face interview. Ultimately, this will help your confidence levels and push you ahead, compared to candidates who ‘wing’ it, because it doesn’t seem like a ‘real’ interview (it is!).

Ultimately, video job interviews might take a little more preparation than your standard interview but once you’ve completed your first one, the rest of them should be a breeze. Organisations and agencies alike will increasingly rely on video interviews to speed up the recruitment process, reduce costs, and reach more candidates efficiently. So being in the ‘know now’, might help you secure your next dream role!