Insider Tips for Mastering Your Video Interview

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:

• Familiarize yourself with the digital platform required by the interviewer and download the program in advance. Whether using Skype for Business, Zoom, another teleconference platform, or any new equipment you must get for an online meeting, be sure to make enough time to test it well in advance of your scheduled interview. Make sure you know how to turn your camera and microphone on for video-conferencing.
  

• Check your online connections and make sure you have adequate signal strength. (If not, find a better location.) Also ensure that your computer or phone is pre-charged or that you are plugged into a reliable electrical source. Early on your Interview Day, test your own equipment and Internet connection —again.
  
  
• Prepare your locale. Test your lighting. There’s nothing worse than interviewing someone who looks like (s)he is in a grainy dungeon. Position a bright light in front or above you so that your picture is clear. Also make sure your interview space appears clean and organized.

• Be available and ready at your computer or phone at least 10 minutes ahead of your scheduled interview time.
  
  
• Minimize distractions . Whether conducting your interview at home or another location, inform those around you that you will be on an important call. Go to a quiet place in your home or office and make sure in advance that those around you know that you require a quiet zone and cannot be interrupted. It may help to let others know exactly when and approximately how long you will be occupied.
  
  Turn off the ringer on other phones and cell phones, and shut down anything else that will create annoying background noise, including noisy fans, air conditioners, the radio, background music, TV, etc.
  
  If you have young children at home, be sure to provide them with other supervision and/or a safe activity that will keep them quietly occupied during your interview.
  

• Have a glass of water nearby to avoid dry mouth during your interview. If you must cough or clear your throat, be sure to turn away from the phone or microphone.
  
  
• Plan key points you want to make and focus those on how your skills and experience will add value for the company, project and/or manager.
  
  
• Print out and review your resumé in advance, and keep it handy during your interview. Add to your resumé that you are available and able to work remotely if needed.
  
  Practice speaking in short but thoughtful sound bites. Avoid long monologues, whenever possible and prepare for questions you anticipate. To sound authentic instead of rehearsed, try piggybacking your thoughts in the moment on the interviewers questions or comments and striking a conversational tone.
  
  
• Practice distilling your messages into snippets of information that you can string together in an orderly sequence, using examples and anecdotes that help tell your story while conveying your skills, insights and passion for your work.
  
  Also, practice with friends, relatives or a mentor , allowing them to ask you typical interview questions and give you time to get comfortable speaking about yourself and your skills. The point is to just practice being yourself so you won’t sound over-rehearsed.
  
  
• If you must use a cell phone, do so in a stationary location and not while driving or walking through the home or office. Movement can interrupt the reception and call quality mid-interview. Not to mention, if using Facetime or similar app, you don’t want to make your interviewer dizzy!
  
  
• If you will be using a phone with call waiting, disable those interruption services before the interview if you are able.
  
  
• If you anticipate being nervous, practice slow breathing or meditation in advance . ( Note: You can practice relaxing today by registering for a free online stress reduction course at ExtraordinarySelf.com ; the comprehensive Transform Your Stress Landscape course includes a simple breathing exercise that promotes relaxation and the course helps you understand and control stress triggers and reactions. Alternately, you might try apps, such as Calm , or use other relaxation techniques.
  
  
• Have your interview notes at the ready and a pen and notepad to take notes during your interview, if needed . Avoid clicking away on a keyboard as the tapping sounds may distract your interviewer.
  
  
• As with an in person interview, plan your interview outfit and dress professionally .
  First impressions count big.
  
  
• Be sure to learn about the company, the hiring manager and the job. Read the company website; know the company mission; familiarize yourself with the company values and culture; and find out as much as you can about the job requirements. If you are working with a recruiter, ask for any tips or information he or she can provide to help you win the job!

DURING THE INTERVIEW

• Behave in the same courteous manner you would in person.
  
  
• Speak directly into your audio source and look into the camera. Watch your interviewer’s body language and take note of visual cues. Also be aware of your own body language. Maintain eye contact, smile when appropriate, and avoid fidgeting.
  
  
• Watch and listen carefully for the interviewer’s voice during the interview. When you hear it, be sure to stop talking. You will most likely be given an opportunity to revisit, expand on or reshape your thoughts before the interview ends. In the meantime, pace yourself to your interviewer to establish good rapport.
  
  
• Be sure to smile during the interview. Smiling will help you feel good and sound friendly and accessible. Also infuse energy into your voice! It conveys enthusiasm. An author I know jumps on a trampoline before making sales calls so she will sound energetic and lively on the phone. She is very successful!
  
  
• Remember, the goal of the interview is to help the hiring manager decide why to hire you. Be very clear in your own mind about why! Your discussion should communicate your relevant experience, insights, work ethic and understanding of job requirements. Know your accomplishments, career goals, how you overcame work and personal challenges, and why you are interested in working for that company.
  
  Be prepared to discuss your strengths and (the dreaded question about your) weaknesses. Also be ready to explain how you would your evaluate project success, individual or team success on the job.
  
  
• Present evidence. Explain how your skills, approach or insights resulted in specific successes at work. If possible, share helpful performance metrics and outcomes.
  
  
• Be ready with questions to ask, such as queries about company goals, position or manager’s goals, organizational structure, workplace culture, expectations, performance measures, and next steps.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

• Celebrate your good work and reward yourself, if only with a chest thump or pat on your heart for preparing, learning and making a solid effort.
  
  
• Follow up with a brief and carefully written email to your interviewer(s) within 24 hours. Use this thank you note as a reminder of your key message or after thoughts you think might sway the hiring decision your way. Remember to focus this short message on value. Your interview is as much about their needs as about you.
  
  
• Stay in touch with your recruiter to follow up on a pending job offer and on-boarding needs. If no offer is made, ask your recruiter for feedback you can learn from so you will be even better prepared for a future interview.

If you haven’t yet landed an interview, be sure to check out EliteTechnicalJobs.com for current opportunities. Also, feel free to contact an Elite Technical Recruiter about positions of interest to you.

As author Joe Poyer said, “Thorough preparation makes its own luck.” — We wish you much luck!