Today we give you homework. Ask any of your close relatives, how he or she got his job. Whether it was a face-to-face interview that he undertook after appearing at a designated venue or a video interview conducted over Skype, Zoom, or any other digital platform that allows video calling. Most probably, the answer would be the former. In recent years, there has been a tremendous and rapid increase in the level of technology, which has not only allowed people from different countries and ethnicities to come virtually close but has also allowed the interviewers to examine the personality, mindset, and approach of the job seekers while sitting in different countries or geographical regions. This has led to tremendous savings in the cost of the business organizations and has even allowed them to choose candidates from a wide pool of human resources.
A Unique and Preferred Concept
Attending a video interview is a completely different and unique concept as compared to the traditional on-site interview process, as it involves the use of video rooms, web cameras, and an active broadband connection, so as to ensure a seamless interview session. It is also the preferred mode of conducting interviews nowadays because of the cost factor involved. However, for higher positions, an interviewer might prefer to shortlist candidates based on the video interviews only to conduct an in-person interview at a later stage.
Since video interviews are now becoming more and more popular due to the substantial financial benefits and savings in time, a candidate seeking a job at any reputed and tech-savvy institution must now prepare and become ready for attending a video interview session. Below are some trustworthy and most followed tips so as to ace your video interview.
Six Best Tips To Ace Your Video Interview
1) Creating A Conducive Environment For Attending Video Interviews
You might have attended a physical or traditional interview at some point in your life, and must have noticed the decorum of the interview venue especially the particular place conducting interview sessions. The place is quiet, disciplined, and mostly maintains a sense of seriousness. You are expected and required to replicate the same environment to the maximum extent possible. In order to do so, follow the following tips:
- The background to your web camera must not be too bright or too dull as in both the situations the interviewer will not be able to see you.
- Try to have a source of light in front of you, so that your face is clearly visible to the interviewer.
- The surroundings of the place must not have patterns or colors that are not easy on the eyes of the interviewers as such a situaion might displease or unrest them.
- If possible, lock yourself in a separate room which is free from any sort of background noise.
- If you have kids, advise them to leave you apart for a few hours and in case of pets, tie them at your backyard. The distractions made by kids or pets might annoy and irrittate your interviewer which can hurt your chances of selection severely.
- If your interview is happening in the day time, make sure that you stay away from the windows, as these have the capability to create shadows, again compromising the virtual visibility of a candidate.
2) Ensure Proper Partial Visibility
While attending an online interview session or a video interview, it is a necessary requirement to put on display your upper body. For doing so you can comfortably sit upon an office chair and adjust your camera in a way, so that, your upper body is captured. Make sure that you have double-checked the working of the web camera, microphone as well as speakers of the communicating device used. Sitting in an awkward position, with your legs up, or as a close-up face, is not at all recommended while attending an online interview.
Master Tip
Hence, sit at an appropriate distance from the web camera and ensure that your entire upper body is visible to your interviewer. By the term upper body, we mean, above the chest.
3) Appropriate Dressing
This is the most common error or fundamental mistake that candidates attending video interviews conduct. Since, you are required to put on display only your upper body, a few smart blokes, just wear a shirt and a tie. For the lower part, formal trousers are not the usual way for them as they are not supposed to show their lower body. Interviewers across the world have plugged this smartness of the candidates and hence nowadays you can expect your interviewer to order you to stand up and show yourself from head to toe.
Master Tip
Hence, to avoid and save yourself from any such embarrassing situations, it is recommended from our side that you always wear a proper business suit, with a formal shirt, pants, and tie. Wearing an inappropriate dress during an interview session might enable your interviewer to frame an opinion that you hold a low opinion of yourself and lacks the required self-confidence.
4) Read Resume or Notes With Caution
It is common for candidates to prepare notes of the frequently asked questions which enables them to revise the important points quickly. It is absolutely fine to keep them in front of you even during an interview session so that you are able to read them and revise them even till the last minute. But, during an interview session, you are advised not to look down on them frequently, as by doing so you are simply showing to your interviewer that you are underprepared and have not revised your topics well. In case, an interviewer is able to frame such an opinion, your chances of selection would be reduced drastically.
Master Tip
Hence, keep your notes in front of you during an interview session, but try not to read them or peep through them while in the middle of a question. There are chances that you will be getting a considerable amount of time between the end and the start of an interview question which could be utilized to have a quick look at those notes and documents.
5) Maintain A Eye Contact
When you are sitting miles apart from your interviewer, you are not able to share the same aura or charisma, as you can, while you are sitting just beside him or her. The only thing connecting both of you is eye contact. If you are not able to maintain consistent and regular eye contact with your interviewer, this simply displays an utter lack of confidence and formation of negative opinions in respect of your communication as well as interpersonal skills.
Master Tip
Hence, make sure that you are responding to every question asked from you with a high level of confidence and you are able to maintain consistent eye contact during the entire interview session.
6) Ensure You Have A Seamless Conenction
The entire process of attending a video interview might turn into a farce if you do not have a stable and regular internet connection. Hence, having an active internet connection is the first and foremost requirement of conducting online interviews. However, there are a few candidates that do not have either the services of an active broadband service provider in their area or simply can not afford the monthly rentals. Such candidates can follow and read out the master tip.
Master Tip
In such cases, try to give your interview through mobile devices having an active data pack and at least a 3G broadband connection. However, it is advised from our side, that you share your genuine situation with your interviewer so that he or she prepares for any unexpected glitches or technical issues.
Inherent Benefits Of A Video Interview
Whatever the reason may be, a video interview seems less daunting and torturous as compared to the regular interview sessions. There are various inherent benefits of engaging in an online interview, such as:
1) No Travel Time
Technology has the ability to surprise us and startle us completely. Decades back it would have been really tough for a person to even imagine attending an online interview session. But thanks to science and technology, it has once again, proven the general sense of humans wrong. Attending an interview session saves your valuable travel time which can be used and utilized in revising your notes and resume. Along with this, candidates have nothing to worry about reaching their interview venue on time. They can simply attend an interview session from the comforts of their own sweet home.
2) Reduced Sense Of Anxiety
When you go to an interview venue so as to get your knowledge, skills, and personality, tested, it is like going onto a foreign setting which is inconducive to your style and preferences. This is the primary reason due to which candidates feel nervous and anxious. However, while attending an interview session, you are indeed getting your skills tested, but in the surroundings that you know very well. This tends to bring a sense of relief and succor, which can be used to deliver a stellar interview performance.
3) Lesser Evaluation Of Body Language
Physical or in-person interviews have the ability to judge your body language completely, as you will be completely visible to your interviewer during the entire course of the interview session. However, during a video interview only your facial expressions can be noticed and evaluated, saving the gestures of your hands, legs, and other limbs from getting noticed. You might tap your feet consistently on the ground in nervousness or clamp your hands in between your legs (obviously without making loud noises), an interviewer simply can not see it.
References
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aet2.10583
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0003489420952470
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Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of PrepMyCareer.com website.
I am a full-time professional blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web, and I try to learn new technologies every day.
All the team management, content creation, and monetization tasks are handled by me. Together with the team at PrepMyCareer, the aim is to provide useful and engaging content to our readers.