6 Top Tips for a Successful Video Interview
More and more businesses on the island are abandoning traditional methods and turning to technology to find the perfect employee.
Although you may have never been asked to participate in a video interview until now, there is a good chance that you will do soon. More and more businesses on the island are abandoning traditional methods and turning to technology to find the perfect employee. This is, of course, because video interviews save time and money for both the company and the candidate, especially when recruiting off-island.
Even if you consider yourself a younger, cooler Bill Gates, we all have our shortfalls and mistakes are made. With this in mind, local recruitment agency McKenzie Fox share their top tips for a successful video interview:
1. PREPARATION
Prepare exactly as you would for a traditional interview. Research the company, learn the job specification and know your CV. Don’t get too comfortable because you’re potentially at home and ‘This Morning’ starts soon.
2. DRESS TO IMPRESS
As tempting as it is to secure the perfect anecdote to tell your mates down the pub, wearing a shirt, tie and no trousers is not a good idea. Because lets face it, no one wants to be caught out wearing a pair of threadbare pants you found in a bargain bucket circa 1996. Instead, dress as you would for an in-person interview, smart from head to toe. You’ll be glad you did.
3. CHECK YOUR SURROUNDINGS
It is important to remember that it’s not only yourself that can be seen and heard on a video call. Choose an area that is clean, tidy and free from distraction. No one is interested in your vintage doll collection. Be sure to turn off TVs and radios and avoid anything that rings, barks or cries.
4. BE PROFESSIONAL
This one really goes without saying. Be courteous, polite and personable. Remember, you are interviewing via video call. Do not talk over the interviewer, instead wait for them to finish and respond after a 1-2 second delay. If you are using a video platform such as Skype, make sure your username is professional, not ‘cutiepiexx88’.
5. WORK YOUR ANGLES
In this Instagram age, we all know a thing or two about taking the perfect selfie. Same rules apply here. Make sure your laptop or device is at eye level, ensure there is adequate lighting in the room and avoid a bright light directly above you; you’re just asking for ‘I’ve only slept for 6 minutes’ eyes. Instead, a light placed behind your device will keep you looking flawless.
6. CHECK YOUR TECH
Imagine the scenario; you’re fully prepared, wearing the perfect outfit, sitting in a room that is the tidiest it’s been since before you lived there and your lighting is giving full on Kardashian realness. You switch on your camera, nothing. Check your tech! Familiarise yourself with your webcam and microphone to make sure they are in perfect working order before you get any nasty surprises. Make sure you have downloaded any apps or plugins needed for the video call way ahead of time and ensure all email alerts and other notifications that can distract you are disabled. It is also very important to check your internet connection is in perfect working condition. There is nothing worse than ‘mid sentence freeze face’.
McKenzie Fox are an Isle of Man based recruitment agency, specialising in all sectors and levels of recruitment. To find out about their current roles, or for further tips and information visit their website at McKenzie Fox.