8 Essential Tips for Video Interviews: Lights, Camera…Zoom!
By Anna Daly
Tips for Video Interviews
For many of us, being called in for a job interview is cause for both celebration and commiseration. The interview is like a reward for submitting a great application but nailing the interview can seem like a kilometre-high hurdle to actually collecting that reward. Fronting up for a Zoom interview on top of that makes for a daunting proposition, especially if you’ve never used the technology before: preparing for a job interview has never before looked so much like producing your own film.
The popularity of video interviewing will continue to surge, even when COVID-19 seems safely behind us. In fact, given the increase in remote working and working from home arrangements, video interviews are set to become the new normal. That’s why Evelyn Manfield at ABC News suggests you treat learning interview techniques across a variety of channels and platforms as not just an interim fix but as a form of genuine upskilling.
Prepare yourself as you would for a bricks and mortar interview – that means being your own best researcher, scriptwriter, costume designer and personal assistant. For a Zoom interview, however, you also need to become a set dresser, director, camera operator and on-set technician.
- Equipment Set-Up
You should download Zoom a few days before the interview so you can get accustomed to using the programme. If you can, download the latest edition, as well as the latest updates for your computer. Jeff Gillis at TheInterviewGuys.com also notes you can make a good impression from the outset by having a professional profile name.
- Equipment Operation
The more you use Zoom, the less difficult it will become. Ask a friend, family member, colleague or employment agent to connect with you via Zoom and experiment with the functions. The experts agree that getting the sound right is more important than the visuals, so this is a good opportunity to check for audio issues and get some help troubleshooting.
- Equipment Check
Start with the basics: make sure your laptop is charged if you are not near a power outlet and try to find a space where the internet runs smoothly. Close down other programmes on your computer, so they don’t slow down the operating system and keep your screen clear, in case you are asked to use the screen share option. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, give yourself a lifeline: ask your interviewer for a phone number in case the technology crashes.
- On Set
One of the most important, and perhaps most difficult, aspects of setting up for a Zoom interview is trying to find a space that is quiet, where you won’t be interrupted and where your internet connection is reliable. Zoom can help with the noise issue: if you use the ‘Mute’ button, your interviewer won’t hear anything from your end. Opinions vary about how your space should look but, at the very least, it should be tidy and the less cluttered you can make it, the less distracting it will be. TheInterviewGuys.com and Wired.com offer quite detailed guidelines about lighting. Cosmopolitan suggests, simply, to make sure the light is in front of you so you aren’t cast into a dark shadow.
- Learn Your Lines
Just like the old days, you need to work out which questions you are likely to be asked and formulate intelligent and succinct responses to those questions. You can go about this in a number of ways but asking your interviewer what you should bring to your interview might prove to be the most relevant. You can also do some basic online research to find out more about the organisation you hope will employ you, in particular its values and goals. One advantage of being interviewed over Zoom is that you can have a list of responses and information stowed away from the camera’s prying eye and refer to it as need dictates.
- Dress for the Part
The experts agree: dress as you would for an interview at a bricks and mortar office, which means polishing your shoes. There are at least two good reasons for following their advice. Firstly, adopting a professional dress code puts you in the mindset of a professional. In other words, it prepares you psychologically for meeting with the person you hope will be your new employer. Secondly, it means that if the camera shifts or you have to stand up suddenly, you won’t be caught out.
- Act Naturally
Look your best in front of the camera by making sure it isn’t angled too low. That way you avoid what is charmingly referred to as ‘nostril cam’. Also, try to position yourself so that the top of your head is at the top of the frame and the middle of your chest is at the bottom. Don’t forget facial expressions and body language – non-verbal communication is crucial – and when you want to look your employer in the eye, look at the camera and not at their face on screen.
- Keep a glass of water handy
As well as being the right person for the job, you are a tech-savvy applicant who knows the script backwards and looks as polished as a new-cut gem. Clear your throat and drink some water. Now hit the ‘call’ button and knock ‘em dead.
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