Making a great impression has always been the key to a successful interview. Many are familiar with traditional interview tips like doing your research, practicing responses to common interview questions, keeping answers concise and focused, being honest, maintaining eye contact, etc.,. However, now many interviews are being conducted via video conference, and additional preparation needs to be added to the equation. FaithSearch Partners’ leaders have developed a checklist of suggestions for a successful video interview.
Hardware
Ensure your computer or mobile device is compatible with the selected video conference application and that it has a working internal or external web cam.
Headset
To minimize disruptive feedback and echoes during your conference, utilize a separate headset or ear buds with microphone rather than external device speakers/microphone.
Software
If necessary, pre-install the video conference application on your device. If you have never used the application before, conduct a test conference to familiarize yourself with the interface.
Connection
Confirm that you will have access to a stable, high-speed internet connection. Slow or unreliable networks, including cellular data, may disrupt audio and video quality and make communication difficult.
Location
Avoid connecting in busy and noisy locations. Instead, choose a quiet place for your conference with minimal distractions. Take steps to prevent interruptions from family and pets if conducting the meeting from home.
Background
Set up a meeting location with a professional and uncluttered background. The area will need to be well-lit with adequate and soft front lighting to illuminate your face properly. Avoid harsh directional lighting and especially backlighting from windows or other light sources behind you.
Framing
Raise your camera angle to be at or near eye-level rather than pointing upwards and center your eyes in the top third of the frame. Ensure that you are the focal point by positioning yourself near enough to the camera that your features are in focus, but far enough away that your shoulders and the top of your head remain well within the frame. Avoid leaning too far back which can give the appearance of informality or disengagement.
Attire
Dress for video conferences as you would if the meeting were occurring in person, including appropriate business attire and a polished appearance for formal meetings and interviews.
Etiquette
In situations in which you are not regularly speaking, keep your audio line muted. This will minimize background noise and interruptions in the conference audio. If you need to ask a question while another participant is speaking, raise a hand to provide a visual cue that you need to interject.
