Hi all,
As promised, here are my top tips and tricks for video interviews. Please feel free to add any more below! If I think of any more myself I shall be sure to add them into this thread as well.
- Schedule the interview in your diary as you would a face-to-face one and be ready 15 mins early just as you would for an ordinary one too. It can help you to relax and get used to the situation when you have a few moments to just breathe and sip some water.
- Test your video and audio/connection ahead of time – Zoom is easily testable as you can ask a friend to send you an invite and get them to give you some feedback on how you sound/how you have positioned the camera. Try your best to do these tests if you can but obviously, firms will account for the fact things like signal strength can drop out etc on the day so don’t panic. Really try to avoid headphones with a mic - unless you constantly have the mic piece by your mouth these can be incredibly quiet.
- Always tidy your background or, better still, try to get a blank wall behind you as it can just look a bit more professional.
- Sit at a desk or table as this can make you also look more formal and forces your posture to be strong.
- Ensure your whole face is visible in the camera too. Your room of choice also needs to be well-lit so the interviewers can clearly see your face and expressions.
- Also, be sure that you will not have any background noise during the interview. Similarly, tell parents, siblings, partners, children etc that you have an interview and that you are not to be disturbed. We have all seen the infamous BBC clip, right guys?? This also goes for pets too; they can be crafty! Home appliances can also be common betrayals – make sure washing machines and dishwashers are not in use.
- Dress for a formal interview – this means blazers on and ties too. If you have long hair, try to pin it back or have it behind your ears so interviewers can clearly see your face.
- Have your laptop charger at the ready to plug in if you are running low during the interview!
- Ensure you have some water to sip – this can be handy for when you need to take a moment to think or simply for when your mouth feels dry from all the talking and adrenaline!
- Also, check the room temperature is going to be suitable for the whole interview.
- Turn off your notifications and turn off your phone – you do not want any distractions at all or anything which might throw you off your game.
- As weird as it can be, this is a normal conversation. Do not script your answers or deliver a pre-thought-out speech. Remember to pause, be measured and slow your pace. A clever thing you can do though is to have post-it notes with prompts on your laptop or on a wall behind it to help you during the interview. So, you could very briefly bullet on a post-it three reasons for ‘why the firm’ which can help you jog your memory.
- However, do not have notes written which you will look down at. Interviews are not ‘open book’ and you cannot take notes in and so treat these video interviews as such. The post-its are helpful reminders but not cheat sheets. The only time you should have notes or be referring to sheets is if you have been given a case study/article where you would be expected to refer to during an in-person interview.
- Possibly the most important advice is to SMILE and LOOK AT THE CAMERA, not yourself. This is so so important and integral to the way you will be judged for communication strength. You may feel silly and like a Cheshire cat, but when the camera is connecting at the start, make sure you are smiling and looking at the camera so that this is how you are first introduced. First impressions count the most and if you nail this it should help you feel confident for the rest of the interview!
- It isn’t the most natural way to communicate on a video link, but try to remember to think before you speak, take your time and mind your use of fillers like ‘umm’ and ‘like’. I am terrible for this and sometimes it is just frankly unavoidable, but try to be mindful of it, stop yourself, and pause instead.
- If you are someone who, like me, talks with their hands, be aware interviewers might not see this as easily, make sure you have set up your screen so that they can if this is a key way you choose to communicate. Though try not to overdo it on the hands so that it becomes distracting! Moreover, keep your shoulders back and have an open body language - try not to hunch or stoop your back. Really try to avoid fidgeting too - whilst they may not be able to see your hands directly - it can quite obvious when someone is tugging at a sleeve or something similar.
- If your signal or audio goes or something like that, be cool and be calm. Interviewers are always assessing how people respond to challenges and they are looking for resilience. Use a chat function if it is available like it is on Zoom to apologise and say you are trying to reconnect or something to that effect, and don’t forget to smile! These things happen, they are expected, but don’t let your reaction to things going wrong potentially cost you.
- All the normal rules apply - consider carefully what is being asked, ask to take a pause to gather your thoughts, and try to give an answer in the clearest and most concise way that you can (whilst ensuring they're fully developed and well-evidenced responses too though). Remember to speak slowly and in a measured way as mics on laptops can be tricky.
- My favourite trick for interviews generally is to pretend like you are speaking to family friends. Interviewers are human, they want you to succeed and they understand the pressure. The more you can get yourself into a positive and relaxed mindset the more you will let your personality shine.
As promised, here are my top tips and tricks for video interviews. Please feel free to add any more below! If I think of any more myself I shall be sure to add them into this thread as well.
- Schedule the interview in your diary as you would a face-to-face one and be ready 15 mins early just as you would for an ordinary one too. It can help you to relax and get used to the situation when you have a few moments to just breathe and sip some water.
- Test your video and audio/connection ahead of time – Zoom is easily testable as you can ask a friend to send you an invite and get them to give you some feedback on how you sound/how you have positioned the camera. Try your best to do these tests if you can but obviously, firms will account for the fact things like signal strength can drop out etc on the day so don’t panic. Really try to avoid headphones with a mic - unless you constantly have the mic piece by your mouth these can be incredibly quiet.
- Always tidy your background or, better still, try to get a blank wall behind you as it can just look a bit more professional.
- Sit at a desk or table as this can make you also look more formal and forces your posture to be strong.
- Ensure your whole face is visible in the camera too. Your room of choice also needs to be well-lit so the interviewers can clearly see your face and expressions.
- Also, be sure that you will not have any background noise during the interview. Similarly, tell parents, siblings, partners, children etc that you have an interview and that you are not to be disturbed. We have all seen the infamous BBC clip, right guys?? This also goes for pets too; they can be crafty! Home appliances can also be common betrayals – make sure washing machines and dishwashers are not in use.
- Dress for a formal interview – this means blazers on and ties too. If you have long hair, try to pin it back or have it behind your ears so interviewers can clearly see your face.
- Have your laptop charger at the ready to plug in if you are running low during the interview!
- Ensure you have some water to sip – this can be handy for when you need to take a moment to think or simply for when your mouth feels dry from all the talking and adrenaline!
- Also, check the room temperature is going to be suitable for the whole interview.
- Turn off your notifications and turn off your phone – you do not want any distractions at all or anything which might throw you off your game.
- As weird as it can be, this is a normal conversation. Do not script your answers or deliver a pre-thought-out speech. Remember to pause, be measured and slow your pace. A clever thing you can do though is to have post-it notes with prompts on your laptop or on a wall behind it to help you during the interview. So, you could very briefly bullet on a post-it three reasons for ‘why the firm’ which can help you jog your memory.
- However, do not have notes written which you will look down at. Interviews are not ‘open book’ and you cannot take notes in and so treat these video interviews as such. The post-its are helpful reminders but not cheat sheets. The only time you should have notes or be referring to sheets is if you have been given a case study/article where you would be expected to refer to during an in-person interview.
- Possibly the most important advice is to SMILE and LOOK AT THE CAMERA, not yourself. This is so so important and integral to the way you will be judged for communication strength. You may feel silly and like a Cheshire cat, but when the camera is connecting at the start, make sure you are smiling and looking at the camera so that this is how you are first introduced. First impressions count the most and if you nail this it should help you feel confident for the rest of the interview!
- It isn’t the most natural way to communicate on a video link, but try to remember to think before you speak, take your time and mind your use of fillers like ‘umm’ and ‘like’. I am terrible for this and sometimes it is just frankly unavoidable, but try to be mindful of it, stop yourself, and pause instead.
- If you are someone who, like me, talks with their hands, be aware interviewers might not see this as easily, make sure you have set up your screen so that they can if this is a key way you choose to communicate. Though try not to overdo it on the hands so that it becomes distracting! Moreover, keep your shoulders back and have an open body language - try not to hunch or stoop your back. Really try to avoid fidgeting too - whilst they may not be able to see your hands directly - it can quite obvious when someone is tugging at a sleeve or something similar.
- If your signal or audio goes or something like that, be cool and be calm. Interviewers are always assessing how people respond to challenges and they are looking for resilience. Use a chat function if it is available like it is on Zoom to apologise and say you are trying to reconnect or something to that effect, and don’t forget to smile! These things happen, they are expected, but don’t let your reaction to things going wrong potentially cost you.
- All the normal rules apply - consider carefully what is being asked, ask to take a pause to gather your thoughts, and try to give an answer in the clearest and most concise way that you can (whilst ensuring they're fully developed and well-evidenced responses too though). Remember to speak slowly and in a measured way as mics on laptops can be tricky.
- My favourite trick for interviews generally is to pretend like you are speaking to family friends. Interviewers are human, they want you to succeed and they understand the pressure. The more you can get yourself into a positive and relaxed mindset the more you will let your personality shine.
