Acing Your Video Interview During COVID

While COVID-19 may have fundamentally altered the business landscape, many companies continue to seek top talent to fill critical open positions. As a matter of safety, most organizations have shifted away from in-person interviews and instead use video interviews to meet with candidates.

In many ways, video interviews are like their in-person counterparts. However, candidates should take a few extra steps to ensure that they are ready to excel when speaking with the hiring manager virtually. If you want to ace your video interview during COVID, here’s what you need to do.

Make a Test Call

Before your interview, it’s wise to access the platform you’ll use and make a test call. Not only does this allow you to confirm that all of your technology works – like your camera, microphone, speakers, or headphones – but it also gives you a chance to do more.

Once the test call is underway, you can check your audio and video quality. Additionally, you can see what else appears in the frame, allowing you to identify items in the background you may want to move, remove, or cover.

You’ll also be able to make sure that you’re lighting is appropriate for the call. Finally, it gives you a chance to make sure your outfit looks good on camera.

Practice Eye Contact

Eye contact is important during an interview. However, you can’t make eye contact during a video call. Instead, you have to mimic it.

Many candidates tend to turn their eyes toward the hiring manager’s image on the screen. But when you do, on the hiring manager’s end, it looks like you’re looking down.

To mimic eye contact, you want to look at your camera lens, not at the screen. It can take a little bit of practice to get used to, so make sure you try it out during your test call until you are comfortable with it.

Rehearse Speaking Slowly and Clearly

During an interview, it’s always wise to focus on speaking slowly and clearly. However, during a video interview, this is significantly more important.

Even if you have a solid internet connection and a high-quality microphone, audio quality can vary during video calls. By focusing on your cadence and clarity, you can reduce the negative impact of fluctuating quality issues, ensuring you can be understood even if the connection isn’t always on your side.

Turn Off Your Notifications

Notifications are designed to draw your attention. Since you don’t want to be distracted during your interview, take a moment before your call to turn them off.

If you use a Windows computer, the Focus Assist feature allows you to turn off notifications temporarily. For Mac users, you’ll want to use the Do Not Disturb feature to shut them down.

Ultimately, all of the tips above can help you ace your video interview during COVID-19. If you’d like to learn more about how to interview successfully, the staff at The Squires Group can help. Contact us today.


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