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How to Prepare For a Phone or Video Interview BY YOU JING NG
Attending job interviews can be nerve-racking and it doesn’t make much difference whether you are attending the interview at an office or a video interview from the comfort of your own home. The silver lining of interviewing from home or remotely via phone or video is that it saves time and resources from traveling. However, preparing for a video interview will take up more time as the technical aspects such as webcam, lighting, Internet connection, and the background of choice are some of the things that candidates need to consider before getting into the interview itself.
Smile!
Smiling indicates that you are confident and enthusiastic but it can also be interpreted as nervousness. The purpose of smiling is to show that you are a person that is pleasant to work with and has good social awareness. Be careful not to overdo it.
Managing physical appearance during a video interview
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The rule of thumb on making eye contact is that it should be no less than five seconds at a time. Look away briefly and then reconnect.
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Making eye contact during an interview is important especially when talking to the interviewer via video call. Be sure to adjust your monitor and the position of your webcam depending on where you face the screen. To avoid having you looking down or away on-screen, resizing, and shifting the window with the person’s video image is vital. Move up as close to your webcam as possible. This will provide you with the closest view of physical eye contact. You will need to remember the difference between good and bad eye contact. Conducting a video call interview can be slightly awkward at first but rest assured you will get the hang of it. The rule of thumb on making eye contact is that it should be no less than five seconds at a time. Look away briefly and then reconnect.
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Issue 41 I July 2020
This is to avoid it coming across as creepy or viewed as not taking the interview seriously. Remain Calm
When we get nervous, we tend to fidget and make involuntary movements such as shaking our leg, playing with our hair or tapping our fingers. Stay clear of repeating the same words or sentences during the discussion too. To get yourself out of the nervous zone, lots of practice will help you adapt and remain calmer during video interviews. Record yourself by re-enacting the presentation multiple times, then watch and observe how you do. Spot any subtle or distracting movements and learn to tone it down with yet more practice. Adjusting Your Positioning and Posture
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Eye Contact
Find the right distance between yourself and the camera to avoid leaning too far forward or reclining too far back.
