This is a guest post by Ran Neil. He is a social media consultant at The Carling Partnership. The Carling Partnership is a leading search and selection company in the drink industry. Follow them on Twitter for more helpful information.
Ace Video Chat Job Interviews
Video chat job interviews are on the rise. In a popular survey involving more than 500 human resources managers, 63 percent reported using video chat job interviews regularly to interview candidates. In addition, a significant percentage of HR managers also envisage the trend to grow in the coming years. If you are moving up the leadership career ladder, chances are you will face a virtual job interview at some stage. There are a number of steps you can embrace to improve your chances of success.
Come Across Willing and Positive
If the opportunity presents itself, always accept the challenge. The prospect of attending a virtual interview for the first time may seem daunting at first, but it is important that you come across positive and willing, even if you are uncertain about the situation. As you will read on, there are techniques that will help.
Choose The Environment
When the interviewer suggests the best time, think carefully about the location. It is imperative that the background behind you suits the occasion, that background noise is minimal and of course that access to the Internet is available. A meeting or boardroom is the most suitable location if you have access to one. Otherwise, you can take the interview at home, just stage the background and conditions to meet these simple requirements.
Skype Pitfalls : Photo and Username
82% of recruiters and employers use the free software Skype, followed by GoToMeeting & WebEx. When you set up Skype, there are two aspects that might unintentionally reflect poorly on you. One is the username, the other is your photo (optional). Both are visible to the interviewer so chose wisely here. If you decide to upload an optional photo, a headshot always works best. For your username, choose a combination of your first, middle and or last name as oppose to a generic name. Your nickname mightn’t prove the most suitable for the occasion.
Setup and Configuration
Recruiters and employers are often disappointed, even crossed with candidates that decide to download and configure the software one minute before the interview is set to start. Make sure that you download the software well ahead of time. You may also want to consider setting the software on two devices, so you have a backup. All the popular video chat job interview apps are cross platform, meaning that you can install the app on your desktop, tables and smartphone whether Mac, Windows or Android thereby having a backup just in case.
Attend a Mock Interview
Practice makes perfect. It is useful to attend a mock interview using the help of a friend, family member, even an agency recruiter. It will give you a chance to test your equipment, practice your knowledge of working with the software and you can even record yourself (on Skype). Take this chance to view and if need be improve your facial expressions, body language and eye contact consistency.
Dress Head to Toe
It is a risky strategy to dress professionally only from the waist up because you are sitting down. Beyond the likelihood that the interviewer will see your entire appearance (thanks to the broad angle of most webcams), dressing professionally head to toe is considered to help the person get into the right mindset for the challenge ahead. It is also a key strategy in influencing the interviewer.
During The Interview
It is important that you make eye contact with the interviewer and refrain from letting your eyes wonder of. Do this by looking straight onto the webcam. You can move and position the chat window close to your webcam so when you are looking at the video feed of the interviewer you are coincidently establishing eye contact.
Troubleshoot
Recruiters and employers are always looking for problems solvers. If the interview is cut short due to a technicality, here’s your chance to take the lead and resolve the problem. If the Internet connection is fine and you suspect that your default device has failed, switch to your backup device. If your connection has failed, try using your cellphone web connection (e.g. 3G or 4G connectivity). If the problem is at the interviewer end, you might need to wait for them to reestablish the interview. If the interview cannot, for any reason, continue over video chat, suggest that you complete it over the phone. The important take from this is not to miss your interview opportunity if you can.
Good luck.
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