Articles : Video Interviewing Tips

With the outbreak of COVID-19, working from home has become the new normal for many businesses and organizations. This also runs true for those in the recruiting and HR industries, impacting the interviewing and hiring process in new ways by using more virtual programs like ZOOM, FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Skype.

Below are some tips on preparing for a video interview.

It’s all about location.
Make sure that you have a quiet space without interruptions to do your video interview. It can be a little difficult if you have your spouse at home with your kids or you have some roommates, but make sure you communicate to them about when your interview is so they can make other accommodations to distract you less. This also includes putting your phone on silent, so you aren’t getting distracted by your notifications.

Test out the technology.
The last thing you want is a bad internet connection during your interview. To try and prevent this from happening, test out the virtual platform you are going to be using with a family member or friend to ensure you know how to use all its features and that it’s working. Maybe you could come up with a couple of alternatives if something does go wrong during the interview that way you are prepared, and you can prevent having to re-schedule the interview.

Watch your positioning in front of the camera.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure you are positioned in the centre of the camera, showing from about your shoulders and up. Make sure to also find a location that has a very limited background and good lighting, so your perspective employer can see you more clearly without any distractions during the interview.

Print out your resume.
Print out a copy of your resume instead of having it open on your laptop if you need to reference it. This way if something happens to your computer and you have to finish the rest of the interview through a phone call, you still have your resume on hand to follow along with. Make sure to also have a pen and paper with you to take notes along the way.

Dress professionally.
Just as you would dress for a regular in-person interview, you want to make sure you dress the part for a virtual one. Try to also avoid wearing bright colours, as it could appear to be a little more distracting on camera.

Prepare and ask questions.
Run through some mock interview questions beforehand just as you would if you were going in for an interview. The interviewer will still ask you common questions like what’s your salary expectation, what are your weaknesses, behavioural questions, etc. However, amid COVID-19 you may be asked pandemic related questions during the interview as well. To learn more about this you can check out our article “Preparing for a Job Interview During a Pandemic” here.

Don’t be afraid to come up with your own set of questions to ask the interviewer, which can show your interest in the position and company you are applying to.

Click here to watch President of TorontoJobs.ca Marc Belaiche, CPA, CA disucss this topic.

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