Here are my 8 tips on how to nail a video interview !
1. Find a quiet room with a clean background and an impeccable internet connection . With the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and phablets, you're probably thinking that you could easily kill a video interview by using one of those gadgets. To that, I'd say no -- you're more likely to end up flubbing it than walking out from the room a victor. If that interview is important to you, do yourself a favor by finding a room that provides you with seamless broadband connection and allows you to have your interview without any visual interruption and noise disturbance. I am speaking from experience -- I've had an interview with company X only to have my interview interrupted by a poor connection. I completely lost my cool and along with it my train of thought. As expected, the interview turned out to be a complete disaster and I was rejected almost immediately. Don't let this happen to you. Oh, and make sure that all unsightly objects (e.g. that poster of a bikini-clad model or a torso-baring hunk) do not appear in the background. You definitely don't want your interviewer to remember you for your taste (or lack of it).
2. Maintain eye contact. Speaking to someone during a video interview is quite unlike Skype-ing your sister or Facetiming your best pal from college. You've to make sure that you maintain your enthusiasm and professionalism. The best way to judge a candidate on video is to look at how he or she behaves in front of the camera and given the limited field of vision a recruiter has, the eyes of an interviewee are what a recruiter looks at to tell whether or not the interviewee is confident. So be very sure that you are "looking" at the other party. To do this, test out the front camera function of the computer you will be using and record yourself to ascertain which part of the computer you should be looking at in order to appear as though you are looking straight at the interviewer. Mark that spot with an "X" -- the recruiter is not going to find out anyway! During your practice and the actual interview, look at the "X" sign at all times. It may feel awkward initially but you're going to appear as a confident individual on the other end of the computer !
3. Avoid and minimize all unnecessary body movements. You probably didn't realize this but a camera magnifies all your actions. So if you are someone who is very animated and tends to have a lot of exaggerated body movements when you speak, it is imperative that you tone down all those movements - or even better, cut them out completely - for that 45 minutes of video interview! People fidget when they are nervous and stressed out. Projecting a steady image in front of the camera just makes it so much more pleasant for your recruiter visually and it also creates an impression - albeit subconsciously - that you are someone who is dependable and level-headed. Clasp your hands in front of you on the table, and interlock the fingers (breaking occasionally to make a gesture) if you don't know where to place your hands. Never scratch your head or face during a video interview. This simply reeks of unprofessionalism.
4. Smile. Remember what I've just said about the camera being a magnifying glass of your actions? Well, this is the time to put on your best Colgate smile ! A smile makes you look good, and more importantly, helps take the pressure off you. Yes, when you smile, you're effectively sending signals to your brain that you're enjoying the process and this will inevitably help you lower your anxiety level, which will all contribute to a great video interview. And remember to put on a smile from the heart -- the naked eye can easily tell a genuine smile apart from an artificial, constipated one.
5. Sit up straight and push your head slightly forward. I can't emphasize this enough. I have seen tons of bad videos of people who slouched in their seats. While this is fine when you are watching a YouTube video at your own time, you've to remember that your posture is going to affect how you are perceived by the recruiter. Sit up straight and take control of your posture. Have your stomach in, chest out and just move your head forward by a teeny bit (this shows that you are interested in making a good conversation with the person on the other side of the video). Check to make sure the screen captures your head all the way down to your upper chest level. A good posture will give you the confidence, or help you fake the confidence that you need when tackling some oddball questions!
6. Record and review your own response. I was flabbergasted by how I first saw myself on video (and I don't mean by my physical appearance). I had always thought that I was pretty darn confident in front of people but that confidence sadly didn't come through in the first video recording that I did of myself. You may loathe seeing yourself on camera but trust me, if that video interview matters a lot to you, looking at yourself on video and being your own critic will go a long way in helping you prep for the big day. In fact, for every single video interview that I am scheduled for, I'd be sure to have my practice interview recorded, replayed, and reviewed at least 10 times. Yes, this is how demanding you have to be in order to be perfect for the task !
7. Project your voice (but don't shout). You think you have a Donald Duck voice that sounded horrible and weak on video? You are not alone -- I wanted to take a speech therapy class, thinking that that would help me project my voice better. However I didn't have the luxury of time to attend a speech therapy class before I was called up for my first video interview. Fortunately, I found some amazing videos online that espouses the importance of drawing on your energy from your diaphragm to "throw out" your voice from the head. Ever since I realized the importance of not speaking from the head, I've been better able to utilize my diaphragm when I speak. And it makes a huge difference to the way your voice sounds on video ! Once you've learnt to take control of your own voice, you will sound that much nicer and more powerful on video.
8. Enunciate and take your time to give your reply. We tend to speak fast when we are nervous. This may make it very difficult for the recruiter to take down notes of the conversation (which simply means the recruiter will miss out on some crucial points that could have been used in the evaluation!). To facilitate the work of the recruiter, slow your speech down deliberately (no one is rushing you) and enunciate your words. Not only will this help you catch your breath, it also makes the entire conversation that much more pleasant to the recruiter.
A video interview - like all other interviews - is not easy. In fact, it may be harder than you think! So don't underestimate it if you're under the delusion that it's going to be much easier than a face-to-face interview. While you may be physically away from your recruiter, you are nonetheless just as visible to your recruiter. In fact, given that you are framed in a video, a recruiter may be better able to focus on how you present yourself in a video. My experience however tells me that with practice - and some great tips - there is nothing to fear. So go forth, relax and enjoy the experience! I'd love to know how it goes, so write to me in the comments section below and share your experience with others!
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