It seems like we’re doing a lot more through video conferencing these days. Whether you’re using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, or any other sort of video conference app, you’re probably getting used to the ins-and-outs of video conferencing in daily corporate life. One survey even found that 76% of respondents used video to work remotely. As work-from-home becomes more and more of a reality for full-time positions, more and more hiring processes are fully digital as well. Yes, we’re living in the age of the Zoom job interview.
You’ve probably already heard all of the traditional job interview advice, but what happens when you can’t give someone a firm handshake? What if making eye contact isn’t really an option? While some aspects of a video conferenced interview are the same as in person, a few things are completely different and you need to be prepared to present your best video self to a prospective employer.
Here are the tips you need to get through your Zoom interview:
1 – Test run your interview outfit on screen
Look, dressing for the job has always been a big key to interview success and that doesn’t change with a Zoom interview. What might change, though, is what looks the best on Zoom as opposed to in-person. If you’re doing a chest up interview, things like a little bit too much cleavage or loud jewelry that wouldn’t have been terribly noticeable with a full-body view can start to take too much of the focus on screen. The solution is to test run your outfit. Get dressed exactly as you plan to for your interview and then sit in front of your camera and see how your outfit looks.
2 – Don’t watch yourself
Everyone knows how tempting it can be to check your own image on screen, but you really need to resist. Too much twitchy checking yourself out and you may look fidgety and unfocused to people on the other end. Do your best to check out how you present on camera before the interview begins, then just be confident that you look your best like you would if you were at an in-person interview.
3 – Focus on the interviewer
Look directly into the camera and watch the interviewer’s reactions. When you’re facing someone in-person you read their facial and body cues as much as you listen to their words. It’s important to do that in a virtual interview as well. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted, or let your focus falter. You want to convey a sense that you’re present and listening.
4 – Find an uncluttered background for the call
In the same way that your personal appearance informs an interviewer’s first impression of you, the small bit of your home that they see behind you during an interview may inform their impression of you as well. Be sure to find a neat and tidy space for the call. Don’t worry about being trendy or impressive. Try to keep the background uncluttered. It’s a good idea not to have anything in frame that might remind the interviewer of recreation or other hobbies or it may subconsciously give them the impression that you’re more into play than work. Sitting in front of a window or wall, or some other fairly simple and bland backdrop is a good idea.
