As company operations migrate online, so has the recruitment process. With thousands of job applicants, video or online interviews have become standard practice for bigger firms to sieve out potential candidates.
Instead of flying in 10 or 20 candidates for a job, the big companies could do a virtual interview screening via video and then fly in the top two or three potential candidates. This results in massive money savings for the organization or company. The video interview technology has also allowed multiple people in the company to watch the interview at their leisure and even make notes at specific points in the discussion, which means that they don’t have to work with the calendars of key stakeholders.
Whether you like it or not, a video interview is here to stay, and that too for a long time. If you apply for a job and are asked to participate in a video interview, you have to know what to do and how to do it. Below are some valuable tips for a successful and fruitful video interview.
The Dos for Video Interview
Do some practice recordings to check your surroundings or background.
The interviewed person knows you are doing your interview at home, so don’t worry about having a few things in the background. But make sure you know what is in your background. Try to put things around you which convey what message you want to communicate. Also, keep the number of belongings you have in the background to the minimum if you can. That way, the interviewer can focus more on their primary subject—you!
Check your microphone before an interview.
Video interview software should remind you of this and make it easy to know if the microphone is working or not. Still, you should at least record yourself once before the interview and listen to the recorded audio to see if it is audible or not.
Dress the exact same way you would for an actual interview.
Hopefully, this is a no-brainer—you’re going to be on a camera! You should take your clothes as seriously as you would for a non-virtual interview. Also, keep this in mind if you need to walk away or get up for a quick second during the interview, you don’t want the person on the other side of the camera to see you in a shirt and pajamas. Dress correctly from top to bottom for the interview.
Make sure you have positive energy.
You might need to set up your laptop or camera in a way that allows you to stand up. Make sure you are optimistic and smiling. People running the interview want to see your interests and passion if you have a serious face that shows deep thoughts; practice responding to questions while smiling and showing interest.
Figure out how you’ll start and stop each response.
Don’t start with a long “mmmm,” and don’t end with “well, yeah, I guess that’s it.” Try to prepare some response introductions and conclusions before the interview to sound natural.
Answer each question directly.
Make sure you address every question they ask, so they aren’t left thinking, “Um, he didn’t even answer the question; he just rambled on.”
The Don’ts For Video Interviews
Check yourself.
Check your teeth, hair, and other visual body parts for proper presentation before the interview. You don’t want to be the one remembered for his bedhead or the food stuck in your teeth that you could have removed or flossed out.
Stay Focused.
Don’t look up or down or in another direction at a scripted answer, you have written on paper.
Don’t put any responses down on cue cards or paper! This is a virtual interview doesn’t mean
you get to cheat. Think of the virtual interview as the same as an onsite interview—the only difference is that you’re not sitting in a company’s HR room.
Research common interview questions to practice.
Research some of the most asked interview questions in an interview, and formulate responses—also, research for common interview questions for your particular niche or industry. And also, have a few questions ready to ask your interviewer, too! Research the company and the role, and have questions prepped to ask on both fronts.
Don’t forget to follow up!
Just because you’re doing a virtual interview doesn’t mean you’re off the hook with the follow-up. Send the interviewers or the recruiters emails thanking them for the opportunity, and maybe even including thoughts about something that came up post-interview.
Final Thoughts
Video interview dos and don’ts are the same as onsite interviews. The only significant difference is that you portray and show all of your knowledge and strengths to a camera. It can feel a bit new and weird at first; you should do some trial runs to get quite comfortable being on camera before the interview.
Also, do what you can to stand out from the other candidates—conduct the interview in a quiet setting, communicate clearly and effectively, mind your manners, and maintain eye contact with the interviewer or the camera. For more career opportunities from reputable firms spanning different states in Malaysia.JobsPivot effectively connects employers with the right talents. Part time jobs in Malaysia visit us.
