Organizations conduct interviews over Skype and other forms of videoconferencing to screen candidates in order
- to narrow the pool of applicants who will be invited to interview in person and
- to minimize expenses for both the organization and the applicant.
Many steps for interviewing by videoconference are the same as those for interviewing in person or by phone. Start by reviewing those steps. Then consider these additional tips:
Preparing to use the videoconferencing platform
- Make sure that you have a Skype address (or address for another videoconferencing platform)
- Share that address with the organization
- Test to make sure that you can log in to the appropriate platform
- Ask the organization for a backup phone number so that, if you run into difficulties, you can communicate by phone
- Have a landline or your cell phone with you in case you need to place a call
Preparing the room
- Follow the steps for preparing for a phone interview
- Choose a backdrop that will not be distracting — preferably a wall in a solid color
- Test your computer equipment in advance with a friend or advisor to make sure that everything is working properly. Nothing is more frustrating to an interviewer than being unable to connect
- Test the volume on the microphone
- Test the height of the chair and the angle on the camera so that your face is properly centered
- Make sure that, when you look at the camera, you are looking directly at the interviewer(s). You don’t want them to see you looking down at a desk or up at the ceiling!
Conducting yourself during the interview
- Review the steps for speaking during a phone interview
- Review the steps for handling an interview in person
- If there is more than one interviewer in the room, make eye contact with all of them
- Make direct eye contact first with the person asking the question and then include others in the room as you respond to a question
Interviewers: who will interview you, and what do they want?