The Webcam Interview
Posted by Krista at 8:52 pm
If you’ve recently been scheduled for a webcam interview you may have a few questions about how best to approach this type of interview. We’ve included some emerging best practices below.
Dress the Part. Make sure that you dress exactly the same way you would for the in-person interview. The purpose of any interview is to make a good first impression. Make sure you don’t miss the mark here.
Make sure it’s quiet. If you own a Mac or have your own internal or external camera you need to control the environment around you. This includes shutting off your TV and phones, taking the dog outside and making sure there is no one in the house who will interrupt you.
(FYI, the price range for a web cam can be as low as $30 if you are thinking about purchasing one.)
If you DO NOT have a web cam and don’t plan to buy one you’ll need to make arrangements to borrow one. You may also use a video conferencing room at a local office supply and business service chain like Kinkos. A simple Google search for “video conferencing” in your area should also help you locate all options.
Set up an account. Your interviewer may have sent you a link to a service like Skype. Set up your account prior to the interview so that all you need to do is log in. Your interviewer will most likely provide you with their user name. Make sure you add them to your account.
Have a clean, subtle background. You are the focus of the interview. There should not be any offensive posters or potentially distracting background images. Also, make sure the area is well lit.
Make eye contact, just as you would in an in-person interview. Instead of looking at the screen, look at the camera when speaking.
Speak up. The recruiter or hiring manager needs to hear you clearly, so make sure your voice is at an appropriate level beforehand. (Also not a bad idea to confirm that the level of your voice
Webcam interviews should not be treated differently than any other interview; you still should dress professionally and do your homework. If you are not familiar with webcams, or technology for that matter, learning how to operate everything in advance might be a good idea.
Fore more interviewing tips, visit the Stratstaff blog.