How To Ace The Virtual Interview: Do's And Don'ts

Video Interviews conducted through the net are becoming the “new norm” in the social distancing environment we are living in.

Working remotely from home and without a spare room to use as an office can add considerations.

Here is a quick checklist to make sure that as a candidate or ‘target’ or ‘seller’, you portrait yourself in the most effective way whilst remaining authentic:

• Make sure the technical side is in order – it might be worth if you haven’t used the videocall application/programme before, to try it before and make sure it works correctly and you have the login/code to enter your meeting
• Treat this as a ‘old norm’ interviews – dress appropriately (to avoid any embarrassment it is worth being dressed consistently also for the parts that might not be seen during the meeting when you are sitting in front of the camera in case you might need to stand up)
• You might want to consider the environment around you; make sure the background behind you is adequate to a professional setting as much as you can (you don’t want your interviewer to be biased in her/his assessment because of the wrong picture behind you for instance)
• Set your PC/mobile in a safe and firm place and frame yourself with the right/flattering angle and best light
• Make sure the people in your household are aware that the room will be off limits during the time of the interview
• Be aware that the person in front of you cannot see you fully, so posture and composure are essential to give a strong first impression
• Having a structured approach is important in every interview and even more in a videocall; be prepared to briefly introduce yourself, be ready for the obvious questions around your background and motivation (it is a good rule, to have 2 or 3 bullet points in mind to be complete whilst succinct). Let the interviewer ask you additional questions if she/he need more details
• Quality of the audio can impact the interview; nothing you can do about it but again as a rule, try to speak slower than you normally do (especially if you are a fast speaker!)
• Be aware that PC/mobile audio is very sensitive; it is generally better to have the microphone on mute when you are not speaking
• Building rapport take an extra effort during the videocall; trying to maintain eye contact and stay focused and concentrated – make sure you are looking into the camera and not the screen!
• Try to not move too much, fidgeting or shuffling paper
• Bear with silence in a videocall can be weirder than in a real interview; don’t try to fill it (managing time and pace is the interviewer’s job – nevertheless, also have a few questions ready to fill in remaining time in an effective way)

I hope you find our tips useful and best of luck for your interview! 

If you have any questions/queries or considerations to share, do not hesitate to contact Vici Advisory Doctors on [email protected]. Keep safe!