Tips for Online Interviews
Many of the how-to’s on conducting a successful online interview focus on how many of the “rules” of interviewing in person still pertain to Skype. But we trust your judgment-- that you will know to wear pants and to be alone and in a quiet environment during your interview. Instead, here are some tips that focus on the technical bits that do indeed catch people:
- Check your connections and test them twice. Find a friend (not on your same connection) and make sure there are no incongruities (room echo, etc.) that you need to account for.
- Whenever possible, make sure your main light source is above you or in front of you.
- Of course you want to watch the people on the screen when they are talking, but if you need a place to focus when speaking, remember that the camera is your eye contact, not the screen.
- Try to have your camera at a good height. If you’re using a laptop, consider putting it on a pile of books, for instance.
- It is fine to use a mic and/or headphones. We care most about hearing you and you hearing us! Most cell phones come with a headphone/mic combo that can be plugged into any computer.
- Whenever possible, use an ethernet connection, rather than wireless
- Assume something might go wrong— so just in case:
- Have your phone handy in case video just won’t cooperate.
- There are almost always delays, and it is fine to pause a bit between points,
- Don’t be afraid to mention when you can’t hear, etc.
Good luck!