Fatima Malik, one of our Communication and Engagement Assistants, has written a post about how to succeed at video interviews. It can be overwhelming but the best thing to do is to treat it like a face to face interview Continue reading to see what Fatima’s top tips are when having to do video interviews.
In an ever-evolving digital world coupled with a pandemic, video interviews have become increasingly more commonplace. The overall convenience of virtual interviews (for both the interviewer and interviewee) has meant their place in the recruitment process has been solidified. There are two main types of video interviews. The first is a live session with an interviewer present asking you questions – essentially a ‘zoom version’ of what a traditional interview would entail. The second is a one-way interview where students are given a few minutes to record and submit their answers to a HireVue portal. Whether you’re asked to attend and participate in the former or latter, we have some video interview tips below to ensure you’re successful:
1. Test your tech – In the days leading up to the interview, it is vital you check all your tech devices, software and internet connection. To avoid technical hitches, also test your webcam and mic to test their video/audio quality. Make sure you set up your equipment ahead of time – the last thing you want to be doing is jostling with cables and faffing around with plugs during your interview! The goal is for your video interview to be a seamless process. Though tech cannot always be reliable, by doing adequate checks in advance, it assures the likelihood of less problems.
2. Atmosphere– Pick a place with good natural lighting and minimal noise to take your interview. Foreworn your flatmates or family that you have an interview scheduled so that they aren’t tempted to casually walk into your room and know to keep the noise levels down. To answer the questions to the best of your abilities, you must be focused and attentive, hence distractions must be limited.
3. Dress for the part– Even if you’re doing an interview from the comfort of your home, you still want to make a good first impression to employers so dress accordingly! Opt for professional businesswear and be conscious of how you look on screen (it’s often best to avoid loud colours or prints). Looking presentable is important as when you look your best you usually feel and perform your best too!
4. Research – Don’t go into video interviews blindly hoping for a stroke of luck. Do some in-depth research into the company by reading their website and building an understanding of their core values and culture. Check out the company’s social media pages to find something innovative and interesting that they are leading on to discuss in the interview. Having a quick skim-read over the news the morning before can equip you with real world examples about the sector (this impressively shows the interviewer you are knowledgeable and take initiative). Also, try to connect with current employees on LinkedIn who may be able to provide you with insider tips and tricks about the recruitment process. Finally brush up and practise your answers for ‘competency based/strengths’ question using the trusted STAR technique to structure them.
Irrespective of you making it to the next round or not, video interviews are nonetheless a good experience for you to learn about your key strengths and weaknesses. Good luck to all those with video interviews for placements, internships and grad schemes at the moment!