Telephone interviews have always been used to a greater or lesser extent but what if you are invited to a video interview? Many companies are moving to remote recruitment practices so how can you make sure that you outperform others if you invited to a video interview? 
 
 
Here are our 5 top tips to get you ahead of the other candidates. 
1. Get yourself prepared 
 
Make sure that your device is fully charged in preparation and that you have a good internet signal. Make sure that you are well lit so that you can be seen clearly – avoid lighting from behind as you will appear as mainly in the dark. Look at what else is in the shot – we have all been admiring the bookcases of presenters on the telly and making judgements. Try and have as neutral a background as possible – your background is no reflection as to how well you can do a job, don’t give your interview the chance to judge you on this! Make sure that everyone else in the household knows that you are being interviewed and not to interrupt you. This means kids, pets, partners and phones should all be out of the way – their appearance will put you off your stride. 
 
2. Get dressed! 
 
Dress as if you were attending a face to face interview, wearing attire appropriate for the working day as if you were already in the role that you are being interviewed for. This includes proper dress on the bottom half and shoes – even if you think that they won’t be seen. If you do need to move for any reason you don’t want to be flashing your Christmas slippers! 
 
3. Make good eye contact 
 
This can be tricky on a laptop. People often look at the person they are talking to but to get eye contact you need to be looking into the camera. It’s slightly easier on a phone, due to its size – but make sure if you are being interviewed on a phone that you have it propped up somewhere and not handheld. Being waved around can be distracting for the interviewer. 
 
4. Plan your answers 
 
Think about what you think you may be asked and write down some words as a prompt where they can’t be seen by the interviewer to help remind you and give you confidence. 
 
5. Pause 
Once the interviewer has finished asking a question take a pause to handle any gaps in technology, this will stop you talking over the interviewer. 
 
Emerald Starfish runs workshops and one to one sessions within companies who are in the process of making redundancies or going through a restructuring process. These sessions help candidates to focus on their next positions and to get them fit for the current job market. They help support individuals and companies going through this difficult time with practical advice to enable candidates to quickly secure their next position. 
 
If you think that your organisation would benefit from this please pass on our details and we will be happy to have a confidential no-obligation chat. You can call us on 0116 2080246 or email on outplacementsolutions@emerald-starfish.com 
 
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