If you didn't read Part 1 of my blog on Video Interviews, you might want to read that article first...
During the Video Interview
- You must remember to talk directly into the webcam - maintaining eye contact as if you were talking directly to the interviewer. It's often tempting to look at the screen or refer to notes... don't!
- When you are answering questions, try to inject some enthusiasm into your voice. This can be difficult when you're talking to a camera, so you may need to practice this in a mirror.
- Maintain a good posture - don't slouch and don't wriggle - but don't be rigid either. If your chair is a swivel type, lock it into the upright, static position.
Practice your Video Interviewing Technique
It's a good idea to practice video interviewing with a friend - possibly recording the interview over Skype. Enlist the help of someone you trust to give you positive, constructive feedback, and who will help you to identify problems and to improve your performance.
- Pay attention to body language, enthusiasm and eye contact (with the webcam), and then make adjustments to your performance, until it becomes more refined yet natural.
- During practice interviews, get into the mindset by dressing appropriately and creating the correct room-setting - so that you are in true interview mode, even though you're just rehearsing.
Interview Questions
All recruiters will set different interview questions, so we cannot provide details of what you will be asked. However, since video interviews are not interactive, questions will be static - totally
devoid of any feedback whatsoever. All candidates will have the same set of questions. These may include general questions about you and the reason you are attracted to the position:
- What attracts you to this role?
- How is your previous experience relevant?
- Why do you consider you are suitable for this role?
- What motivates you?
- What do you consider to be your key strengths?
- Do you prefer to be a team leader or team member? Are you a team player?
- What have you most enjoyed about university and your chosen course? And how do you think it has equipped you for a career with us?
- How do you see your career progressing? Where do you see yourself in 5 and 10 years respectively?
Or there may be competency-based questions:
- Can you tell us about a time when you worked in a team to solve a problem?
- Can you tell us about a time when you used your own initiative to solve a problem?
- Can you illustrate when you've undertaken independent research and how you ensured that the data was accurate and reliable?
- Tell me about an occasion when you exhibited excellent team player skills?
- Have you ever made a fundamental mistake? If so, how did you rectify it and what did you learn from that mistake?
- If you had a difficult team member who was constantly taking shortcuts, resulting in more work for his peers, how would you address that problem?
- What makes you better than the other candidates?
- What do you consider to be your key strengths and how could our organisation benefit from hiring you?
- What contribution do you feel you could make to our organisation?
And the killer question which will determine how well you've researched the employer
- Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask?
It's unlikely - but not impossible - that you'll be asked this last question during a video interview but you should still be prepared for it. This question will illustrate your genuine interest in the company - the fact that you have done your homework. It could be worded, "if there was one thing you'd like to ask about the company/role what would it be?" Even if you're not asked this during an interview, you will almost certainly be asked it at some stage, so prepare beforehand.
Preparation is key... The better you prepare, the more confident you will feel and the better you'll perform.
See our separate article "Preparing for an Interview"
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