Top Tips for your Skype Interview

Skype Interviews are becoming more and more popular and although many of us are now regular Face Time users to stay in contact with family and friends, a Skype interview can still seem daunting for many people. So here are some Employmum Top 10 tips:

1. Five minutes before your Skype interview is not a good time to realize that your Wi-Fi is down, Skype isn't working, or you might need to use headphones. This can reflect badly on your organisational skills. Don’t use Skype on your mobile, and make sure you create a professional username in Skype. (We have seen some interesting ones!)

2. Practice : Don’t leave it until 5 minutes before the interview to download and learn how to use Skype! Download the application well in advance and learn how to use its many features. Get another person to conduct a practice interview with you. If possible, get them to record it so that you can gain a clearer understanding of how you come across. Speaking on video can be a challenge- especially when it comes to knowing what to do with your hands, how loudly to speak and how to deal with possible transmission lags/delays. Practice with the volume settings to make sure that you can hear properly. Where possible it’s best to use headphones and a microphone to conduct the interview as this will help prevent feedback.

3. Be aware of your environment : You’ll more than likely be at home. So, make sure that you have the right lighting and surroundings in place. Be aware of what is on the wall behind you! Finding a quiet place to do the interview is vital as the microphone picks up more background noise than you might think.

4. Your look and looking the part : You may be in the comfort of your own home but that doesn’t mean you should necessarily ‘dress-down’ for the interview. The general rule of thumb is to dress for the culture of the organisation. If they typically wear business suits and shirts etc, then wear that. It’s best to wear neutral, solid colors (shades of black, blue or grey are best) because these colors look the best on video and don’t create any distractions for your interviewer.

5. Preparation : Know who will be making the call from the employer’s side and ensure that you are signed in early and able to connect with them. Make sure you have researched the company’s website prior to the interview. Look them up on the internet and see if there is any recent interesting PR on them, e.g Job announcements, new product launch or expansion. It also shows the interviewer that you want to work for their company, that you are not just looking for a job, you are looking for a career.

6.Use cheat sheets : The benefit of a Skype interview is that you can have notes in front of you (so long as they are out of sight). Pull up your CV, examples, talking points or other questions in the corner of the screen. Don’t surround the computer by large number of paper notes, you don’t want to be seen searching through them during your interview!

7. Body language : Try to make eye contact - look straight into the camera when you are talking, as this will make the interviewer feel as if you are speaking directly to them, despite your being remote. Smiling is a big one - this makes you look positive, confident and enthusiastic about the job you are applying for and really helps build rapport. Make sure that your interviewer knows that you’re listening. It’s more difficult to pick up visual and audio cues over a Skype call so you need to make periodic interjecting listening sounds (“hm,” or “yes”) as your interviewers speak. Otherwise they are potentially speaking to a wall of silence… which is not good. It also reassures the interviewer that the technology is still functioning and that you haven’t been cut off etc.

8. You made it – The End : Once you have asked your questions and the interview has come to an natural end, remember to say Thank you and Goodbye and after the session make sure that the sound and video transmission are disconnected! This is precious tip.

9. Important Note: Make sure that you’ve also got another way to contact the interviewer should Skype fail. An email address and phone number are essential should Skype refuse to cooperate on the day of the interview. If necessary you can always use a phone for the audio, and Skype for video.

And if you have too many technical issues- simply be honest with the interviewer, suggest a phone call instead or rearrange the Skype interview for another day.

10. But always remember: An interview is an interview! Whether you are being interviewed on Skype, over the phone or in person, all the general rules of a job interview apply. Research the company, know your CV inside out, read the job description thoroughly, have a few answers and examples prepared and be ready to ask your questions at the end.

Good luck!

Anne O'Gorman is a Senior Recruitment Consultant with Employmum

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