16 Tips For a Job Interview via Skype

By Albert Palacci

In the process of recruitment companies are using increasingly, social media to recruit candidates and Skype video calling for the first job interview and thus avoid expensive travel. Having read interesting tips and I have experienced in my own flesh the difficulties of video conferences, I leave a set of recommendations for a job interview by Skype in the best way possible. 

1. Updated your Skype to the latest version. Check that you have downloaded the latest version of Skype for optimal performance.
2. Pay attention to the profile you have on Skype. Our profile on Skype can reveal aspects that will not please the interviewer. A funny user name that made sense when we went to college, maybe not the best calling card to introduce ourselves. The same applies to our profile picture. Also review the latest status updates to avoid unfortunate comments.
3. Dress appropriately. Doing interview from home does not mean you can afford to interview with your rollers. We must show elegance. Surely you don’t need to go to extremes to wear a jacket and tie, but should not appear in pajamas, unshaven and etc.
4. Watch the colors of the clothes. It is recommended to choose clothes that stand out in relation to the background you will use. A shirt or white blouse against a white wall can make you look like a floating head. The striking, striped or patterned clothes are not the best option. A blue shirt or blouse, soft and smooth tones are safe choices.
5. Prepare the set. Prepare the room to try to provide a good viewing experience. Order in the room, the desk and the background. It is not good that the camera focuses on an unmade bed or an old ACDC poster on the wall. A library, a place of work or aseptic ordered wall may serve as a backdrop. When you make a Skype interview on an Ipad this is very easy, as you can easily carry it anywhere. If your computer is attached to the table, you will have more difficulties in preparing the background, but take care of it because the image that transmits will be the sum of your personality and your room.
6. Use adequate lighting. Great decorated room with poor lighting is worthless. If you're back to the light, you are not going to look good and you can look like you're in an interrogation. If the light comes from above (or below) the shadows that are generated can distort your face and give it a ghostly appearance. The ideal is to have the light behind the camera. Depending on what time you do an interview you can have more or less natural light.
7. Isolate yourself from the noise. Prepare the house to try to provide a good listening experience. Make sure we are not going to interrupt in the middle of the call. Warn at home to leave you alone and no one will stick a cry for setting the table or to throw it away. It is also good to turn off the mobile phone.
8. Make tests with the microphone. The sound of the computers microphone is always less sharp than a separate microphone, but often enough. Do not expect to discover this at the time of the interview.
9. Tell the family. It is better to be alone in the room with the door closed. It is not good to show any spontaneous walking around the house or your little brother watching the interview from the door.
10. Sit properly. Put your back straight in relaxed body position. A slight tilt forward and look towards the interviewer indicates active and attentive listening. Do not sit too close to the camera. You have to frame the face and the top buttons of his shirt. Eye on the necklines and what the camera focuses. The interviewer must be able to perceive your body language is not enough to see only a head.
11. Adjust the height of the camera. Try to maintain eye contact with the interviewer. To do this, you have to make the effort to look at the camera when you speak and not the computer screen, so that the interviewer perceives that he is addressing and have the feeling that the conversation is nearby. If you use a laptop with built-in camera or an Ipad, position him over some books to get the camera on one level with your eyes. Watch also the camera angle, if the angle of the camera takes you from below or from above you can offer a rare feeling.
12. The internet connection. Make sure that the Internet connection is sufficient for the interview. Please leave the free bandwidth, do not take advantage of the time of the job interview to get movies or music. Also disconnect all programs that may limit the speed of the computer.
13. Strive for a best approach. You have to smile and keep the energy in your voice.
14. You do not have to wait. Connect to Skype before the agreed time. Do not be late for the interview you don’t want to make a negative first impression.
15. Make a test. A test of the video call with a friend to give you his opinion. It is better to find the errors with the friend call than on the actual interview.
16. Record the interview so that you can analyze it later coldly. So you will see the rights and wrongs committed and you can make a better future interview. One option for recording audio and video is Free Video Call Recorder for Skype it is an easy to use and there is no time limitations for recording.

In summary, we can say that the most important thing is to try to treat virtual interview as if it were an interview in a room and the comfort of home does not become excessive relaxation.

Albert Palacci is passionate about digital marketing and everything connected with social media marketing and the new approaches that they bring, he is writing for several online magazines and websites, also you can check his personal blog and you can find more about him on his Twitter profile or Pinterest profile.