You prepped your CV, you mastered your covering letter and you applied for the job… And now it’s video interview time.

As much as we would all love to start getting our lives back to normal, as recruiters we think that the age of the video interview may well be here to stay in a post covid world.

We’re not sure what it is about online interviews that seem to make us feel so nervous, but FEAR NOT! Whether you’re a digital amateur or you’re a tech-enthusiast with more cables than carpet , the nature of a video interview carries certain environmental and technical implications that will allow you to reflect your best self. To get you started, we’ve compiled a brief list of some key tips below.

1. Get the lights on
There’s a reason that professional photographers want their subjects to be well lit, it shows the expression on the face clearly, and a well illuminated face will remove unforgiving shadows and ensure you can be clearly engaged with throughout the
conversation.
It’s important that your interviewer feels they are able to engage with you as close as possible to an in-person interaction, to create the best possible warmth and connection, albeit through a digital channel. If you’re lacking a little lighting in your computer space, why not drag a table over to a window and sit facing the window to benefit from a flash of daylight? Or if you’re feeling super flash and you’re keen to channel some Kardashian-style facial illumination, you can pick up a LED light panel or light ring from a reputable online retailer for £25-45.

2. Background noise
The end goal here is to demonstrate yourself as professional, reliable and organised. If you are constantly having to interrupt the flow of conversation to deal with a background distraction, it will frustrate the conversation and irritate the interviewer. So our suggestion here would be to give the dog a good walk beforehand, maybe shut out the cat for a moment, and stick a guilty pleasure on the TV for your younger kids (or negotiate a deal with the older kids), anything to buy you some peace and quiet for the time you’re on the interview, then when the interview ends, chaos can restart!

3. Tried and tested technology
a) Primarily make sure you’re able to hear and be heard, suggest roping in a friend or family member to be your test interviewer on your chosen device, make sure your headphones and microphone are loud enough, and your camera is reliable and fluff-free.
b) You’ll need a stable internet connection to maintain a run of conversation, your interviewer will be forgiving of course, but to a point, and if you want to remain blemish-free, we suggest testing this out, and sitting close to your router if you can.
c) Whether you’re using a phone or desktop computer, you want to be sure you have the right software setup with an appropriate account, and that your device is setup to manage that without issue.

4. Standard interview rules still apply!
Don’t think just because it’s a video call you can treat it like your friday-night-Zoom with your mates, you still need to look professional and do your research in advance. Make sure you’re dressed appropriately and feeling sharp, you may wish to even wear your work shoes so that you feel as though you’re in the workplace, ready for action.

In Summary
We’ve all had to familiarise ourselves with new technology throughout 2020, and in many areas with great success. However we must be aware of the impact of the ‘new normal’ on certain key activities relating to the recruitment process, and how we can utilise certain tricks of the trade to better portray our best self and give ourselves the best possible chance of success. If you’re looking for more advice on video interviews and searching out your next position, you can reach our regional recruitment teams directly, or you can browse our live jobs directory with everything from contact centre jobs through to industrial jobs and across a huge range of sectors and specialisms.