In a time where Zoom and Skype are increasingly popular; it’s good to learn more about how to ace a video interview when applying for jobs.

Especially in the current climate with social distancing and staying home to keep safe; video interviews are a great way to replace a face-to-face interview. There are various ways you can prepare for a video interview; here we look into all the things you should do before, during and after a video interview in order to ace a video interview to land your dream job!

Before the video interview

So, you’ve applied for a job and now you have a video interview lined up, well done! The hard work is not over just yet; just because you don’t have to show up and meet your potential employers, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to prepare as much as with a video interview. For a video interview, you may need to prepare more than you would expect. This is because you will need to do the usual interview prep, which involves company research and interview tips; but also prepare your setting and equipment to ensure everything is working and there aren’t any technical difficulties once the interview happens. Don’t worry, here we will outline everything you would need to do before your video interview.

Do your research

Before even applying for the job you should have done at least some company research in order to have written an excellent cover letter and catered your CV to the role. Now the video interview is the next step. You will need to understand what the company offers, their competitors, why you would want to work there; how your skills fit into the role and what you can bring to the company.

A great way to do this is by doing your research; you can start by looking at the company’s website and their social media pages to see their latest news; and to familiarise yourself with what they do and any new ventures they may be working on. It’s also a good idea to find some of their competitors and compare them. This will help you understand where the company you are applying for sits in their industry. This information can be particularly useful to show how much you know about the industry as a whole and your interest in the role.

Another great way to be ready for your interview is to research potential interview questions and answers and cater them to your skills and experience and the role you are applying for. If you were given the position, how would you tackle your role and bring new ideas enhance the business? This could be key skills you learnt from previous companies or even just a willingness to learn and adapt to new environments.

By familiarising yourself with your answers to any possible questions, it’s more like that you will be prepared to answer as naturally as possible; rather than getting nervous or stuck on a question. From your research, you can then also come up with a few questions that you would like to find out about and ask them during your interview. This will show the interest you have in the company.

Look presentable

Because this is a video interview, you need to ensure that the interview space looks presentable. Now, I’m not saying you need a fancy backdrop or film lights (although if you do have those, that’s great!). You just need a neutral background, in a well-lit room, or in front of a window so they can see you clearly.

When in the same room as someone, it’s easier to identify noises and understand each others body language. So, you need to make sure you are dressed appropriately and are in a room where there’s no noise. If you have any loud pets or live with other people; move your pets to a different room and make sure to let everyone know you are having an interview.

Practice run

Now you’ve got the hard work done and are ready to chat about how great you are for the role. Doing a mock interview beforehand is a great way to get prepared and test any technical difficulties that may arise. Such as, if your microphone is not working or if you need to wear headphones to hear the recipient properly. Treat the mock interview as your real interview and run through some questions with a friend on the other end of the video call. Make sure to check the sound quality, the lighting and if you are positioned correctly in the frame.

You can also check your connection to see if there is a lag in the video & if everything is running smoothly. When setting up your camera make sure that you are positioned straight in front of it and they can see your pen or notebook in your hand. This is because if you are looking down at your notes or writing something; it can look like you are on your phone or are distracted if the employer can’t guess easily what you’re looking at.

During your video interview

Now, it’s the interview day and you have an hour until your interview. First things first you should relax and not be nervous; as you have already prepared your answers and are confident that your skills and experience perfectly align with this role. Before your interview make sure to do a few voice tests on the application you are using. This is to see if the microphone is working and  if you can clearly hear through your headphones or speaker. Make sure your space is neat and organised and treat the interview as if it were a face-to-face interview; be confident in your answers and listen to the interviewer to ask the right questions at the end.

After the video interview

Breathe out, you have just finished the interview and hopefully it went well! After the interview you can now relax and chill out for a bit. But then after that, make sure to send a courtesy email 24 hours later. This will show your appreciation for being invited to an interview, whilst reiterating why you are perfect for the role. Here are a few sample thank you letters to show you how to write the perfect email to send after an interview.