Preparing for Your Interview

Mental preparation for your interview is just as important as the physical setup. You should prepare for your video interview with the same tenacity and focus as if you were walking into your potential employer’s office.

• Practice, practice, practice – before you even turn your webcam on, try practicing by looking into the camera as if you were having a conversation with someone sitting in front of you.
• In a traditional interview, eye contact is important. Make sure you look directly into the camera to answer the questions asked.
• Do not look at the computer screen when answering questions – this places your line of sight below the webcam and you will appear to be looking down from the interviewer’s point of view.
• It may seem awkward at first, but the more you rehearse looking at the webcam and not the person on the screen, the more comfortable you will feel during your interview.
• Research the organization and ready yourself to answer organization-specific questions.
• Familiarize yourself with the organization’s mission statement, history, product and service offerings, management, and information about the organization’s culture.
• Look at current events – read their recent press releases so in the interview you can knowledgeably discuss the direction in which the organization is going.
• Be prepared to answer any questions about your resume and rehearse your responses.
• Review your resume and develop multiple talking points about all of your past experiences.
• Polish your answers – nothing destroys your credibility faster than a constant stream of filler words such as “um”, “like”, and “you know”.
• Dress for success; communicate professionalism with your attire. In general, you should look as if you put effort into your personal appearance. Your clothing should be a compliment, not a distraction. A good rule of thumb is to dress one level nicer than what employees normally wear to the office at the organization with which you’re interviewing.