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Crush your first video interview by incorporating these ideas

Improving Zoom Interviews | Method Recruiting

Job interviews can be nerve wracking: You want to make a great first impression and talk up your skills and abilities but don’t want to appear too nervous or desperate for the job.  
 

Video interviews add another layer of stress: Will your personality and professionalism come across over the screen? You can’t shake the person’s hand or allow body language to help portray confidence.  
 

Take a deep breath: We’re here to help you ace your video interview with a few tips.  

  1. Dress and prepare as you would for an in-person meeting. Take the time to get dressed and ready as if you were going into the office to meet with the interviewer. Take the same time on your appearance, give yourself a pep talk. Just because the person on the other side of the screen can’t see if you’re wearing sweatpants doesn’t mean you should wear them! Looking professional from head to toe will put you in the right mindset for the conversation.  
     
  1. Do your homework. Do a little research on the company and the position for which you’re applying. Have some information handy — things you find interesting from reviewing the company’s website and social presence, questions about the company’s history or where they’re heading. Also make sure you’re aware of how YOU look online: are there any social media posts that could come up during the interview? Be prepared to explain any questionable materials, even if they’ve been deleted. We all know the internet is forever by now.  
     
  1. Look at your background. What will the person interviewing you see over your shoulder? How’s the lighting in the room where you’ll take the call? If there’s anything unsavory or unprofessional, like a straight-line view of your bathroom or some graphic photos of any kind, it might be a good idea to rearrange the room or find a better location for the call. You have the right to a personal life and a personality, of course, but your video call can say more about you up front than you might want! Make sure your background keeps the focus on you, your work and abilities.  
     
  1. Have notes handy about the questions you know they’ll ask. It can be a stressful moment during an interview when you’re asked about a difficult time at work, or to highlight some of your successes. Here’s where a video interview is great: you can have a list of accomplishments, challenges, even quantifiable achievements or thoughts on where you want to be in five years, all jotted down in front of you for easy reference when the questions come up. You won’t have to pause too long to think about shining a light on your career — it’ll all be right there for the using.  

When the time comes, take a deep breath and tell yourself you deserve this opportunity. Greet the caller with a smile and be sure to thank them for their time at the end of the conversation. You’ve got this!  
 

If you’d like a little help securing interviews, call Method Recruiting. We can get your resume in front of hiring managers looking for candidates just like you, speeding the process and giving extra credibility and attention to your abilities. Call our team today and let’s get started on finding the next step in your career. 

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