Ask your average HR manager and they’ll tell you: the new preferred method of interviewing is through video. In fact, the whole job search has gone digital.
With LinkedIn maintaining over 100,000,000 registered members worldwide, 54% of all job hunters using social media to find jobs, and a Jobvite survey revealing one in six workers successfully uses social networks to get hired, the shift in how people find jobs and how employers find candidates is clear.
One major change is the social media “background check.” Sooner or later, it will affect responses from your prospective employers — often in bad ways. People are routinely rejected based on the discovery of personal details found in the public domain. Since 2011, the government has basically given the green light to companies like Social Intelligence Corporation to scour social media and web sites for detailed information on employees and job applicants.
Of course, this goes both ways. Job seekers can perform research that focuses on brand identity, company values, corporate culture and areas of growth. Detailed information about a company’s history can also help when it comes to how you might fit in or prepare for an interview. If a company is a subsidiary or has been sold often, that can be a critical part of developing an informed opinion on the company’s corporate or workplace stability.
Same Tradition, Different Priorities
In the past, employment coaches and recruiters might have suggested presenting yourself in front of a mirror in preparation for the interview. The practice of video interviewing takes this to a whole new level. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Record yourself in a mock interview or rehearse with a friend. Role playing may feel awkward, but it can help you anticipate the interviewer’s questions.
- Project confidence and mind your grammar and word choices, since that makes up about 45% of first impressions.
- As Bill Gates might suggest, check your tech! What good is rehearsing for a video interview if the prospective employer can’t see or hear you clearly?
During the interview itself, expect the same questions you might hear in a traditional or behavioral interview. Keep up a good general appearance. Get a haircut and remain cognizant of your body language (i.e. don’t fold your arms); they can influence first impressions during the interview.
What’s different with video interviewing is the setting in which you present yourself. This is something that you control. Give the backdrop some thought before putting yourself in front of it for the world to see.
You should be the object of the interviewer’s attention, not the ashtray you’ve held on to since your elementary school art class (for those readers who are over 40). Other distractions include pets. If you live in an area with lots of activity (i.e. first responders, truck traffic, etc.), be prepared by keeping your windows closed. Distractions can also include notifications from your computer due to an incoming Skype call, for example.
Need a complete breakdown before your next video interview? Check out the infographic below! (Tweet this infographic.)
Infographic courtesy of TollFreeForwarding.com.
What are your thoughts on video interviews? Share in the comments!
Image: photobucket
