Welcome to the adult world! Now that you’ve finished your studies, it’s time to face some real-world scenarios such as going to your first job interview, and hopefully, landing your first full-time job, be it at an office or an online work from home job.
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You must have been relieved when you found out that the interview was going to be through Skype. But make no mistake; a remote interview is not any easier than a regular one. And just because you don’t get to be face to face with the interviewer doesn’t mean you don’t have to prepare as much as you would in a typical interview.
Skype interviews and conferences are becoming a norm in today’s workforce. As a fresh graduate, you’ll experience what it’s like sooner or later. You may even have experienced it before. Nonetheless, a job interview can still be nerve-racking. So, how can you prepare for your Skype meeting? We’ll share with you seven tips on how you can ace that interview!
- Dress the Part
To know how to appropriately dress for the interview, you have to be able to gauge the culture of the company. Remember, you may not be physically present, but wearing the right clothes is going to be as important as in a regular interview.
To prepare, what you have to do first is to do your research. Simply check the website of the company as well as its Facebook page so that you can have an idea on how the employees dress. For men, make sure to shave or to trim your beard so that you will look more presentable. You want to have that clean look during the interview.
Also remember to be dressed for the interview from head to toe. Even if you think that the bottom half is going to be hidden from sight, you have to account for the possibility that you may have to get up at some point during the interview, and seeing that you only dressed the top half is going to be embarrassing and could be a turn off. Another advantage of dressing fully is that it will make your mind switch to a more professional mode.
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- Clean Up Your Room
Look at your room from the vantage point of the interviewer. You have to make sure that your background during the interview isn’t a mess. It will raise red flags that you are disorganized and lazy. Make your background neutral or blank, and keep your desktop well-organized.
Another thing to remember is if you are living with your family or if you have roommates, inform them ahead that you are going to have an interview. This is to ensure that you won’t be interrupted during the call and the noise will be kept to a minimum.
- Practice, Practice, Practice
If this is your first Skype interview, you may feel awkward because unlike talking personally, you may not know where to look, where to put your hands, and how loud you should speak. So what you can do is to practice with a friend over Skype so that you can do some fine tuning and you’ll be more comfortable during the actual interview.
- Smile!
In a regular interview where you get to see the interviewer face to face, you would naturally smile and maintain a pleasant expression for the whole duration of the interview. In a Skype meeting, you are not getting the same cues as you would in an in-person interview so you may find it absurd to smile in front of your computer monitor. But remember this; smiling can help in breaking the ice and in developing rapport with the person conducting the interview, not to mention that it can help you relax.
- Be Attentive
Whenever you are in an interview, be it in-person or remote, be sure to do active listening. It is important that you give the interviewer periodic clues that you are still listening such as “yes” or “hm” or nodding your head. These clues will be able to reassure the interviewer that you are still on the other line and that the connection is functioning alright. Also, don’t type or chat while you are in an interview. Other than the fact that they can see you, typing on the keyboard will be a distracting noise.
- Take Advantage of a Remote Interview
One advantage of a Skype interview is that you can keep your notes so that you can remember the things that you want to mention. Since the interviewer can’t see what’s behind your monitor, you can put up sticky notes or even your resume so it’s easy to remember your skills, work experience, and other relevant information. Also, prepare any questions you may want to ask your interviewer. Just remember not to read it verbatim so that you don’t sound robotic.
- Check Your Computer and Internet Connection
Computer and Internet problems can happen during a Skype interview. It is best if you can address any of these before the meeting. Make sure that your computer and your connection works fine. Prepare any equipment hours before the interview.
However, if any problems arise during the interview, bring it up and apologize. It may not be your fault but your best option would be to have your interview rescheduled so that you can secure a good connection. It is better than letting the interviewer go through the trouble of understanding what you are talking about through a choppy connection.
Takeaway
These are just some of the tips that you should remember for your Skype interview. So what you have to keep in mind would be to dress the part, prepare your background, practice with a mock interview, be attentive, prepare your notes, check your equipment and connection, and lastly smile and just be yourself. You want your personality to shine through even if it’s a remote interview.
Do you know other tips that can help fresh graduates land the job? Share them with us by commenting below!
Author’s Bio
Kristoffer Canimo is a Manila-based freelance writer who enjoys working from home. He likes to share about his experiences about home business opportunities through writing. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.