Conduct a Successful Video Interview

"In my opinion, the only way to conquer stage fright is to get up on stage and play.  Every time you play another show, it gets better and better." — Taylor Swift 

Learn how to ace your next job search opportunity with tips on preparation, equipment, and presentation in order to conduct a successful video interview.

The video interview is essentially a sales opportunity.  This is typically the gate to progress further in the hiring process.   You should treat it just like an in-person interview.   This means you do some preparation.  You dress for success.  You ensure that your audio/video equipment are solid.  Then you should practice a bit and implement learnings from past video meetings/interviews.

This reminds me of the first year of the pandemic and a training session that I was able to attend.  It was put on by Jeb Blount and talked through some of the key suggestions in his book called, Virtual Selling.

Jeb Blount, author and trainer of Virtual Selling, here are a couple examples of what he teaches you: 

1. How to leverage human psychology to gain more influence on video calls

2. The seven technical elements of impactful video sales calls

3. The five human elements of highly effective video sales calls

4. How to overcome your fear of the camera and always be video ready

5. Etc…

https://jebblount.com/product/virtual-selling/

This skills of being natural and effective at virtual selling are probably more intuitive and obvious to a younger person than the older person.  Some of the suggestions and skills that this book promotes may be less impactful the younger that you are.  However, there are likely some good ideas to be gained or at least reminded of at any age or experience level.

Some of the basics in your video setup can be impactful: Lighting, Background, Quality of sound and video, Wi-Fi Connection, and Wardrobe.

• Lighting: ensure that you put yourself in the best light...both literally and figuratively.   Make sure the light is in front of you.  This could mean that you face an outside window, you turn on a lamp that is placed carefully or invest in a simple ring light or LED rectangle.

• Background: work to avoid an awkward background or something that looks cheap.  You can possibly use a virtual background, but this ‘effect’ can sometimes leave a ‘halo’ effect around you.  It is best to put a professional looking bookshelf, wall with a tasteful art piece, etc.

• Quality of sound and video: this has continued to improve with each iteration of the computer designs, but if you can’t see or hear effectively it negatively impacts your efforts.  Good lighting and sound may not be noticeable, but bad lighting or sound will be very frustrating for your audience.  Make the effort to look good.

• Wi-Fi Connection: This is obvious, but if you don’t have a solid signal where you usually do your job searching, you may want to ask a friend if you can use their space for the call, consider renting a conference room, think about a quiet spot in a hotel lobby, using your Hotspot on your phone, etc.  The point is to work hard to make this a non-factor for the interview.

• Wardrobe: Just because it is a video conference call does not mean that people won’t care what you are wearing.  Be professional and dress like this is important to you.  It doesn’t take much time, and it is easy to change quickly afterwards.  I kept a sportscoat in my home office and would pull that on for important video calls and it is amazing how that can dress things up.

After you have addressed the logistics and the setting, the rest of the interview is pretty much standard with and in-person interview, so I won’t repeat that here.  As the quote for this chapter for Taylor Swift references however, this is a performance, and any practice and past experience can be very valuable.  Spend the time and cash in some favors with friends if necessary.

A couple subtle differences will be the access you will have to resources and notes in front of you that might be more awkward in person.  The negative will be the potential for interruptions in your attention or surroundings.  Try to ensure that the people around you are aware of the ‘Do Not Disturb’ time and don’t’ accidently step into your background or dogs don’t start barking at the FedEx person.

Being invited to an on-line interview is stronger than a phone call and puts you on the cusp of an in-person interview.  Prepare yourself mentally and physically for this opportunity.   Remember that Luck is when opportunity meets preparation…as we discussed earlier.  Do your homework and set the stage for you to create your own luck.