Remote Interviewing

Do’s

• Ensure you have a practice run, this is good for preparing answers and testing the equipment. The ideal thing is to video call a friend so they can help you and offer observations
• Remember body language is still important, although you are not in the same room as your interviewer physically you still need to sit up straight and look attentive
• Awkward interruptions that can interfere with your interview need to be avoided so switch off your phone and remind people in the house that you are unavailable for the foreseeable
• Switch off any music or television that is on in the background as this can be very distracting
• Ensure you are professionally dressed. However tempting, do not just look professional from the waist up. If you had to stand up for whatever reason it is not a good look to show your pyjama bottoms
• Remember to smile!

Don’ts

• If you do have notes, do not overuse them. It is sometimes easier on a video call to forget that you are in front of someone so try not to spend all your time looking at notes and keep good eye contact with your interviewer
• It can feel unnatural at first but look at the camera and not at the screen. Looking at the screen might feel like you are giving good eye contact, but all they will see is that you are looking down
• Ensure that you do not have anything in the background that you would not want an interviewer to see, a professional well-presented background is an absolute must
• Be aware not to move your head around too much or look up when thinking of an answer to a question. This can sometimes give the interview an unwanted neck or nostril view!