Best Practices for MBA Video Interviewing: Part 1 (of 3) – Pre-Interview Preparation

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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how organizations interview candidates. Thousands of professionals are now needing to learn how to effectively interview in a new way using online platforms, such as Zoom, GoToMeeting and others.

Preparing for a video interview is very similar to preparing for any other interview–the questions you will be asked and the ways you should conduct yourself will be the same. You will, however, have to take some additional things into consideration when video interviewing, including learning to use some hardware and software, setting up your physical and virtual space, and controlling your presence on the computer screen.

Here are six tips for your pre-interview set-up

  1. Use home computer instead of phone or tablet. The physical set-up, with the mic, webcam, screen, and keyboard are just more stable, and bigger.

 

2. Test Your Gear Before the Interview

    1. Sign up for an account on the service your interviewer is using and download the necessary software.
    2. Install a backup copy of the software on a second device just in case one device fails.
    3. Have a secondary device ready to go in case you lose WiFi connectivity (you can set up on alternative WiFi or your cellular network).
    4. Rehearse the technology with a friend to make sure your audio and video are working, and that your lighting is as good as possible.
    5. The day of your interview, test everything again. On many PCs, rebooting can reset your default camera and microphone, leaving your screen blank or your audio muted, wasting the interviewer’s time and making you flustered while you struggle to get everything fixed.

 

  1. Webcam Placement. For the most flattering angle, you want to position your webcam to be right at eye-level.

 

  1. Headset or Not? Depends on your preference. Interviewers have not made an issue of it.  But some things to keep in mind.
  • First, sometimes background and ambient noise can creep in. Built-in mics may pick up those ambient sounds you want to keep out.
  • Second, your voice may sound tinny and not as rich and clear as it should. The tone of your voice is extremely important in persuasion, so it goes without saying that you should take whatever steps you can to sound as good as possible during your job interview

 

5. Use Your Professional Profile Name. Be sure that your window profile name is professional. The simplest thing is to use your full name as your profile name.

 

  1. Practice Your Video Interview Skills Ahead of Time

Most of us are familiar with doing virtual meetings; however, the interview has a little bit of a different feel.  Setting up a mock video interview with a friend or career coach can help you zero in               on anything you need to watch out for.

And record it.  When you play it back, you’ll notice if you’re making eye contact, fidgeting and or exhibiting poor posture.  You will then be able to make appropriate adjustments.

The Jenkins MBA program has a virtual interviewing tool on our website – called InterviewStream.  You can create your own interviews using your questions or use a pre-created interview by                 one of the career coaches.  Create an interview with questions you think you are most likely to receive, and/or questions which most trouble you to answer.

By John Hutchings
John Hutchings