With the world becoming a global village and globalization planting its roots more profound than ever, there has been a spike in video interviews as well. Recruiter and potential candidate reviewers find it convenient to opt for video interviews instead of doing an in-person interview; after all, a virtual video call also serves the same purpose, all the while making it time efficient and more convenient for both stakeholders involved in it. From the recruiter’s point of view, these tend to save them hefty costs of flying in the candidates and paying for their lodging, but for the candidate, this can be somewhat daunting. With technology taking over the world by a storm, it is only a matter of time that mostly all of the interviews will be over a virtual call, and it is only smart to be prepared for them beforehand. 

An in-person interview often gives the interviewee time to gather his thoughts and get an idea of the work place’s environment, but he does not have that advantage during a video interview call. However, we bring you some simple tips and tricks that can help you ace any video interview that you may have to go through, be it for a job or a university admission. These pointers will give you an edge over the other candidates and make you stand out among the lot. 

Test the device you will be using for the interview.

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Your seriousness for the interview, be it for a job or a university admission, totally depends on how well you were prepared for it. A device running out of power or shutting down entirely during an interview will wreak havoc for your impression on the interviewer, no matter how good your application may have been. Thus, it is smart to charge up your device before the actual day of the interview and keep a backup charging device close by.

You should do a trial run ideally before the actual interview and make sure that your Wi-Fi is secure at the point that you choose to give the interview from. The trail run will also let you test the mic, camera, and speakers of your device, and in case they are not working okay, you will have ample time to replace them or get them fixed. 

Dress Smartly

The most common mistake that we can make is treating a video interview different than an in-person interview and not dress appropriately for it. Dressing up is not just important because you do want to make a great impression on the interviewer but is also crucial for your confidence. Dressing up is said to increase your confidence level and make you feel good about yourself. It is smart to wear something neat and straightforward instead of something too flashy or bright. Try to make a trial run with a friend and see if it looks good on screen and get the dress pressed days before the interview to avoid any last-minute chaos. 

Choose a quiet and distraction-free location.

You must choose a location where you are free from any distractions that there might be in your apartment or house. The sounds of people and movements around you may seem unprofessional in a video interview and create a negative impression of you in front of the interviewees. It is also vital that the room you choose does not have anything cluttered around like dirty laundry or even a fresh one for that matter. The lighting in the room should be bright but not one that pinches the eyes. Usually, natural light tends to work the best during video calls, but in case the time zones differ, it is advisable to choose warm lighting in the room. Before the interview begins, it is smart to snooze any devices that you have lying around the house and hang a do not disturb board at the door to avoid any last-minute surprises. You should also make sure that your device has no unnecessary tabs open because otherwise, a notification might be just sitting around to distract you while the interview is going on. 

Be punctual and well prepared.

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It is always a wise decision to log in 5-10 minutes before your interview starts. You should ideally have your resume printed out and by your side alongside the job description. Additionally, you should have brief notes about the company that you are applying to and anything else about the job role that you think might be an essential bit of information. You shouldn’t be reading from the notes because that would reflect poorly on you, but keeping such information around yourself should help to reduce the stress considerably. 

Some common interview questions should be something you’ve prepared yourself for. Some of them may be: 

• Tell them about yourself briefly.
• Why should they hire you for the given job role?
• Why did you leave your previous job, or why are you planning to shift from your current job?
• What is your greatest strength and weakness?
• What are you looking to gain from this job? 

Preparing yourself for these basic questions will help you stay composed and calm when even one of these does pop up during your interview. In the case that none of these questions come up, which is highly unlikely, a variation of these questions would be asked and preparing beforehand will give you an edge over the other candidates. 

Maintain steady eye contact and keep your body language & voice tonality in check 

You must make sure that you are not losing eye contact with the interviewer or the person from the panel asking you the question. It shows that you are confident and can answer without any inhibitions and know what you are talking about. Make sure that you are sitting comfortably and in a decent posture so that you give off the right vibe rather than looking too relaxed or too comfortable. 

It is also essential to keep the tone of your voice in check; you don’t want to sound too excited or too nervous because you should remember that your voice gives away what you are feeling immediately. 

Show your appreciation before hanging up.

It shows that you are grateful for the opportunity and that you appreciate them having taken out the time to interview for the said position. If you want, you may also follow up with a thank-you note within a day and reiterate how you would be an ideal candidate for the job. 

Conclusion 

These simple tricks and tips are bound to help you in acing the video interview and be successful in landing that job or admission. Good luck with it!