Congrats! You have an interview! Wait, did he say Web Cam Interview? He sure did! Before you panic about bad lighting, freezing pictures, and looking like a goof, follow these steps and look like a million bucks!
Eye Contact
Where are you supposed to look? The picture of the person? Yourself? Your eyes are getting anxious just at the thought of getting distracted and not looking in the right place!
The expert recruiters at Search Solution Group suggest Covering The Screen with a piece of paper so only the tiny little camera is showing. This will force you to look at the camera consistently. It’s good to practice this strategy with a friend, or with your recruiter, before the interview.
Quiet On The Set!
If you are planning on having this Web Cam Interview at home, be sure to do it in a quiet room and turn the ringer to silent on both cell and home phones. Keep your children, boyfriend/girlfriend, and pets out of the room.
Try your best to do this interview on your own time unless your employers are OK with you interviewing while at work. If you must interview while you’re at work, try to plan it for your lunch break when you are less likely to get distracted by co-workers and phone calls.
Clean It Up
A messy background can be distracting for your interviewer as well as project an unprofessional light on you. Don’t set up in the kitchen or living room. Find a space with a closed door, blank or tidy wall, and set up a table for your computer. If you are set up in an office, clean up your desk of all disorganized papers and only have relevant materials available for the interview. This will give you more organization and prevent distractions.
Be sure to have the camera on a direct level with your face. Having to angle the camera up at your face will give you a few extra chins as well as a possible up the nose shot. Gross.
Body Language
Nonverbal Communication accounts for two-thirds of what we humans try to communicate. This is why someone who seems like a terrible human being over the phone, is actually very happy and normal in person. The trick with Web Cams are that your brain is telling you to focus on verbal rather than nonverbal since there isn’t a physical person in front of you. Because of this conundrum, you must now consciously focus on your posture, hand gestures, and facial movements in order to make a good impression.
Prep Your Lighting
Lighting is super important when dealing with Web Cam interviews. The right lighting can make you look like a movie star, and the wrong lighting can make you look like the troll from under a bridge. It might seem like overkill, but even if the room you’re in has natural lighting, and the room is well-lit, take a lamp of some sort and aim the light directly at your face. Make sure this is a part of your practice to get the best angles and prevent awkward shadows.
Dress The Part
While it might be funny to wear a dress shirt on top and sweats on bottom, our recruiters suggest wearing what you would wear if you went to an in person interview. You will feel more professional and have better posture. Wear brighter SOLID colors as to not get washed out or be distracting on camera. Ladies might want to wear a bit more makeup than normal.
Smile!
A friendly and confident smile is the best accessory to any in-person, phone, and webcam interview!
