Job interview via Skype

Finding work abroad comes with its difficulties. One of these is the fact that you will not always be able to easily fly over to your target country to attend an interview. Luckily, today we have Skype – a free instant messaging service where you can talk face-to-face with an interviewer. There are several tips and tricks that you should learn before commencing your first job interview via Skype.

Advice for the job interview via Skype

A good internet connection

During your job interview via Skype, the last thing you want is to lose internet connection and have the application crash. Make sure you have a reliable connection to the internet and it will be one less worry when it comes to beginning your interview.

Choose location well

Choose a good place to carry out your Skype job interview. If you pick a public bench beside a motorway, or even a room in your house with other people in, it will come across as unprofessional and rude to the interviewer. Moreover, if you do not choose a quiet, professional environment, you may not be able to hear the interviewer. Always choose a location with a plain background, and where you do not need to wear headphones in order to hear the interviewer.

Test it out

At first, Skype can feel unnatural so it is recommended to try the service with family or friends before starting a Skype interview. Through this you will have a better grasp of where to look on the screen, how loud to speak, and how to start/end the conversation; these things are of crucial importance to keeping calm under the pressure of a job interview, as opposed to panicking when you don’t understand what’s going wrong.

Skype interview clothes

Remember that dressing suitably for a Skype job interview is just as important as dressing appropriately for a physical job interview. Just because you are in your bedroom, this does not mean that you should be wearing pyjamas! Always wear a shirt, and possibly even a suit and tie depending on the job sector. Remember…too smart is far better than too casual for a job interview!

Concentrate

It is common to feel that the interview is not as serious because you are not in the same room as the interviewer. This can result in a lack of concentration. To combat this, you should try to look at the interviewer as much as possible, and not let your eyes drift from the screen.

Have a CV to hand

A key advantage to the Skype interview is that you can have essential interview information, such as your CV and cover letter, to hand. Documents that you wouldn’t usually be able to make use of in a normal job interview can be placed to the side or behind your computer screen. Remember, however, only to refer to this if necessary. You do not want your interviewer to think you are uninterested because you keep looking to the side or over the screen whilst answering his questions!

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