4 Pro Tips for Video Interviews

In age of Covid-19 there has been a heightened demand for teleconference services. Many applicants who have secured interviews are being asked to engage in a video interview. While this is not new, and web-based video interviews have been happening for years, the demand for the video conference interview has expanded.

For anyone that has ever been part of a video interview, the 1st thought that comes to mind is likely “awkward.” Signal delays, drops in service, uncomfortable eye contact, and constantly talking over one another are normal and should not distract you. Here are 4 video interview tips to help make you stand out.

Practice

Conducting a dry run is one of the most important things you can do to ensure you come across as polished and professional. Do everything you can to ensure your internet connection is as strong as possible and practice with your conferencing equipment so that you are aware of tendencies to delay or lag in the transmission.

(PRO TIP: Grab a friend to help you dry run the interview, this way you are more comfortable with communicating via video.)

Background

The last thing you want during your interview is for the interviewer to be distracted by your background (dirty house/office/busy image or anything blatantly non-professional). Practice proper job interview etiquette by setting your computer in a clean, well lit area and do a test run to see what is behind you and visible on screen.

(PRO TIP: You want to conduct your video interview in a quite, private area. Silence all notifications on your phone and turn off all streaming services in the background.)

Dress The Part

A video interview is every bit as much an interview as an in person one, so make sure you are properly attired. Proper interview etiquette is to always dress appropriately for the job in which you are applying, not necessarily a day on the job. The same holds true for the video conference. You can change back into your pajamas and robe as soon as it's done.

(PRO TIP: There are tons of meme’s online about working remote or taking an interview with no pants on. While we all have a sense of humor it is unprofessional to only be dressed from the waist up. Also, being dressed for the part can instill a bit of extra confidence.)

Proper Eye Contact

As a human, we are conditioned to look someone in the eye when we are speaking to him or her. When we are video conferencing, remember that when you make eye contact during a video conference, it should be with your web camera – NOT the person's face on your computer.

(PRO TIP: Do not touch your face, fix your hair, wipe away a spot, or act like you are alone in front of a mirror.)

At Vitae Express we can work with you on improving your interview skills. This training can be for in person or via video consultation! If you have more questions about this service, contact us for a free phone consultation.

Top 10 resume space fillers that should be left off your resume.

I remember the first ‘real’ resume that I ever created for myself.  I was 18, felt invincible, and believed that I was an excellent candidate for any position. A young, energetic go getter who could make your company millions! Reality had not set in for me yet. The truth was, I was a freshman in college with entry-level experience working customer service in retail and food preparation. It should have been a red flag for me when my twenty months of work experience, mediocre high school performance and limited hobbies could be stretched out to fill nearly three whole pages, but alas I applied and applied for a new job.

Nothing ever came from those applications. What I didn’t know at that time was quality content greatly outweighed the volume of content. Experience and competencies are more critical than overall length. However so many highly qualified applicants are absolutely ruining their opportunities to land the interview by inflating the resume with superfluous information that recruiters do not care about or could even be putting them at risk for identity theft.

Often your resume is the first impression that a potential employer makes of you. Along with correct grammar, contemporary formatting and a clear presentation of your experience and abilities, it is best to omit these Top 10 resume space fillers.

1.    A Photo/Images

We are all proud of the professional head shot we had taken four years ago, especially when they can run upwards of $150 or more.  However the picture needs to go on LinkedIn – not on your resume. While a photo may be necessary in some professions, most jobs do not depend on a persons’ outward appearance. It is a waste of valuable space on a resume and could leave you open to bias opinions of your age or race by the person reviewing your resume.

2.    Hobbies/Interests

It is great to bond with coworkers and employers over mutual interests after you have the job. When it comes to having your hobbies listed on your resume, it is best to leave them off.  I love fishing, but my employer never cared about this. They cared about me giving my best effort at what I was hired to do. A recruiter is looking at a ton of resumes and mutual hobbies are not what will land you the job – recruiters are looking for someone to do the job correctly. Use this space to speak about your accomplishments in the workplace.

3.    Address

You are already sending an anonymous person your name, phone number and email address. Withrampant identity theft going on, no good reason exists to send everyone your complete address as well. If someone wants to hire you, they can get that information when you fill out the application. Additionally, some recruiters might dismiss you if they feel you live to far away to be able to reliably make the commute every day.

4.    Objective section

Drop the objective section. You are applying for a new job, so the objective is to get a new job and the recruiter knows this. Use this space on the resume for either a brief summary or to further flush out your job descriptions.

5.    Childish E-mail address

Follow your name at the top of the resume you list your contact information. If your email address is childish, it does not reflect well on you. I recommend you use some combination of your name in order to maintain a professional appearance. I also suggest you set up a free Gmail account that you only use for job searches.

6.    “References Upon Request”

This is an outdated and tired line. Employers know that if you want the job you will provide references if they would like them. Also, your friends and colleagues will not appreciate you sending out their name and phone number to random people. But be prepared to deliver those references at the interview; type out a list to provide to a hiring manager if they request them.

7.    Outdated or Assumed Skills

Say you just graduated college and your only job was as a customer service representative.  It is a waste of space to list ‘Customer Service’ as a skill. It is assumed based on your job title that you are skilled in customer service. Instead, explain a benefitthe employer received from your customer service skills.

8.    Irrelevant Awards/Accomplishments

You earned our varsity letter during our freshman year of high school and that’s great! Unfortunately fifteen years later it is not important to the position you just applied for. Remove this waste of space and further explain how your most recent experiences can benefit the company you have applied with.  If you graduated college, do not even bother listing your high school.

9.    Personal Social Media Accounts

The only social media that belongs on a resume is your LinkedIn profile. Employers are going to run a background check on you and likely review your social media accounts. Do you really want to be giving a nameless recruiter all of your personal information right up front? While some select caveats exist for this rule, the vast majority of applicants should only be listing their LinkedIn profile.

10.  Anything that does not directly relate to the job you are applying for

This is a follow up to point seven. A resume should be targeted to the position you are applying for. Leave any unnecessary information off the resume. A recruiter is reviewing hundreds of resumes.  Deliver the information that is most critical to the position you are applying for. Everything else can be discussed in the interview.