How to Ace Your Skype Interview

By Keith O’Loughlin, IT Recruitment Consultant, Vantage Resources

Skype allows us to participate in and to set up interviews easily and they are becoming more and more common in today’s global market place. We have particularly noticed this in the contract market, where contractors are now freer to move from destination to destination.

That being said Skype interviews are still a new phenomenon where that a lot of candidates are unfamiliar with and subsequently don’t know how to prepare.

Hopefully some of the tips below will make that process just that little bit easier for you!

Dress the Part

This should seem obvious, but many candidates will treat the Skype interview very casually and will not wear business attire. This is a big mistake as it is often the first impression you will have. You should treat the Skype interview the same as a face to face interview in this regard.

It is advisable to wear a full suit and not just the shirt, tie and jacket element. Believe it or not, some interviewers have been known to ask the candidate to stand up at the end of interview and you don’t want to get caught out in your pyjama bottoms!

Choosing your Location

Make sure you choose a location that has a strong Wi-Fi connection, with neutral lighting and a blank wall behind you if possible.

You also want to make sure that you conduct the Skype interview in a quiet room, and not on the busy train home from work! Make sure that you can hear, understand and answer each question clearly.

Ensure that there are no distractions in the room; you don’t want children running around the room, or your cat jumping on your lap during the interview! All of the focus should be on you.

Close your e-mail’s, put your mobile phone on silent and put the house phone off the hook.

If possible use earphones and a microphone as this will reduce any background noise.

Allow time to set up

This is often taken for granted and candidates sometimes adopt the old Irish mentality of “it’ll be grand” just before the interview.

If you are new to Skype, make sure you download it well in advance and practice making and receiving a call with a friend to make yourself familiar with the software.

If you haven’t used Skype in a while make sure that you have the latest version installed and choose a professional Skype ID along with a professional profile photo.

Prepare

Preparing for a Skype interview will be a little bit different as you can have some notes with you with some key points that you may want to raise. Ensure that these notes are clear bullet points that you are familiar with so you don’t get flustered, rustling pieces of paper around mid-interview.

Body Language

Make sure to smile, maintain strong eye contact with the camera and not just look at the face on the screen. Sit up straight, try not to slouch and always remember to stay positive.

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