OTHER COMMON PROBLEMS
DURING THE CALL
5. LOOK AT THE CAMERA, NOT YOURSELF I’m not calling you vain, but try not to look at yourself in the bottom right-hand corner screen. This is very easy to do, especially in a job interview when you’re conscious of how you look and want to make a good impression. But try not to. The interviewers are likely to pick up on your erratic eye movements and mark you down as a) someone who loves themselves or b) someone who’s as skittish as hell. Nor should you try and make eye contact with the person on the screen because, although it might feel more natural to look directly at the person you’re talking to, in the eyes of your interviewer it will look as if you’re gazing at something else. Instead, you should focus mostly on the black dot of your camera or webcam while doing your Skype interview, as this is the only way to actually make eye-contact with your interviewer, albeit eye-contact that you can’t tell you’re having.
6. SIT UP STRAIGHT You’re at home, no one’s made you travel for an hour for a 10 minute interview slot, you’ve just had a perfect cup of tea, you’re comfortable, happy and only feeling a little bit nervous. When you’re as relaxed as this it’s easy to forget about your posture and how you’re sat – but this is one of the most important aspects in showing positive body language. Don’t slouch or lean back too far and don’t cross your arms or lean on your desk. Be alert, sit up straight and look ready to answer questions. 7. SPEAK WITH CLARITY To ensure none of your brilliant answers are misheard, ensure that you enunciate your words clearly. Also make sure that you speak loudly enough, but not too loudly – you don’t want the interviewers to feel as if they’re being shouted at! Additionally, instead of relying on non-verbal communication to express how much enthusiasm you have for the opportunity, in a Skype interview you should focus more on your verbal intonation and clarity. If you’re excited about the role, sound excited. If you’re pleased to meet them, tell them so. This is because in a video interview many of your non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and hand gestures, will be lost on your interviewer, often due to low video quality or the fact that many of your gestures will be cut from the shot.
Low broadband speed – this can make your camera freeze unexpectedly and give you low video quality. Background noise – this will sound much louder to your interviewer and may drown out your answers. Do your interview in a quiet space and close the windows. If you would like to book one of our consultation rooms in SoM, please email somcareers@Swansea.ac.uk
Other technical problems with your camera/ speakers – if you have any technical issues during the interview itself, remain calm. If the problem can’t be fixed, suggest rearranging the interview or, for audio problems, suggest using a phone to speak while still using the camera. Whatever the problem, don’t get angry, don’t start hitting your computer and definitely don’t start swearing at it – even if you think the interviewer can’t hear you!
TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
Similarly to video interviews, make sure you are in a quiet room with no distractions. There are rooms within SoM that you can use for this so please let us know if you want to book a room. • Make sure you have good phone signal or use a landline • Have your application & job description in front of you so you can refer to this easily
• Make sure you have researched the company. You can have notes in front of you with any key information • Listen carefully whilst you are on the phone and make sure you sound excited, much like a video interview!
We now have a platform to practice video interviews – shortlist.me Please email somcareers@swansea.ac.uk for more information.
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