Interviewing over video requires a few adjustments that you wouldn’t need to make for an in-person interview. You’ll need to make sure you use the right body language and tone of voice to communicate that you’re competent, confident, and engaged. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know in this guide.
Important: use a laptop or a desktop computer with a camera and microphone for the interview. Interviewing using your phone or tablet will distort your face and look unprofessional.
The Day Before the Interview
- Open up a video application on your desktop or laptop computer (such as Photo Booth or FaceTime) and turn on the camera. Set up the computer in the location where you intend to hold your interview. Check to make sure:
- The camera angle is level with your face. Make sure you are not looking down at the camera, nor is it looking up at you.
- The lighting looks good: Adjust the lighting and make a note of the adjustments so you can quickly go back to them when it’s time to interview.
- The background is free of distractions.
- Read these short instruction guides to learn how to join the meeting and where the controls are located.
| Pro tip: Set up a practice session. Before the interview, schedule a mock interview with a friend or colleague over Zoom, FaceTime or Whereby using your desktop or laptop computer. You can access the free version of Whereby here. Ask your friend to act as an interviewer by asking you the questions you expect your interviewer to ask you. Then ask your friend for feedback after the mock interview is over and make adjustments for the next practice round. |
10 Minutes Before the Interview
Take 10 minutes before the start of your interview to make sure everything is right.
- Log onto the interview meeting link using your desktop or laptop computer.
- Turn on your camera and speaker. Once you confirm these are working as expected, you can turn them off until your interviewer logs on.
- Double check your camera angle, the lighting, and remove any background clutter.
- Smile! It will give you confidence.
During the Interview
In a virtual interview, it’s important to be aware of your tone and body language. Body language especially is amplified over video. Here are some things to watch out for. Ask your mock interviewer to give you feedback on body language during your practice interview.
- Slouching or crossing your arms can make you look closed off or uninterested.
- Hand gestures that are too fast or too frequent.
- Talking too fast can make you look nervous and cause you to run out of breath. Pause and take a breath as often as you need to.
- Saying “um” or “like”. When you feel like saying “um”, just pause and take a breath.
- No eye contact at all or a stony stare. Aim for a happy medium.
- Uptalk, or making a statement that sounds like a question because your voice goes up at the end of a sentence. This can make you sound unsure of yourself.
More Interviewing Resources
- For body language tips, watch this helpful video.
- For tips on how to talk about your teaching experience and answer interview questions persuasively, watch this video.