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Job Interview Preparation

5 Things You Need To Do Before A Video Call Job Interview

Yay! Your resume has landed you an interview! This is super exciting and scary all at the same time. Preparing for an interview, in general, can be a bit daunting and an online interview will add a few more tasks that you must prepare for in advance. I‘m here to give you 5 quick tips to help ensure you are well prepared!


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Here are five things you need to do before your online video call job interview:

  1. Clean Up
  2. Find a Quiet Space
  3. Test Software
  4. Get Into Do Not Disturb Mode
  5. Get Dressed

Continuing reading to see why these five things are super important to ensure your online, video call job interview is a success!

Don’t forget to prepare for your interview the same way you would for an in-person interview…like research the company, create a list of questions, etc. These additional tips are geared towards helping you prepare for a video interview. Since the start of Covid, video interviews have become much more prevalent and are likely here to stay. So, its time to start preparing if you are an active job seeker to begin interviewing for jobs in an online environment.

Blog Post Image 5 Things You Need To Do Before A Video Job InterviewClean Up Your Background

While participating in a video interview the recruiter, hiring manager, or whomever else may take part will be able to see you in your real environment, likely at home. The last thing you want is for them to ask you about your organizational skills when you have a mess around you. By cleaning up your background – it will be easier to sell how organized you are! The best option possible would be to pick a room that has a solid colored wall behind you without any visual distractions.

Find A Quiet Space

When possible, opt to do a video job interview from home. If you log in while sitting in a coffee shop or even sometimes outside ( in a park or backyard), there will be a lot of background noise that can either distract you or the interviewer. If the interviewer has to ask you to frequently repeat yourself because your voice isn’t coming through the background noise this will likely frustrate them. So ensure you are prepared, with a quiet space, where you and the interviewer will be able to hear each other without distractions.

Test The Software Required

When you schedule the interview with the recruiter or hiring manager, be sure to ask them what platform the interview will take place on, and if they know of any special requirements for downloading or registering for a program before the meeting. If they haven’t mentioned anything upfront, don’t assume that it’s as simple as clicking on the link at the scheduled time. Also, asking these questions in advance will show your ability to think through processes and ask questions – and show that you like to prepare.

Test the software in advance, if you can play around with it in advance to ensure your camera is working and speakers are turned on so you aren’t trying to figure it out last minute or once the video call has started.

Log in to the meeting five minutes early!

Get Into Do Not Disturb Mode

Let others know that you will be in do not disturb mode. If you live with roommates, family, etc. let them know that you will be in a video interview and ask them not to enter the room you are doing it in. Also, turn off any messengers on your computer – log out of Facebook, LinkedIn…and any other program that might start making noise to notify you of messages. Turn off your phone once you have successfully logged in to the meeting. If you have joined the meeting and your interviewer has not logged in, then you may need to switch your phone back on to see if they are trying to connect with you via phone.

Eliminate any potential distractions!

Get Dressed

Okay, this may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised. I will admit that not during an interview, but rather a video meeting, I have been caught wearing my PJ pants. I got up to grab a piece of paper in my laptop bag and my business on top, cozy (ratty and old) sleepwear on the bottom was out there for my colleagues to see. Learn from my experience, don’t just wear a nice shirt and track pants or pj’s on the bottom. Get dressed the way you would for an in-person interview. A suit jacket may not be completely necessary, but you get my point!  Also, when you are well dressed you’ll likely feel more confident… and that confidence will shine through in your interview.

Finally, when you are picking out your shirt, stick to a solid color. Patterns can be distracting. They can also come through as “pixely” on screen.

So there you have it, in addition to doing all of the regular preparation for a job interview, don’t forget these 5 things you need to do before a video job interview.

Best of luck with your job interview!

Take a look at these posts for more job interview hacks:

  1. When Interviews Go Wrong
  2. Questions That You Should Avoid Asking a Potential Employer in a Job Interview