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Skype interview tips

Acing a Skype interview/How to impress over Skype/How to impress on your Skype interview

Nowadays more and more companies are looking for their future talents abroad. With the valuable help of technology, all you need to pass the 1st stage of an interview is your laptop and motivation for the job.

Here at Allexo Search, we have helped a number of overseas candidates. If you're facing an online interview – this short guide is just for you!

Being a star of the 600x480 pixel screen is not an easy play. You need to remember that planning and preparing for Skype interviews is equally as important as for the face to face meeting.

1. Set up.

Prepare your surroundings. Look behind you - set up a professional-looking space that won't distract from the conversation. The best option is to go for a blank or neutral background with no personal items in sight.

Do it in a quiet space and inform everyone at home about the meeting. Make sure that you won’t get any interruptions. Feed and walk the dog ahead of time, call a babysitter. Close all windows on your computer.

One of the most important things is to check the connection and test your microphone beforehand. You don’t want to waste half of your time sorting out technical problems.

Also, make sure that your username is professional. ‘Lovelykitty6772’ won’t make a good first impression.

2. Rehearse.

At first, it might feel a bit awkward as you figure out where to look or how loudly to speak. However, if you practice beforehand, you will feel more confident during the interview.

Set up your camera so that your face is nicely framed. If you wear glasses, minimize your computer monitor's reflection in your glasses. Get comfortable with yourself on the screen. Record yourself so you’ll have an accurate idea of how you come across on video.

3. Dress up.

Remember that a Skype interview is still an interview. While you want to dress professionally (from head to toe, not head to waist), don’t just pull out any old interview outfit—take care to make sure what you’re wearing works for video.

For the ladies: Pay particular attention to anything that might be a distraction, like jewellery. Same with showing too much skin—a lower-cut top may look fine in person, but when you’re only visible from the chest up, it can seem like way too much.

4. Go ahead and cheat

One advantage to a video or phone interview is that you don’t have to remember everything you want to mention.

Of course, you don't want to be reading off the page verbatim, so make sure you’re familiar with your material and keep the notes in an easily scannable format to get what you need at quick glance.

5. Address technical problems immediately

When you’re relying on video or phone equipment, there’s a good chance you’ll experience a technical glitch: a weak connection, interference, or garbled signals.

You may hesitate to draw attention to the problem, but you don’t want to give an inaccurate answer because you didn’t understand the question. A simple “Excuse me?” works fine. But if the problem persists, bring it up. It will demonstrate that you’re a problem solver.

6. Always stay professional…

…and don’t forget to smile!

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