Skype Interview: A First For Everything

Let’s be real here, the only reason you wanted that shiny new MacBook Laptop back in 7^th grade was for one reason and one reason only…video chat. It was the gateway into a whole new world of communication for us preteens. Never again would you have to be disconnected from your best friends, your siblings, or even your crush. Hours and hours of time could now be spent staring at 1, 2, or 3 faces on a 13” computer screen, all in the comfort of your own home.

I have always loved video chat and was constantly online talking to my friends when I was younger, but when I found out that my interview for a summer internship would be on Skype, that same love and excitement turned to fear. Not only was it my first Skype interview, but also my first real interview ever and I couldn’t be more nervous. Lucky for me, our class had just spent the past two classes working on interviewing techniques and commonly asked questions, which really helped a lot (s/o to Randee and Maher). I’ve decided to compile a list of Do’s and Don’ts for a first time Skype Interviewee with the hopes that some of what I have learned through my experience might help some of you.

Do’s:

1. Find a secure location.

- It’s really important to find a space that you feel comfortable in and you know will be distraction free for an hour or so. The last thing you need is your roommate barging in on your interview complaining about your dirty clothes scattered across the floor. For my interview, I was able to reserve a study room in the UGLi, which worked great and was very quiet.

2. Dress for success

- Even though you may not be face-to-face with your interviewer, all rules of first impressions still apply. While they might only see you from the chest up, it’s important to look professional and sophisticated. My suggestion is to treat your Skype interview as if it were an in person interview and wear what you normally would.

3. Practice makes perfect.

- You might be someone who is comfortable on camera with tons of interviewing experience, but when that green light flashes and the video screen opens up, those nerves can set in. It’s important to prepare so you feel like you’ve been there before. If you’re camera shy, don’t like hearing your voice on recording, or tend to talk fast/mumble, make sure you do a trial run to work out all the imperfections. I asked my Mom to type up 5-10 interview questions for me, which I then recorded myself responding too and critiqued things like posture, eye contact, and annunciation after watching them over again.

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(This is what we want to avoid.)

Don’ts:

1. Don’t forget to make eye contact.

- How am I supposed to make eye contact through a computer screen you might ask? The key is to look at the camera and resist the urge to stare at your own camera bubble in the bottom corner. Don’t worry, I’m sure you still look hot, but look up! Because the interviewer can’t see what you’re looking at, by staring off into a corner of your screen it might give off the impression that you’re unengaged or distracted. I sometimes find it challenging to listen and comprehend what someone is saying when I’m not also looking at their face and mouth. To solve this, I made sure to position myself far enough from the screen so the distance my eyes traveled between the interviewers face on my screen and the camera on top was close enough that it was barely visible. 

2. Don’t forget to prepare your lighting.

- You might be tempted to sit by a window or with a nice scenic background behind you…rookie mistake. Keep in mind that back lighting will render your features invisible to your interviewer. You’ll only appear as a dark silhouette on the interviewers screen. The most optimal lighting is a soft light source about 3-4 feet behind your computer screen facing you. It enables good visibility without too much or too little light.

3. Don’t use technology as an excuse.

- This one is entirely on you. If you know you’re interview involves technology, ensure that everything is working properly in advance. It’s not acceptable to come to the day of your interview only to discover that your Wi-Fi is shut off, camera is broken, and your computer doesn’t have a microphone. 

In a world with constant technological advancements and greater emphasis on global connectivity, Skype and other digital communication interviews will become increasingly common. I really hope you guys can take something away from this post and apply it to your own experiences in the future. Follow these guidelines and you should be fine, it worked for me, I got the job!