10 Ways To Survive A Web Cam Interview

Good pointers Tim, as recruiters and employers become more tech savvy, these interviews will become more common, they will also lead to more use of video in resumes. In addition, more companies are using video conferencing and that will become a way for employers to gauge candidates level of comfort and presence when using that technology.

Another tip: If your webcam attaches atop your computer you need to practice making eye contact with the webcam, rather than to the image of the other person on your computer. When you look at the computer screen the interviewer will see you continually looking down. @PhyllisMufson

Some web cam/video conferencing interviews are conducted at a remote site. If this is the case, go to the facility the day before the interview to check things out. Use the same tips, but you may find lighting or a glass door to be issues that need to be addressed.

Also, on clothing, have your practice interview check your wardrobe. Some ties and colors will ‘flare’ and become very distracting. I usually wear what I’d wear to an in-person interview with the same company, AND no pj’s, sweats, etc. on the bottom. You never know when you need to stand up to reach something…..saw that!

Tim – since you asked about #7, the dress code…
I have had 2 Skype interviews (BTW, if you’ve never set up Skype with your new webcam, make sure you do so well beforehand – there are some settings for volume, etc., which take a few minutes to sort out).
The first one was with a recruiter – he and I had talked for about an hour the day before, but he was on the E.Coast and the role was close to me in Southern California. I got shaved, dressed up (shirt and tie, smart pants, but not a suit) and mentally prepared, as Tim suggests. In <2 minutes, the interview was over – the purpose of the Skype interview was solely to make sure my body language, eye contact, dress code, etc., were all OK before we scheduled a face-to-face interview with his client. As it happened the recruiter and I carried on chatting for a few minutes, but the purpose of the Skype call was very clear. Also note – the recruiter was in jeans and t-shirt…
The second one was with a hiring manager – but we never got to see one another because Skype wouldn't work – the whole interview was conducted by phone instead. So be prepared for that too. If the video won't work, don't waste precious time trying to make it work – suggest instead that you use the phone, and "perhaps I can work with your IT folks so we can get the connection working OK and then reschedule the Skype call". Unless you're applying for a hardware geek role, making the webcam work will not be a critical success factor in your prospective new role! Taking that path shows that you respect the interviewer's time and you'll get it working on your time, not his/hers.

Hi Tim: Great comments and posts by your readers. People will go to a movie, but they won’t read a book – sad state, but it is what it is… Same is true of resumes which is why so many firms trying to capture that emerging market. My firm has found that candidates with a PROFESSIONAL video resume will increase their chances for hire for 50%! More interesting is that our clients are quickly being converted to “video only – don’t bother with paper…”. Interesting times lie ahead.

Great advice, everyone! I’d add something I’ve learned the hard way because it is very difficult for me to focus on the camera rather than the computer screen.

Locate the camera very, VERY close to the SIDE of your computer screen, at natural eye level for you. Then, when you look at the computer screen, you won’t be looking obviously away from the camera. You’ll be looking to the side, slightly (hopefully).

And, to echo Phyllis’s suggestion, focus your attention on the camera. Put a face around it if you must, but really “see” the person/people behind that camera’s eye.

I, too, have found Skype to be challenging for video, particularly if you have a low speed Internet connection. When it works, it’s great, but DO several test runs before the “real” thing, if you can.

Hello everyone. I liked this post and people´s comments provide good advice too. I just want to share my experience about the first time I was webcam interviewed, It was a 25-min mock interview by the way, with LHH. I was a little bit nervous but I was able to manage it. The HR manager asked tough questions and I answered most of them but had issues with 3 or 4. After the interview, the HR mgr gave me some good feedback and provided me with a DVD on which the interview was recorded. I was surprised how much I learned about myself after watching me over and over at home on the tv; the way I speak, the face and body language, etcetera. So, Bottom line here is, we should record our mock interviews and learn about us in order to improve and fix things we are not confortable with.

I’m so glad I have not had a web cam interview yet and people always invite me to meet personally.

I think I wouldn’t be able to survive it

Not really. About 5 minutes into the meeting I’d probably light up the first cigarette; just out of habit