Remote Interviewing - Guidelines

It's essential that you prepare for each and every interview

you attend. However remote/video interviews require extra attention.

(Click here for information on how to prepare for interviews in general.)

KFJ's TOP 10 TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL VIDEOS ARE

Test your technology; then test it again - make sure your camera, video, microphone and speakers are all working.
Choose your location wisely; you’ll need to ensure that when the interview takes place you will have good lighting and no interruptions during the whole meeting. (BONUS TIP: Soft lighting can help you look more approachable.)
It's important that you conduct any testing in the exact same location that you’ll be for the actual interview.
You should check:

- that your wi-fi or mobile connection is stable. (Your internet providers should offer a way for you to test the speed of your connection e.g. https://speedtest.telstra.com/ or http://tpg.speedtestcustom.com )

- that there is nothing in the camera’s gaze that you wouldn’t want a potential new employer to see. (If you can’t access the meeting software beforehand, you can use your device’s camera to check this.)

Make sure all your devices are fully charged, including any Bluetooth devices that you intend to use, such as your keyboard, mouse or headphones.
Avoid distractions by turning off notifications on the device that you will use and turning off any other devices.
Throughout the interview, try to look at the camera as much as you can, yet still pay attention to the interviewers' facial expressions. If the interviewers’ video is minimized, perhaps move it to part of your screen closest to your camera; this will help to give both you and the interviewer a feeling of genuine eye contact.
Use headphones - it will help to cut out any background noise and prevents any feedback that could be caused by an audio delay.
If you have notes you intend to glance at - use paper. You don’t want to be toggling or scrolling between screens whilst you’re trying to impress. Also, whilst it may seem easier to take notes during remote interviews, still only do so when absolutely necessary; it’s another potential distraction and your note-taking could well leave the interviewer looking at the top of your head!
On the day of the interview, arrive in the ‘meeting room’ a couple of minutes early, to test the technology… again!
Have a glass of water in reach for any dry throat moments.

REMEMBER 'NORMAL' INTERVIEW RULES STILL APPLY, SO...

Dress appropriately.
Remember to smile.
Greet your interviewer professionally, using their name and thank them for their time at both the beginning
and the end of the meeting.

AND AFTER ALL THAT...

Relax and realise that despite all your preparations, technology will sometimes just fail! Whilst tech problems or delays can interrupt the flow of an interview - don’t allow yourself to lose focus. Dust yourself off and move on… your interviewer will have undoubtedly encountered such problems before. (If possible - get a phone number from them beforehand, so that you can call them if things really go wrong!)

For more tips on how to prepare for any type of interview, click here.