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How to Shine in your Engineering Video Interview

04-04-2022
Job seeker advice

If you’ve been looking for a new job in the Engineering Sector over the last year or so, the chances are you will have at some point been asked to carry out an initial Video Interview. This trend doesn’t seem to be one that is going away, with more and more employers using Video Interview in the first instance.

Even for those of you who have had plenty of experience with interviewing, we invite you to read our Top Tips below as Video Interviews can throw up curveballs that a face-to-face interview wouldn’t.

Practice!

Whilst the majority of us have become Pros in the world of video calls, it is unlikely that we have encountered a more formal set up. So, we would absolutely recommend taking some time before the interview to practice with your Friends and Family.

Not only will this assist you in figuring out the webcam and microphone beforehand, but also the software you are using as well as how you look on the screen. Body Language and eye contact are still important parts of these interviews, so make sure your Friends and Family are no-holds-barred and tell you what you need to change to make this interview seem natural. (Top Tip: Look at your Webcam rather than the person on the screen!)

Find a Quiet and Interruption Free place

Seems like common sense, but we’ve all seen the footage from those poor people being interviewed on TV who had children, pets, girlfriends etc accidentally stumbling on screen without realising they are being broadcast to the world!

So, it goes without saying that you need to find a private and quiet area for your interview. If you can, lock yourself in a room, but also let those around you know not to disturb you. Put your phone on silent and make sure background noise is at a minimum.

If there is a noise interruption, apologies to the interviewer and ask for a few moments. Mute your microphone and wait for the noise to subside (or if it is in your control, silence it). If you are interrupted then apologise to the interviewer and mute your microphone, it may even be appropriate to turn your camera off depending on interruption.

Dress Code 

We’ve all seen the memes, smart on the top half and pants on the bottom half, it’s pretty tempting we know, but as you would in an in-person interview, make sure you dress professionally. It may feel a bit silly dressing up in your suit for the interview, but it will be appreciated as it shows that you are taking things seriously.

Avoid anything patterned – especially stripes as they can look very unpleasant on a video call – and make sure the clothes you wear aren’t too bright. 

Internet Connection

Make sure you have a plan in place in case things go wrong! We all know that internet connections can drop, so make sure when you have arranged your interview you have either given or taken a contact number. This will enable you to continue the call if you have sudden outage of internet!

Finally, Research! 

Having a video interview is no different to having an in-person interview and you must research beforehand. The great thing about a video interview is that you can easily have pre-prepared notes and questions in front of you – and no-one will be any the wiser!

 

The most important thing is to make sure the conversation flows and that you are giving a good impression to the interviewer. If you follow these tips they will definitely put you in good stead to have a productive Video Interview.

If we are the ones that have booked your interview, we will be there to assist you throughout the process and will be keen to hear how you got on, so don’t forget to get in touch with us afterwards.

We are experts in Engineering Recruitment and we want your interview goes smoothly to ensure you are finding your dream job in the Engineering Sector. For more tips and advice, be sure to visit our Career Toolbox.