Do you have to prepare for an online video conference or video interview? Even if a computer expert may seem to have simple argument, if you do not have certain technical skills or you do not know the basic rules for getting ready for a video conference or video interview, you will feel like a nightmare, as you will not find the right position and the most suitable lights.
So we suggest you to read this article that you will learn the basic rules to be able to make a high quality video conference and online video interview.
How to prepare yourself for an online video conference or video interview?
It’s one of the best questions you could ask because nowadays no one knows how to prepare optimally for a video conference or an online video interview. Yet, it’s the most current thing about the moment, because there’s no need to call, ask questions, and then transcribe all those things that never match what’s actually said: just do an online video interview. There are many video conferencing tools like ezTalks Cloud Meeting and others that allow you to make an online video interview and record all questions and answers.
So if someone asks you to be interviewed online, how are you going to prepare for this interview? What are the important things to know?
First of all, you do not have to worry about the software, because whoever interviews will send you a link to install something, you’ll need to add a name to your contact list and a little more. So the technical side is not what you have to worry about.
What you have to cure instead is your position. You will first have to choose a place that has a neutral, white or gray background. Do not stay too far from the camera, otherwise you will be very tiny and you will see the whole background behind you.
The important thing is that the face is properly framed, which must be fully framed by the hair up to the chin. During the interview, it’s important not to look at what’s on screen, the person who’s asking you questions. You have to answer him, while always looking at the webcam.
At first, maybe you will not come naturally, when they talk to you, you will want to look at the face of those who are talking to you. Look instead to concentrate from the beginning to follow it only with the tail of the eye.
The most important thing, however, is the lighting of the place. We often interviewed people who seemed to be in the dark, in Alaska or in a Guantanamo cell. That must not be so good.
You have to be well lit, so the simplest solution is to sit at a desk, where you have one of those table lamps, possibly in front of a white wall. Then, place it in front of a white wall with your computer and webcam and then point the light you have available to the wall, so you have a reflected and diffused light that invests your face. The more light you have, the better it will be.
If you do not have a wall in front you can use that behind you, but in that case if you hit the light will see the shadows and in this case will serve a light on the left and one on the right. It is important that you spend time planning the lights well.
Finally, we would say that it is absolutely important to cancel all the potential sources of distraction (telephones, fixed telephones, office door, doorstep, colleagues, friends, relatives) that could suddenly stop you during the video interview.
We recommend that you first tell anyone around you, because something like that can ever happen. In summary: turn off everything before you begin, carefully prepare your workstation and install the required video conferencing software. With this, you should be in place.
The solution for backing up video recording
When you have no way of do a video interview, you can always record a video contribution on your computer and send it to your interviewer. If it is too complicated or you can not do it for some reasons, there is another simple solution.
You can record your video responses in the video interview asynchronously, asking the interviewer to email your questions in advance and then posting your feedback in this way:
- Turn on your computer, Mac or PC and open Windows Movie Maker (PC) or iMovie (Mac) (These two software are free and are usually already installed on your computer).
- Make sure the webcam, headphones, and microphone are connected.
- Record your video replies by selecting your webcam as a video source.
- Save the recording and set the video quality level to the highest possible value.
