Skype interviews are becoming more common and they are convenient and can save on travel costs. If you have never had a Skype interview before or are just looking for some tips to help you ace a Skype interview. Check out our top tips.

Be prepared

Just like an in-person interview, you should practice your interview. Ask a friend to ask questions to help you prepare your answers. If you are not comfortable talking via your laptop, you should record yourself through your webcam or even on your phone just to get comfortable in front of a camera. You should have your CV, the job description and notes about the company in front of you. Write down questions you have for the hiring manager. When they ask if you have any questions they want to see your level of interest in the role and if you have researched into the company.

Dress the part

Treat this like you would any interview and not like you’re skyping your friends. You should dress like you would for an in-person interview. You may be tempted to wear a blouse or a shirt on top and jeans or pyjama bottoms on the bottom. But there are so many wardrobe malfunctions that could happen. There may be a possibility you may need to get up from your chair. So don’t risk it. Dress as you would for a real interview. Avoid wearing loud patterns like houndstooth and floral prints (so put that Hawaiian shirt away).

Background & Surroundings

Make sure that you pick a quiet clean location with a neutral background with good lighting. Avoid sitting in front of a window and public areas unless you don’t access to the internet. If you’re in a public area like a café, let the interviewer more that you are in a noisy area. If you‘re doing it at home make sure you let other people in the house know so they don’t interrupt or make too much noise during your interview.  If you have any pets make sure they are fed, walked etc before your interview.

Smile

When you go to an in-person interview you would normally smile when you arrive. But when you are doing a remote interview it can be easy to forget. You may get sidetracked by equipment or cameras so you will be less likely to smile. It can come across like you’re just staring at the camera. Smiling is a great way to break the ice and build a rapport with the interviewer.

Cheat

You don’t have to remember everything you want to mention when you’re doing a Skype interview. You can have the notes you used to prepare in front of you during the interview. Keep your notes in an easily scan-able format so you can get what you need quickly.

What to do when you encounter tech problems

There may be a chance that you will experience a technical glitch during the interview. You may get a weak connection, webcam playing up, audio problems. Address the tech problem immediately if the problem is really getting in the way of the interview just tell the interviewer you will call them back and need to fix the issue. The interviewer may see that you’re a problem solver.