{"id":1181,"date":"2013-07-09T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2013-07-09T13:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/?p=1181"},"modified":"2013-07-07T20:59:20","modified_gmt":"2013-07-08T00:59:20","slug":"sarah-mastering-the-skype-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/2013\/07\/09\/sarah-mastering-the-skype-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarah: Mastering the Skype Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Hey there, terriers! I hope you are all having a fabulous (and not too rainy) summer!<\/p>\n

After spending the semester in London, I decided to spend my summer working, writing and relaxing at home before the big move out to LA. In preparation for my second semester \u201cabroad,\u201d I\u2019ve had to face a particular challenge that plagues those of us living in remote locations \u2013 the dreaded Skype interview.<\/p>\n

Skype interviews come with a number of concerns \u2013 What if the power goes out? What if my roommate decides to blast her music? What if the screen freezes on a horribly embarrassing face? But as with most things, video interviews have their perks. Here are a few tips to conquer your next long-distance interview with confidence.<\/p>\n

1. Dress to impress<\/b><\/p>\n

For me, one of the hardest parts of an interview is figuring out what to wear, so I am always tempted to forgo the headache for Skype interviews. However, I usually decide to suck it up and dress as if I were interviewing in-person (Although I did only iron the front of my blazer last time \u2013 shocking, I know). While your interviewer may only see from the shoulders up, dressing professionally from head to toe will help put you in the right frame of mind. Plus, there is that ever-so-slight chance you will have to leave your seat, revealing your SpongeBob pajama shorts to your potential employer.<\/p>\n

2. Keep paper and a pen nearby<\/p>\n

Use the medium to your advantage! Just like a regular interview, you can and should do research on the company. When you interview via Skype, it might not be a bad idea to jot down some notes on a piece of paper \u2013 company news, goals, questions, etc. \u2013 and keep it near by for reference. Be careful, though \u2013 you don\u2019t want to write notes like it\u2019s your Oscar acceptance speech. The interviewer will know if you\u2019re reading from a set of cue cards. You should also be ready with a pen to take notes. It shows that you\u2019re prepared.<\/p>\n

3. Look into the camera<\/p>\n

This is probably the most difficult video interview tactic to master. It\u2019s only natural to look at the interviewer \u2013 at the computer screen \u2013 when you video chat. However, looking at the screen means that, to the interviewer, you are looking down. To add a personal touch, try looking at the camera instead. It will feel like you\u2019re avoiding eye contact when, in fact, you are giving your interviewer the closest possible thing.<\/p>\n

4. Think about the location<\/p>\n

This is another difficult one. If you live alone, skip ahead to number 5 because you have it made. For those of us who live with roommates, parents, pets and little brothers, we know how precious and rare quiet can be. Do a bit of location scouting \u2013 find a quiet place where you\u2019ll be free from distractions. Make sure your dog knows that you have an interview so he knows not to bark between 4 and 4:30 (this is always and issue for me). Also, be mindful of the background. You don\u2019t necessarily want your dirty laundry or your One Direction poster on display. Or maybe you do.<\/p>\n

5. Roll with the punches<\/p>\n

There is a 99% chance you will experience some kind of technical issue. It could be something as simply as a fuzzy picture or something as troublesome as a broken microphone. Be prepared for any complications that may arise. Always keep calm and do your best to troubleshoot it. Also, make sure your computer is fully changed!<\/p>\n

6. Don\u2019t yell!<\/p>\n

My parents always seem to think that I can\u2019t possibly hear them on Skype unless they are shouting at the computer screen. Your interviewer may be on the other side of the country, but your mic is inches from your face. Speak in a confidant and professional, yet normal voice. If they cannot hear you on the other end, they will turn up the volume.<\/p>\n

Smile through those video interviews \u2013 they\u2019re not all that bad! And if anyone has figured out the secret to a successful phone interview, please let me know!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey there, terriers! I hope you are all having a fabulous (and not too rainy) summer! After spending the semester in London, I decided to spend my summer working, writing and relaxing at home before the big move out to LA. In preparation for my second semester \u201cabroad,\u201d I\u2019ve had to face a particular challenge … Continue reading Sarah: Mastering the Skype Interview<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2018,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3892,4057,7284],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1182,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1181\/revisions\/1182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/comblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}