What to do in a Skype Interview

6 comments

While most people work at traditional companies, there’s been a steady rise in recent years   toward virtual work, and it isn’t just limited to the tech sector.

“It’s a trend we see across all industries because almost anything that is a service or a back-office function can be done virtually and for less money,” says Shilonda Downing, owner of Virtual Work Team LLC, a Homewood, Ill., human resources recruiter and staffing firm.

Virtual employers routinely use the phone and Skype to conduct interviews. But, says Downing, even brick-and-mortar firms are turning to video conferencing to save money.

“The same basic rules apply in terms of how the candidate should conduct themselves in a virtual interview,” says Downing. “Some candidates don’t take virtual interviews as seriously as they should. After all, the job they want is on the line. You may be at home, but you really need to make a professional impression.”

  • Log on to the video chat a few minutes early, and make sure your headset or microphone is working.
  • Make sure your Skype account has a professional username.
  • Dress appropriately. Once you get the job, you may be able to dress how you like, but Downing says to treat a virtual interview like a face-to-face meeting.
  • Present a professional environment. Candidates should make sure there’s nothing distracting or unprofessional in the background, and that peripheral noise is kept at a minimum.
  • Don’t multitask during the interview. Recruiters can tell if your attention is elsewhere.

This post is taken from an interview I did with Bankrate.com. It was great fun! This is Shilonda Downing, signing out for Virtual Work Team LLC!

6 thoughts on “What to do in a Skype Interview”

  1. As I am going thru and looking at all your past articles and I have to admit that this one really hit home. I actually practiced interviewing my sister who was looking to get hired on at another company in another state. They wanted to have the initial interview via Skype and she was worried. In her business everything is face to face, she uses skype to chat with her kids who a have lives of their own now that they are grown. Anyway, I created a mock interview for her and told her to treat it like a real interview. She was having a hard time with the whole logic. So I shared your blog. It actually made sense to her, and yes she got the job. She will be relocating closer to our parents, and is super excited!

    As for my own experience I always make sure to dress as if I am going to a face to face interview, and when answering my skype, make sure that I answer with my video. If they choose not to video back, that is fine but they can see me.

    Thanks Shilonda, for yet again another great blog.

    1. Teri you made my heart “smile” with this comment! Please send my best wishes to your Sister and tell her I’m sooo glad she got the job! I’m so glad you chimed in about dressing for the interview as well. As virtual workers, we don’t always have to dress at all! Goodness knows I don’t LOL 🙂 However, interviews are very important and should be taken seriously so dressing the part is certainly key. It does my heart good to know that my advice has helped someone succeed, as that has always been the goal of blogging for me. Thank you Teri, I’ll treasure this comment for sure.

      Shilonda Downing
      Virtual Work Team LLC

        1. Hi Nabil!

          It’s truly my pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed the article and hope it helped you in a Skype interview setting. Feel free to share it with your colleagues as well.

          Shilonda Downing
          Virtual Work Team LLC

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