There are live interviews and time-shifted video interviews that you can use to introduce yourself to a potential employer. In live interviews, for example on Zoom, you sit opposite one or more people from the company in an online interview who want to get to know you.
Time-shifted interviews, on the other hand, are video interviews for which you do not have to make an appointment. A recruiter first asks questions in text form or as a video, which are stored on the web. You read them or watch them and then answer them in the video at a time of your choice. You record the video with your own smartphone and upload it to the web. People in the company then watch your answers. Our B2B product Jobcode, for example, works like this. The recruiters use the video to decide whether to invite you to a personal interview (unless it's for a remote job).
For both types of interview, you should behave in the same way as you would in a job interview.
Here is a checklist to give you an overview of the dos and don'ts. You can quickly go through the list before the time-shifted video interview and you will immediately know where everything is in order in your preparation and where you still need to think about something.
It is a good idea to find out about the company in detail. You will certainly have a look at the company's homepage, you know the divisions in which they operate and which products sell well. Which services do customers find particularly strong? Read through everything so well that you can talk about the products or services as if they were your ideas.
You have informed yourself about the company. ✅
You need a suitable place for your interview with a suitable background, good lighting conditions and a quiet environment. Think carefully about where you conduct your interview. You can't do it just anywhere, you need to plan well to find the perfect place. The right place can be at home, but it doesn't have to be if another location suits you and your job aspirations better.
Your background should not show any photos or book spines that reveal interests of yours that no one should know about. The background should also be tidy. You can tidy up your bookshelf and decorate it so that it makes a good impression. If you are applying as a designer, an interesting art print or poster can enhance your background. You'll be amazed at what recruiters can glean about you as a person from this kind of information. After all, things that can be seen in the background say a lot about the person who likes to have these objects around them. However, complete clutter is the worst. The less there is to see in the background, the more the recruiter's attention is focused on you.
The best lighting conditions are those in which your face is well lit. Sunlight at the window is practical.
A quiet environment means that you have removed all possible sources of noise. Smartphones or other electronic devices that can make noise should be moved to another room and switched off or to silent mode.
You know where to record the application video. ✅
You have tried out the optimum shooting position with your smartphone. If you don't want to show much of the background, take the smartphone closer to your face. The metru app provides assistance by displaying a mask. It shows the optimum position for your face on the display. You can find out the optimum distance between your face and the camera by taking a few test shots. Close up or a few centimeters further away. Try it out and play with your smartphone camera. Another tip: don't film from below or above, as the frog or bird's eye view are both rather unfavorable for your appearance in the video.
You know the best distance to the smartphone camera. ✅
The good smartphone should be firmly mounted. Because motion-blurred images are not cool. It would therefore be unwise to record the video from your hand like a selfie. A tripod for the smartphone is available for less than 20 euros. If you don't have a tripod, you can make your own. Books or Lego bricks are also very practical as a support. The difference between smartphone shots with and without a tripod is really enormous. If your smartphone is well positioned, you have your hands free and can answer the interviewers' questions in peace.
Your smartphone is fixed in place. ✅
You remain professional until the end of the job interview. Just because you're not conducting your interview in a real office doesn't mean you can let your professionalism slip. After all, an interesting effect in front of the smartphone camera is that many people can start off speaking very professionally and seriously. But as the conversation progresses, they then start to fall back into their everyday language, their slang. So keep your composure. Remember that you are talking to professionals and not friends.
You remain professional until the end of the job interview. ✅
Have you found the right clothes for the interview? If you know the company, you also know how the employees are dressed there. Are suits and suits the order of the day or is it more casual? Find out how people are dressed at your desired employer and dress in such a way that you don't deviate too far from this.
So please don't sit there in your jogging bottoms and definitely don't sit there in a video interview without any pants at all! Countless fail videos now show that in moments of carelessness, the absence of trousers can be unpleasantly noticeable.
Clothing is also about the feeling you have while answering the questions. If you are dressed in business attire, you will also feel like you are in a job interview. The effect that occurs when you put on really smart shoes is also amazing. You immediately get into the right mood for the interview.
You have thought about the right clothing for your appearance. ✅
You have considered beforehand what makes your personality special and how you can convey this. Personality and character are just as important as professional qualifications when selecting personnel. Do you have any success stories that highlight your personality traits? Then prepare these stories for your video and talk about your heroic deeds.
You thought in advance what makes you who you are and how you can get that across. ✅
The topic of personality from a different perspective: Don't forget to answer personally in the interview. The recruiter wants to get to know you in particular. So make it easy for them to get to know you and be natural, just as you are. You can use your facial expression to express your feelings and let your personality shine through. Wow, now you can impress with your personality.
Show the employer what kind of personality they can expect when they hire you. ✅
Likeability gets you further. When you have to speak into a screen, it's not so easy to send out social signals. Smiling and making eye contact precisely by looking into the camera is an art that takes a little practice.
So don't forget that you want to be likeable in the application video and show your friendliness with a smile. A thank you for the opportunity to take part in the interview is also a good idea. This rounds off a well-prepared interview nicely. It shows that you are not only determined to get the job. It also proves that you are sociable and respectful. This will make you stand out positively from other applicants.
Despite the general seriousness of the application video, don't forget to smile. And take the opportunity to say 'thank you' for the opportunity to take part in the time-shifted video interview. ✅
This is really bad: you read out your every answer in the interview. Because you haven't practiced any of your answers beforehand. You also don't know how you will react to certain questions.
The fact is: Please don't read out prepared answers! Reading out your answers makes you look unnatural and completely uncool. The viewer of your video will notice this and not like it. This is because they are interested in getting to know you personally in your free speech. Even memorized answers usually come across as too stiff and don't reveal your personality. The recipe for success is the freely spoken answer.
You have practiced answers to the standard job interview questions. You can present your answers freely. ✅
Your video and sound are a disaster. Nothing works the way it should.
Hopefully not... A laptop whose webcam you can't activate or a microphone that crackles can cause embarrassment. Try out both the camera and microphone often so that you are familiar with the settings. If you're not using a laptop: Days before the interview, you've already placed the camera firmly on the screen. This is the best place for it. Now perhaps test the camera with a friend. You should also test the microphone. It's best to make a test call with a friend. That way you know whether the picture and sound are set up well.
How is the internet connection? Is the connection stable? The last thing you want is bad Wi-Fi while you're explaining to the HR person why you should be working for their company. Think about connecting with an Ethernet cable (instead of Wi-Fi), as this is more stable.
Nothing is more embarrassing than devices you don't have under control. That's why you've tested everything several times. ✅
The party the night before went on until three o'clock. It was a short night.
Nothing expresses a lack of interest in the job more clearly than a completely exhausted appearance. The effect will be different when you are well rested, having gone to bed early the night before. Fresh and in a good mood, you will then be eager to answer the questions. You now know that a night of partying is not a good idea before a job interview or a delayed video interview.
Getting plenty of sleep is the best preparation for your successful application video. ✅
You completely forget about your body language. You don't pay attention to your posture like you would in a job interview. You lean back casually.
It's better if your posture is not too relaxed and more appropriate to the importance of the interview. This way, you're not lounging around during the video recording to appear particularly cool. An application video is the wrong time to be "overly casual".
You answer the questions with the right amount of seriousness. ✅
At home, you tend to eat, drink or chew gum.
Even if you are recording the video interview in the comfort of your own home: You shouldn't eat anything in the video, no matter how hungry you are. And take your chewing gum out of your mouth for a few minutes. And please don't smoke either! These are all real no-gos for a time-shifted video interview.
Check your face! Is everything neat and tidy? Is your smile OK? Take a look in the mirror to see if there is still a piece of parsley stuck between your teeth. The only thing allowed in this situation is a glass of still water. Because an applicant with a dry mouth cannot give an answer and an applicant who has drunk carbonated water must first burp. Both are irritations that you can't have during your presentation.
You are perfectly prepared for the video interview and really presentable. This gives you peace of mind for your performance.✅
Don't take too long to answer the interview questions. Shoot your application video two to three days after you have received the link to the interview. This is because it is not quite as good if you only respond to the email reminder. If you respond late, it looks as if you're not really interested after all.
You record the interview in good time. This shows that you are very interested in the position. ✅
Time-delayed video interviews allow you to introduce yourself to the employer of your choice without having to be on site. You can conduct the interview when the time is right for you, as the questions are pre-recorded.
Your checklist for preparation:
Dos
You have informed yourself about the company. ✅
You know where to record the application video. ✅
You know the perfect distance to the smartphone camera. ✅
Your smartphone is in a fixed position. ✅
You remain professional until the end of the job interview. ✅
You have thought about the right clothing for your appearance. ✅
You thought about what makes you who you are and how you can convey that. ✅
Show the employer what kind of personality they can expect when they hire you. ✅
Despite the serious situation in the application video, don't forget to smile. And take the opportunity to thank them for giving you the chance to take part in a time-shifted video interview. ✅
How to avoid the Don’ts
You read out your every answer in the interview. You have practiced answers to the standard job interview questions. You can present your answers freely. ✅
Nothing is more embarrassing than devices you don't have under control. That's why you've tested everything several times. ✅
The party the night before went on until three o'clock. This speaks of an especially grave lack of respect. Getting plenty of sleep is the best preparation for your successful application video. ✅
Your body language in the interview shows you to be goofy and far too casual. Better do it differently. Answer the questions with the right amount of seriousness. ✅
Eating, chewing gum and smoking are absolute no-goes in a video interview. You are perfectly prepared for the video interview and really presentable. This gives you peace of mind for your performance. ✅
It takes ten days before you're ready for an interview? That's far too long. Since you've been invited to the interview, you know that the employer is interested in you. So you conduct the interview in good time. This shows that you are very interested in the position. ✅
We could give you a thousand tips on how to appear in an application video. But at the end of the day, what counts is what you actually do yourself. Good luck and much success with your appearance in the time-shifted application video.
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