What Not To Do During a Skype Interview

The interview process can be a very stressful period for anyone who is trying to nail the right job or internship and unfortunately it is a process that everyone has to endure. If interviewing itself was not challenging enough, try interviewing through Skype, where one has to take into consideration many external factors that are not obvious to the untrained interviewee.

My interview for Larkin Community Hospital’s dietetics internship was one of the worst in the group (I can say that now and laugh about it). But now that I look back, I can tell you exactly what not to do in order to have a great interview. To give some background information—I had to leave the country to visit family in Panama and I was not expecting to get an email from LCH in regards to setting up a date for an interview so soon. My family lives all the way up in the mountains with no computers that had a camera for Skype, therefore I had to resort to using my phone.

The moment the interview ended I knew I lost an opportunity, and it was very frustrating due to the fact that I knew I had what it took for this internship. If you feel as though you have lost an opportunity because of an interview gone wrong, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tweaking a few details may be what it takes to grab the interviewers attention and set you apart from the rest. Fortunately, I was one of the five chosen to move forward and I live to tell the tale and pass on my knowledge on what NOT to do.

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Don’t look at the screen.

It is easy to remember to look at your interviewer straight in the eyes in person, but when you’re using Skype, we are tempted to look at oneself and the screen rather than the camera. It is slightly awkward and counterintuitive looking at the camera since we try to look at the actual eyes of the interviewer on the screen, but we have to keep in mind how we look on the other end of the screen.

Don’t dress causal.

Interviews over Skype can be typically held in the comfort of ones home and a big mistake interviewees make is not dressing professional. Treat a Skype interview how you would treat an in-person interview. When I did my interview, I was not prepared as I did not expect to be called for an interview so soon. Fortunately, I had a nice blouse to wear, however, it was not fit for an interview that would decide the next 5 years of my life.

Don’t Forget to Your Surroundings

I can confidently say that lighting is everything during your interview. My family lives on a farm in Panama and the house is very rustic (in other words: there is no good lighting inside the house). I had tried my best setting up the room and deciding which wall to have as a background, but unfortunately it was so dark that no one could see my face on Skype.

Make sure you pick a quiet place with a plain backdrop in order to make sure the focus is on you. During my interview, the attention was drawn away from me because my interviewers focused on how dark it was. Its also important to be mindful of how one positions their camera. Be aware of the angle and have in mind how the the interviewer is seeing you from their end of the screen. Its important that your angle is a flattering one so make sure the camera is at eye level.

Don’t Forget to Practice.

This is something I did do. I Skyped my friend in order for her to give me feedback on what could be improved, but unfortunately I could only do so much with what I had. Doing a practice interview through Skype is very important in order to make sure all technical issues are resolved. It will allow you to assess how well your audio sounds and if your camera is working correctly while at the same time helping address any anxiety you may have prior to your interview.

"Can you hear me now?"

This piggy-backs from the previous paragraph in regards to addressing any technical issue that may arise if one forgets to practice. During my interview I was told my video was choppy and the audio was very faint so it was hard for them to hear me. This takes the attention away from you and what you have to say during the interview as it will cause frustration to the interviewer.

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So as you can see, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when preparing for a Skype interview. If you can remember one thing from this post, it’s this: Do not travel out of the country when applying to internships. Just kidding! If you do travel or if you just do not have the chance to meet in person for an interview, make sure you pay attention to these basic details in order to stand out and make an impression.