5 Steps To Acing a Video Interview

Just like a traditional job interview, a video interview is your chance to show off your talents to a potential employer. You’ll be asked to answer a series of standard questions and you’ll need to be prepared  to highlight what you’ll bring to the table and how your transferable military skills and experience will add value to the business. The main difference between a video interview and a face-to-face interview is that you won't be speaking directly to a person. Instead, you’ll be responding to a predetermined set of questions and you’ll record your answers through a video system. If you haven’t had experience with video interview technology this may seem like a daunting task, so we have put together some tips to help you to smash your virtual interview: 

TREAT IT LIKE ANY OTHER INTERVIEW 

Though you may be doing your interview from your living room, garden or even bedroom this doesn't mean that the interview is any less important than one that you would attend in person. Wear exactly what you would do if you were going to meet your interviewer face-to-face and make sure you have done the same amount of preparation too. Spend some time thinking about how your skills align to the job requirements and come armed with a list of brief stories that you’ve faced, approaches you took and the results you achieved in your previous roles. Interviews tend to follow the same basic structure whether they are virtual or not, so why not read our five tips to nail your civilian interview to ensure you’ve covered all the bases. 

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT 

While virtual interviewing isn’t hard, a bit of practice and preparation can go a long way. Plan answers to standard and difficult interview questions and jot down topics you want to cover as well as detail of any noteworthy achievements. Rehearse these answers so you are comfortable responding to any question that you think they might ask. Most on-demand interviews will ask you to give your answer in just a few minutes, so you will need to be able to convey your skills and suitability for the roles clearly and fluently. If you’d like you can practice answering questions on your smartphone, tablet or computer beforehand by using our mock video interviews. 

CREATE THE PERFECT INTERVIEW ENVIRONMENT

As you can interview from anywhere make sure it’s somewhere you feel comfortable and that you can concentrate. Since the pandemic we've all become adept at working remotely and from home, so approach it in the same way - find somewhere quiet without distractions and make sure that your internet connection is strong and stable. Be aware of the camera angle and the lighting in the space too. Read our top tips on creating a professional video interview set-up for more detail on how to do this properly. 

SET ASIDE ENOUGH TIME 

Set aside an hour for your video interview. Though most video interviews will take around half an hour to complete it is worth setting aside double that so that you can login early (we recommend that you check your tech around 20 minutes before you intend to start) and practice. Turn off your phone and take a few minutes to re-read your notes and relax before you begin. 

CHECK YOUR TECH! 

Make sure that everything works before you login and start. It’s crucial that you check your camera, microphone and lighting. An easy way to do this is to access our mock Hirevue video interviews so you can test whether your technology is working. Not all interviews will be conducted on Hirevue so it might also be worth running a test on the video interviewing technology you’ve been asked to use for the interview.  

Follow the steps above and you’ll be ready to ace your video interview. Remember that interviewers want to know about who you are and what you’ve got to offer, so try to relax and be as authentic as possible. If you are job searching and haven’t found the perfect company to interview with yet then why not check out the latest jobs and opportunities on our website. Each opportunity listed comes from a supportive, Forces-friendly organisation that will value your military skills and experience.