If you’re in the midst of a job search today, your upcoming interviews might very well be live online. Webcams are widely available now and very affordable, and with innovative job boards like InovaHire.com, scheduling and starting the online interview itself is easy and free! 

Live online interviewing makes sense in our time for jobs seekers and employers alike, reducing travel cost and emissions, interview scheduling flexibility, as well as speeding up the hiring process itself.

So, now that it’s here, what do you need to do? I’d say get prepared early! Don’t wait until you’re invited to interview. Following are some suggest steps to take:

1. If you don’t have a webcam, go do the research and buy one. It doesn’t need to be expensive. They’re easy to install, typically they’ll plug right into your USB port, and some webcams are now plug and play.

2. Test out your webcam. I’d suggest you go to TokBox.com, since you can create a test video. They have an option to send it to yourself, but you can just replay your video, and the process itself will help you verify that your webcam is operational. You may run into issues that you can debug there, and they have a settings tool that will help. If you have a webcam with sound, make sure you select the webcam’s sound. As well, always make sure your computer’s audio isn’t set to mute.

3. Start talking to your family and friends on TokBox.  It’s so much fun! There are time delays and you may get some sound feedback. This is similar to the echo feedback you get on some cell phones. It can be very distracting if you’re not used to it, and it’s better to get used to it with friends and family, and not a potential employer.

4. Practice looking into the camera when talking to friends. If you have a camera at the top of your monitor and you look at the other person on the screen, your eyes will appear droopy and it won’t give the appearance that you’re answering them. Of course you need to peek down to see the interviewer’s expression, but that’s ok.

5. Find a quiet place to do the interview. If you’re interviewing at home, make sure everyone in the house knows, so they don’t call for you. Also remember to put your cell phone on vibrate, and disconnect the landline in the room. Do have a phone available in the room though, in case you find yourself with a sound problem.

6. In an InovaHire.com interview, you can see the interviewer and your own image at the same time. Test out your background on TokBox, so you can see what you’ll look like to the interviewer. A professional looking backdrop is best, and check to make sure it looks clean and organized. You want the interviewer to focus on you.

7. Last but not least is “the look”. Try different types of lighting. This will change depending on a day or evening interview, so be prepared for both. Also, get ready (at least from the shoulders up), as you would for any person-to-person interview.   Use TokBox to test different looks prior to the interview and talk online with friends to ask their advice.

A live online interview is a real person-to-person connection and is convenient in so many ways. Enjoy this technology by experimenting to see how to represent yourself in the best light. Don’t play it by chance that all will go well if you set it up at the last minute. Be prepared and most importantly have fun with it!

By: Laura Parrish

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