We've had practice, haven't we? Each of us has already held at least 100 video conferences, sees himself permanently on the screen, is familiar with the common TEAMS functions and feels confident.

Even in a job interview. A first TEAMS interview is now considered standard. But no traditional applicant is so used to job interviews that they can do it from the sofa.

But this is where the danger lurks: familiarity!

As a complement to a phone interview, the image enables a much more personal exchange. Unlike when meeting someone personally and despite seeing one another on screen, there is only limited direct interaction. Sympathies develop more slowly, things tend to remain more sober, small talks are left aside and one gets to the point faster. Candidates who are accustomed to using their charm have to stick to the facts. Nevertheless, every applicant can score points in front of the camera, with some ingenuity and serenity.

The successful management of video interviews can be learned just as many other skills. It is all a matter of technique and practice. Routine generates serenity. Only then will you be in measure to react like Robert Kelly – in the unforgettable video of his live interview with the BBC at home, as he gets unexpectedly interrupted.

Success factors in a video job interview:

- Quiet environment and functioning technology

- Perfect outfit and eye contact with the camera

- Controlled facial expression, gestures and voice

- Natural, approachable and relaxed attitude

Here are our 10 rules for a successful video interview:

1. Good preparation: Not preparing for a video interview to the same extent as for a face-to-face interview means not having understood the power of the moving picture! Regardless of whether online or offline: you must prepare yourself thoroughly! Relevant facts about company, business environment and position should be kept clearly in mind. Find out about the function of your interviewer, check his online profile.

2. Separate private and professional: Most companies use Skype, Zoom, Blue Jeans or one of the millions of free online video conferencing tools. The candidate usually receives a link with personal access codes. Entering the given user ID and/or password is enough to join the video call. The first traps are already lurking there: if your software has only been used for private purposes so far and displays hangover2015 or Hase1963 as an alias, now is the time to change it.

3. Optimize image, sound, light and background: Image: make sure you can go through the interview without distraction. A closed, or even a locked room is the ideal location. Check the camera position: you should slightly look upwards and be properly centred in the display screen.

Sound: check microphone and sound reception. If you wear a headset, make sure to enable it on your tablet or directly in the chosen software.

Light: the light should come from the side or from above. Avoid changing daylight to eliminate possible risks of exposure variation.

Background: if in doubt, choose a neutral background. Beware of reflexions: window panes, glass doors or mirrors behind you can create light reflexions and disturbing glare that would accidentally ruin your video appearance. Move private pictures out of the camera’s field of view. Positioning yourself at least a meter and a half away from the background prevents unsightly shadows. The less reflective surfaces in the field of view, the better. If wearing glasses, optimize lighting conditions to avoid unwelcome reflections in the eyes.

4. Technology under control, stable Internet connexion: Check your connection and data transfer rate, close all unnecessary browser tabs and other applications that could interrupt the video call or slow down your Internet. Set your mobile to mute or, better yet, to flight mode to make sure you do not get distracted.

5. Clothing, jewellery, make-up: Dress yourself as you would for a face-to face interview. Find out about the industry and the company’s corporate culture to pick up the appropriate outfit. Avoid strong colour contrasts: a white shirt results in an underexposed and hardly recognizable face. Conversely, if you wear black clothes, the webcam will focus on the black and your face will seem overexposed.

Avoid gaudy colours like bright reds, yellows, pinks. They often give the skin an unnatural reddish tone. Softer, lively shades are usually a good choice. Blue is most of the time one of the best options.

Patterned fabrics can also be very tricky: due to technical reasons, many camera chips have difficulties with pinstripes, houndstooth, herringbones or similar patterns. They often result in a flickering image – or so-called moiré pictures. One should therefore prefer single-coloured instead of patterned ties and jackets.

Contact lenses are better than glasses as regards preventing reflections. Even if only the upper body is visible, it is nevertheless a good idea to be fully well dressed in case you need to stand up for any reason.

Women should always wear a little make-up for their video interviews. Just as for face-to-face interviews, one should avoid heavy and striking make-up and jewellery and be especially careful with shiny, reflective or colourful earrings. Apply powder or light make-up which will help offset the potential stress-related shiny effect, blotchiness or redness of the skin on the face and neck.

6. Maintain eye contact: We all know the great importance of establishing trusting eye contact during the interview. Video makes it difficult. When video conferencing with someone, you naturally want to look at your interviewer’s face. Depending on the position of his face on screen and of camera or webcam placement, your discussion partner may think that you are looking down or looking away. Maintaining real eye contact requires to look directly at the camera and not at the monitor, which will give the interviewer the impression that you are looking past him.

For your online interview, change the size of the window showing your interviewer and move it to the top of your screen or as close as possible to the webcam. This setting is what comes closest to real eye contact.

Eye contact through webcam may feel somewhat unpleasant at first. Many have the will to look attentively at their interlocutor and react by “overcompensating”. They stare into the camera. Yet eye contact should not exceed 5 seconds at a time. It should be regularly interrupted for a brief look away, a breath, and then re-established. This normally creates the crucial and most decisive effect in a video interview: trust!

7. Control your facial expressions and body language:

You should appear positive and optimistic along the interview. This can also be enhanced through body language. Watch your posture, sit with a straight back, open up your shoulders. Place your feet flat on the floor, arms on the table or hands on your knees. It is important to put a self-confident and real smile on your face. Avoid loud laughter. You want to demonstrate that you are a pleasant person with whom one enjoys working. Nod in agreement now and then.
A permanent smile, however, is inappropriate and irritating, answer the questions and adapt your facial expression according to the topic. Gestures can as well help describe a situation, but you should refrain from letting your eyes drift too far away or looking up at the ceiling.

8. Tics and unconscious behaviours:

Watch out for unconscious, nervous tics. This includes, for instance, keeping clearing your voice, frowning excessively, blinking or swallowing regularly, or repeatedly using the same wording. And please make sure to keep your hands away from your face! Do not unconsciously scratch your chin, your lips, do not twirl your hair or beard, do not touch your nose in a questioning manner and of course, do not slap your forehead. And make sure you never rest your head or chin in your hand.
Identify your tics and practise so as to suppress all uncontrolled movements. In a face-to-face meeting, these little gestures may go unnoticed. When the look focuses on the face displayed on the screen, they inevitably catch the eye in an unpleasant way. Vocal tics are the most common ones. Punctuating one’s speech with a «um» or «you know» every other second is enormously annoying. And most important, do not try being perfect. It is not sympathetic and appears to have been rehearsed. Demonstrate competence while leaving room for spontaneity.

9. Breathing, voice and voice modulation: Take time to relax before the start of the interview: take a few steps, meditate for a few minutes. Breathing exercises are ideal, notably abdominal breathing[ASC_BW1] : take a full deep breath, slowly breathe out, and repeat several times. Many people experience voice changes with growing nervousness. They talk in a higher pitch and faster than usual. In your video conference interview, you should deliberately strive to offset these effects and keep a calm, regular voice.

Start slowly: many of us tend to start at full speed when nervous. The aim is to speak slightly slower and clearer than usual. Depending on the microphone, sound transmission may be delayed or disturbed by high frequencies. Speaking slowly conveys serenity, a sign of professionalism and competence.

10. Relaxed warm-down: As in every interview, the interviewer will send signals to end the video call. You should accept and anticipate them without trying to provide further examples you forgot to mention earlier. The conclusion of the video exchange is usually shorter than at a face-to-face meeting. Express your thanks for the opportunity of an interview or reiterate your interest in the constructive exchange.

Send a follow -up mail on the same day or the following day. This will help staying in contact with the possible employer and make it easier to set out the next steps.

Practice, practice, practice:

Now comes the time to practice: practice with friends and partners. Practice until you forget about the camera. You will improve and gain more self-confidence with each video interview. And do not forget how pleasant it will be to appear confident on camera