5 simple tips for Skype Interviews!
- December 23, 2022
Interviewing over Skype is the typical method for NHS interviews for overseas doctors.
Regardless of your experience, your interview is your chance to make a good impression for a potential employer.
You must sell yourself and interviewing via video can make that hard. IMG Connect has arranged countless successful interviews and we'd be happy to share our experience and tips with you directly. However, here we share some tips and advice from doctors and employers:
1. Check your IT!!!
One of the biggest mistakes is not checking everything works before you are due to do your interview.
“test your equipment, check your camera and microphone are working. Then be logged on about 15 minutes in advance, just as you would for any interview, early! Also, make sure your username sounds professional, mine wasn’t and I recall that this was shared with the interviewer!”
Dr Arshad SHO in General Medicine
2. Think about your backdrop
You might be at home doing this interview, but you still need to look and be professional.
“Interviewees should be careful in ensuring that the background is appropriate, I remember somebody was in their kitchen and it didn’t look great! First impressions count after all”
Francis, HR Manager
Be sure to switch off TV’s, ask the children to play in the other room and be as quiet as they can be.
3. Remember your body language still counts.
You cannot shake someone’s hand on Skype, but you still need to be aware of how you come across. You need to be engaging and since you are not in the room with them, you need to think about how you engage with the interviewers.
IMG, Dr Cardenas, said a good idea is “to give a pleasant nod of the head to acknowledge those doing the interview. And SMILE!”. He added that “candidates should still remember to use eye contact, look directly at the camera and not at themselves all the time!”.
Eye contact by Skype is just as important as in a face to face interview.
4. Dress for an interview
You might be at home, but staying in your dressing gown and pyjamas won’t go down well. It is also not a good idea to dress from the waist up, as some may suggest.
HR Manager Sarah advised, “You are in an interview, so dress like it, otherwise don’t expect to be hired!”
If you look professional, you will feel more confident.
5. Use a cheat-sheet
Not being in the same room as the interviewers means you can take advantage of little tips to help you through the most difficult questions.
IMG, Dr Cardenas, used this to his advantage:
“During my video interview, I had a prompt sheet, behind the screen at eye level, it gave me confidence, though nothing beats full preparation. The guys at IMG Connect made sure I was fully prepared and knew my stuff!”
Be careful though, for some this is distracting, and can stop you from concentrating on the question at hand or making eye-contact. It is after all better to be prepared!
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