From bandwidth to body language, experts reveal their tips for nailing that career-changing video call.

The traditional ritual of an Apprentice-style grilling in a windowless corporate meeting room is edging closer to enforced retirement. Video interviews are a growth trend, cutting time and cost on both sides of the fence and removing the need to turn up at all – in the flesh, at least. Around 60 per cent of companies conduct virtual job interviews – and, seeing as much as 93 per cent of human communication is non-verbal, it’s not hard to see why they take precedence over conventional phoners.

Among the available conferencing apps, Skype stands apart. Besides its 300 million-strong user base, it has Skype Translator, an add-on that translates multi-language video calls in near real-time. Santa mierda! Of course there’s a knack to proving your worth to a potential employer from the comfort of your own house. Which is why we Skyped four experts in the field of video interviews to help keep you in the frame:

Your stellar performance will be for nothing if your broadband is not up to the task. “If the video feed isn’t working I’d sooner revert to a phone call than persevere with a patchy connection,” says Mr Mark Soden, a managing director of technology, telco, media and digital practice at consulting firm The Norman Broadbent Group. Connection speeds can be hindered by everything from your location to the time of day and your router’s firmware – not to mention other people in your home or office hogging the Wi-Fi. Carry out a speed check at speedtest.net beforehand to ensure your interview proceeds without a glitch; Skype recommends a minimum bandwidth of 1.5Mbps for a broadcast-worthy HD video call.

“It’s a demand-driven trend but it’s surprising how many people aren’t prepared for a video interview,” says Mr Sean Wilkes, director of solutions consulting at Invenias executive search software. “If your conversation is going to involve collaboration exercises, you’ll need the processing power and tools of a desktop computer. Otherwise tablets are OK because they tend to have a table stand, but with smartphones there’s the disadvantage of having to hold them throughout, so your interview will end up looking like one long selfie.”

Unlike a conventional face-to-face summit, your interrogator can only focus on your webcam’s field of view, so make sure that what they see counts. “Think about your environment,” advises Mr James Peters, a partner at Scede.io, a technology start-up advisory firm. “It should always resemble a working space if possible. I’ve witnessed someone do an interview from their bedroom before – I’m not entirely sure what that says about them.” Always test your camera and microphone before you make the call to ensure the picture and volume settings are correct. “Practising for a Skype interview will also have a noticeable impact on your confidence,” explains Dr Stephen Fletcher, director of The Occupational Psychology Centre. “As will simply imagining yourself being successful.” Or to quote the inimitable Mr Abraham Lincoln, “Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”

One of the biggest risks of being interviewed in your home is not being in the right frame of mind for work, what with your TV, games console and fridge all being within arm’s reach. “Try leaving your house for a short walk to replicate the feeling of travelling to the interview,” Dr Fletcher advises. “Being online 10-15 minutes early also helps you focus; if you drift in a couple of minutes before the appointed time, it will only add to your stress levels.” Should your interview be with an international employer, adjust your timetable accordingly. “If it’s at an unusual hour because of the time difference, get up extra early so you’re not just physically awake but mentally awake,” he continues. Otherwise make sure you’ve cleared your diary and shut yourself away to minimise interruptions from inquisitive household pets. “People also forget to turn their mobiles off on a regular basis,” Mr Soden says. “It can upset the flow – even if they’re just silencing an incoming call.”

“On Skype you get a good insight into a person pretty quickly from their body language,” Mr Peters points out. Mr Soden agrees: “You can always get a sense of what kind of a person they are from their general demeanour. Are they fidgety or relaxed, articulate or shy? At senior management level it’s more about the personality fit than career experience, so this makes it all the more important to see how the candidate behaves on screen.” Eye contact is also key to establishing a good rapport; by positioning the video window next to the webcam lens you can see your interviewer and look them straight in the eye. “Sitting slightly forward with your arms open shows engagement with your interviewer,” Dr Fletcher advises. “Don’t be laid-back – in either sense – because that could be misinterpreted as disinterest in the interview.”

Getting the aesthetics of your Skype interview right is more important than you think: “Because of the way video is encoded, the more complex the image the harder your computer will have to work to process it,” Mr Wilkes explains. “So don’t wear striped or patterned shirts and avoid textured walls because it will require a little more bandwidth to compensate for that.” With this in mind MR PORTER advocates the clean-cut elegance of a slim-fit Boglioli woven wool blazer with a white Emma Willis cotton Oxford shirt and grey, tapered Hugo Boss trousers for pulling off the perfect interview look. Last but not least, bear in mind that poor lighting could prove as off-putting to your interviewer as a plaid jacket; try not to position yourself near windows or other strong light sources as these can obscure your face, and no employer will want to spend the best part of an hour talking to your silhouette.

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