30 Nov 2020
With Lockdown 2.0 well underway, any job seeker will know that video interviews are the new norm.
We sat down with our friends at Skillsearch and put together some top tips to knock your next games opportunity out of the park!
Checklist
Before your interview
During
After
Before your interview
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail!
Arguably the most important part of your video interview is how you prepare for it. Make sure you have a good tech set up and that you’ve tested everything. If your headset is bust or the webcam is flickering, there won’t be much of an interview!
Be wary as well if there are other people in house, especially if they are using streaming services. Give yourself the best chance of strong connection and good bandwidth, there is nothing more frustrating than a poor intermittent connection.
Dress to impress (that means from head to toe!) and put some thought into where to sit. A nice clear well lit room is preferable free from distraction, keeping pets and children out of the way if possible. You need to be the focus, ensure you don’t get cast in a shadow by either sitting in natural light or placing a lamp in front of the camera.
Finally, don’t forget to put your phone on silent (or airplane mode) and close anything on your computer that could ping with a notification. Keep a drink handy as well as pen and paper so you can take notes/actions if needed.
Now you’re all set up and ready to roll!
During
Be aware of your body language, don’t slouch or hunch. Although, make sure you still look relaxed and natural. Fidgeting isn’t ideal can make you look nervous and can be distracting. If you must, do it out of the screen so that the interviewer(s) won’t be able to tell.
Similarly, when speaking, avoid rushing or mumbling. Speak clearly, concisely, and try not to interrupt your interviewer. Leave an extra pause between each person speaking so that you can either be sure they have finished or let them know you are. These are great tips for any interview, but are especially critical with audio delays and lags over video call.
It’s common knowledge that maintaining eye contact comes off well. Although difficult digitally, it can still be done and shouldn’t be underestimated. Make sure you look straight down the camera lens rather than the screen.
Lastly, try to relax! We’ve all been there, interviews are daunting but its so important you let your personality as well as your, knowledge and expertise shine through. Showcase who you are, be positive and believe in yourself.
What if something goes wrong?
Things go wrong, that’s life! Especially when relying on tech, it’s sods law.
If your video or audio cuts, make sure you call the interviewers back and ask if the interview can continue, or worse case ask to reschedule if you can’t get back online.
If someone enters the room unexpectedly, apologise to your interviewers, mute your microphone and deal with the disturbance as quickly as possible.
Whatever happens, try not to panic. It is part of the new working from home norm. Your interviewers are human too and will understand if you do encounter issues. The main thing is you deal with disturbances calmly and efficiently.
After
When it’s all over, read and action any notes you’ve jotted down. Spend some time reflecting, what went well, what didn’t go so well and jot down any key learning points you can take forward. It’s also a good time to consider any questions you’d have for a potential second interview, get them down while they are fresh in your head.
All that’s left is to relax and keep everything crossed!
Hopefully this blog has given you some insight into acing your interview and landing that new role you’ve been dreaming of.
Although it’s a strange time for job seekers and many industries have taken a downward turn, we are so fortunate that the games industry has continued to grow. Increased requirements have meant adjusted recruitment, onboarding and workflows – video interviews are just part of that new look process!
To view all of Skillsearches vacancies please click here
Keep Calm and waka waka...
