Etiquette During Teleconferencing

Your screening interview may be conducted on camera. Don’t let this intrusion throw you. If you remember the following tips, you can carry it off with confidence. If possible, try to have a telephone conversation with the interviewer prior to the camera session to establish some rapport. You can say that you have never done a camera interview before and are worried about what to expect. If nothing else, this question will generate a little sympathetic conversation. Arrive a little early to familiarize yourself with the equipment. You might be able to adjust volume, brightness, and focus with a remote. Once the interview begins, make no further adjustments unless you are asked to.

Don’t be spooked by the camera’s implacable eye. Think of the interview as a conversation, not an audition. Look at the camera when you speak. If a monitor is nearby, ignore it.
After the screening interview (and perhaps other preliminary interviews), you’ll have a meeting with the hiring manager. This person makes the final decision, and this interview is the most unpredictable. The interviewer usually has no formal training in interviewing, may ask the wrong questions, and may be vague. The hiring manager is casting around for enough information to make the decision. The manager may be looking for that undefined “certain something.”

“So, tell me about yourself.” When an interview poses this challenge, reply by being enthusiastic but honest and polite. Make eye contact. Talk about your strongest skills and your greatest areas of knowledge. Use positive, active language such as “I enjoy detail work. I am committed to excellence.”

In general, it is a good idea to think of a job interview as an opportunity, not as a test.