Creating the right impression in a video interview requires just as much attention to your presentation and branding as it does the technical aspects (read setting up for a video interview).

Your presentation skills on video can make an incredible difference to the impact you deliver and your lasting impressions with the interviewers. Here are some tips to get these right:

Practice Your Timing. A key challenge for video interviews is timing.  If the interview is live it can be difficult to answer without accidentally coming over the top of another person speaking, particularly if there is a delay due to your internet connection. Practise waiting a few seconds before responding and then speaking at an even pace.  If you are recording a response within an on-demand video and you have the option of re-recording your answer, check your responses are measured, clear and well-paced.

Pay Attention to Posture & Poise.  Posture on-screen can make a big impact on how you come across.  Just like any interview make sure you sit up straight, lean slightly in and use small open gestures that reiterate your points. Avoid big gestures as these can be distracting on video. AGAIN make sure you look at the camera.  Eye contact with the interviewer is all about connection with the camera on screen.

Consider Your Personal Presentation & Branding.  A large component of video interviews is the personal introduction. Both automated and live interviews often provide applicants with an opportunity to introduce themselves. This critical first impression is an opportunity to showcase your brand and the value you bring so prepare your response well ahead of time. New technologies are also emerging that allows candidates to incorporate a video pitch to accompany their resume or be integrated into their social media profile.  These forums are exciting new ways for people to present their brand to the market, but like any medium, their effectiveness will be contingent on the individual’s ability to deliver a quality presentation.

Prepare Fully. Video interviewing is like any interview. Preparation and a working knowledge of current interview practices are essential.  Make sure you familiarise yourself with the company and position, research the organisation’s needs, practice responding to behavioural questions (particularly related to the competencies associated with the role), develop responses to commonly expected questions and prepare well-considered questions for the interviewer.

Avoid shortcuts. It may seem a good idea to write your answers to questions on a piece of paper as the interviewer won’t be able to see them read them, but this is a mistake. A few notes are fine but reading answers from scripts will drag your eye away from the camera and make you sound stilted and unnatural. Instead, a better option is to be as prepared as possible with strong evidence of your capability, an understanding of how you bring value to the business and a positive approach to the interview process.

It’s an exciting time we live in and without a doubt video interviewing and video interactions are going to play an ever-increasing role in future recruitment and selection practices. The good news is most people who have used video interviewing actually find it a positive experience.  The question now becomes what next? Virtual reality? 3D? Hologram? Who knows? I’m excited to see.

Related articles: The Video Interview – What to Expect  and Kick Interview Nerves By Doing These 5 Things

Article originally written by Outplacement Australia and published in the Australian Career Practitioner Magazine