- [Narrator] This is what a virtual interview looks like.

This is what it feels like.

- Interviews are already nerveracking,

but when you throw a video element into it,

it becomes that much more anxiety-inducing

for a lot of people.

- [Narrator] That's Ashlee Anderson.

She's a certified career coach and remote working pro.

She's been doing it for 10 years.

- I specialize in helping job seekers

transition from traditional office jobs

into telecommute roles.

- [Narrator] With many of us home now,

chances are your next interview

will be done through a screen and, well-

- It's really hard to make that connection

with the interview, but one of the best ways you can do that

is to present really well.

- [Narrator] And she's here, virtually,

to teach you how to do just that.

Not this.

(playful music)

(bell dings)

- Step one, set the scene.

(light music)

So ideally, you want to have a nice, clean,

simple background.

Just the blank wall is perfectly fine.

You also want to think about lighting.

For example, if you have lighting behind you,

you could end up looking like a silhouette on the screen.

Ideally, natural lighting is the best,

so if you have a window that you can face

or a window to your side, that would be perfect.

But also, if you don't have a window

to provide natural lighting,

you can resort to using a desk lamp.

And you really want to have your camera

at eye level with you.

That way, you're not looking up at the interviewer

and they're peering up your nostrils

and you're also not looking down on them.

If you just grab a couple of books and pile them up

and sit the laptop on top of that,

that is gonna raise it enough

to bring that camera right at the eye level for you.

Step two, plan your outfit.

Do a little bit of research about the company

so you know what their culture is going into it.

You don't want to show up to your virtual interview

in a really nice suit if they're a very casual company.

Keep your ensemble really basic.

Don't go for really busy patterns.

And try to stay away from solid colors

that are really bright

as those can kind of wash you out on screen.

So you might not necessarily consider your headphones

as being an accessory or part of your everyday outfit,

but it's something that you definitely need to consider

not using when you are getting prepared

for a remote interview.

When you think of somebody with headphones in,

they're somebody that's unapproachable

and somebody that you don't want to speak to,

so forgo using the headphones and just stick

with using the external speakers, microphones

that you have on your computer.

(bell dings) - Hello, hello, hello.

Step three, test your tech.

(light music)

It's making sure that your webcam is working,

your speakers are working.

- [Interviewee] Hi, this a test.

- And another super, super important thing is your internet.

You really need to make sure you have enough internet speed.

Generally speaking, programs like Zoom

prefer 1.8 megabytes per second

in order to stream a one-on-one video call,

and you can easily test your internet speed

going on Google and just typing speed test

and you'll get tons of different options.

If you're relying on Wi-Fi

that's kind of a little inconsistent with the connectivity,

you can always just invest in an ethernet cable,

plug that directly into your computer and into your modem

and you're gonna have much more stable internet connection.

(bell dings) Step four is practice.

- Hey.

- Hey.

- And a great way to do that

is just to, you know, use a friend or a family member

who's willing to hop on a video call with you.

It really makes all the difference

and especially when it comes to eye contact.

Our tendency is to look down on the screen,

but what that actually looks like on the other side

is that you're looking away and not genuinely looking

at the person that you're talking to.

So it's always important to practice

and look directly into the camera.

If you get easily distracted

by your own image on the screen,

a really simple thing you can do to avoid that

is just use a Post-It note and cover up your own image.

That way, you're not gonna be distracted by it

and it's out of sight and out of mind.

(bell dings)

Step five, interview.

(soft music) (machine whirring)

It's inevitably going to happen

that a distraction may come around

so don't ever panic when something happens.

The more that you do or if you make a quick decision

to turn off your audio or your video

as a knee-jerk reaction,

that could actually be more detrimental

than the actual distraction itself.

But if it does cause the interviewer

to get interrupted with what they're doing,

you definitely want to address it

and not pretend like it didn't happen.

You want to make sure that you're able to say,

"Oh, my bad, that happened," and move forward after that.

When you're at home, even when you're on an interview,

you kind of have that more casual atmosphere

than actually going into an office building to interview,

and with that casual feeling,

you might end up doing something

that you wouldn't even think of in an office setting.

For example, having your phone out.

So just turn it off and put it out of sight.

And make sure you have all of your internet browsers

and windows closed.

You don't need that open.

Really, the only thing you should have open

on your computer during the interview

is the program that you're using

to conduct the interview.

Remote interviews and video interviews are a lot different.

They really are.

But as they become more mainstream,

it's important that we adapt and adjust to them.

That way, we can still continue on with our careers

and making career moves and not letting the fear

of video interviews hold us back.

(soft playful music)