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How to Style Your Skype Interview
Image: James Stewart and Jean Arthur on the set of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
More and more colleges and universities are opting to conduct first-round job interviews via Skype. Like its cousin, the conference interview, the Skype interview can be a daunting and tricky experience for new job seekers.
As in any job interview, the most important thing is to speak clearly and succinctly about your record of research and teaching, as well as how you will fit into your prospective new department. But a Skype interview presents particular challenges that require you to go over and above the conventional interview preparation.
Dress the part. Make sure to wear your full interview outfit — even the parts the committee won’t be able to see. For one, if you have to jump up in the middle of the interview for any reason, you don’t want to be caught wearing shorts. But on top of that, wearing your interview attire will help you get into the interview mindset.
It’s fairly easy to get into that mindset when you’re at the MLA, the AHA, or any other large annual meeting where committees conduct first-round interviews. That’s probably the main reason you’re there, and lots of other people are there for the same purpose. However, when your interview happens at home in the middle of the day, it can be hard to switch gears from teaching or handling personal responsibilities to delivering the best 30-minute presentation of your professional self. The act of donning your interview attire can help you temporarily step out of your other roles and into that of job candidate.
When choosing a shirt or blouse for the Skype interview, go with solid colors over fine patterns, such as stripes, polka dots, or gingham. Patterns can be distracting on camera, especially when the search committee can only see you from the chest up. Dressing the part communicates to the search committee that you are serious about the position. Your interview outfit should also be clean and ironed — even if you don’t think the search committee will be able to tell on camera. For more pointers on how to dress for an interview, check out Karen Kelsky’s post on “How Not to F**k Up Your Conference Interview.”
Preparing your space. At a conference interview, you have no control over the decor of the hotel suite or the color of the curtain separating cubicles in the Job Center. What’s more, it doesn’t matter — everyone is interviewing in the exact same surroundings. The Skype interview is different, because the committee is looking into the homes and offices of 10 to 20 different candidates. The setting of your Skype interview will not make you as a candidate, but it surely can break you.
Above all, make sure the background of your interview is not too distracting. Set up the shot so that the wall behind you is parallel to the screen. Do not situate yourself in a corner — that will look awkward and cramped on screen. Clean up your space and clear out any clutter. You don’t have to deep clean your entire apartment; just make sure that whatever the search committee can see looks tidy. While you may feel the need to telegraph “I am a serious scholar!” by setting up your shot with stacks and stacks of books behind you, resist the temptation. You want the committee’s focus to be on you, and you alone.
Similarly, make sure that the setting for your interview will be free of roommates, partners, children, and pets. If you live with other people, let them know about your interview ahead of time, so that they’re not walking back and forth behind you while you’re on the call. If you live with pets, put them in another room. Cats in particular seem to give people trouble during Skype interviews. Again, you want to be remembered for your compelling record of research and teaching, not because your cat flashed its rear to the entire search committee.
Setting up. Try to set up the camera and lighting 30 minutes in advance, so that you’re not flustered pulling it all together at the last minute. Open up your computer’s camera feed (on a Mac I use Photo Booth) to help you frame the shot and adjust the lighting.
Set up your computer so that the camera is at eye level. You don’t want the committee to be looking down on you, or staring up into your nostrils — for me, that means putting my laptop on a stock of books or a cardboard box. If you’re using a desktop computer with a built-in camera that is difficult to move, adjust the height of your chair. Either way, you should be able to look into the camera as though you were making eye contact during an interview. I also like to click over to another application, which reduces the size of Skype window. I drag that just under my laptop’s camera, so that I can see the search committee while looking more or less directly at them.
Once the camera is in place, spend a few minutes playing around with different lighting options. You may need to rearrange your lamps in order to achieve the desired effect. You should be clearly lit so that the search committee can see you, but you also don’t want to be lit too strongly from any one direction, as this will cause shadows on your face.
Not enough lighting.
Lit with desk lamp from the side.
Lit with desk lamp bounced off wall.
I’ve focused here on the staging but it’s worth stressing that substance is the key. Perfect lighting and a crisp shirt are not going to compensate for a half-baked dissertation description. However, making the most of the Skype interview as a visual medium can help you to stand out from the pack.
Do you have tips for the Skype interview that I didn’t cover here? Skype interview horror stories? Share them in the comments below.
Dan Royles is an assistant professor of history at Florida International University.
COMMENTS
Leslie Wasson
2 days ago
Skype has a setting where you can see how your video settings will look. Test your look at the same time of day as the interview will be. Also, test run your Skype setup with someone to make sure it works on your end. After the first couple, you'll be able to relax and enjoy the conversations. Best of fortune to the candidates!
Janet Salmons
2 days ago
Excellent post! These tips are also useful when you are giving the interview! You need to consider many of the same issues: how do you want others to perceive you? What do you want the interview participant to be able to see in your environs? Is your camera positioned to allow an approximation of eye contact? Then, what do you need to feel comfortable in a videoconference environment? How can you build rapport and trust? Keep in mind that when you look away it is disconcerting to the other person. This may mean you'll want to position interview questions on your monitor so you don't have to look down or away. If you are accustomed to multi-tasking, you'll need to close those other windows and apps, so you can give the interviewee your attention. Want more about online interviews? See Qualitative Online Interviews from SAGE Publications!
James Smith
1 day ago
You should be aware that not all institutions use Skype. Some use proprietary web video chat software. Those applications may require additional setup and adjustment. Those packages have a different interface than Skype. The little window that shows you your video feed, the setup options and their controls may be different than what you’ve familiar with. If at all possible avoid using WiFi for your connection; use your CAT5 cable. If your neighborhood cable provider is experiencing peak time high use during your interview you could lose your audio feed or worse. Have a backup plan. What will you do if there are technical problems? Make sure you have their meeting room telephone number. Make sure they have your phone number – the number where you can be reached at your current location - not one of your other contact numbers.
Katherine Moore
1 day ago
A few more tips: 1) Mostly maintain fixation at your webcam. It will look like you're making eye contact with the committee. If you actually make eye contact with the committee, it will look like you're looking away or down. 2) That said, make sure that you can see their faces. Glance at them here and then, because you want to see their reactions to what you're saying, and pick up on whether you need to stop rambling, etc. They might be trying to jump in to ask a follow-up. 3) You may wish to have available notes either on what you'll say or about the school (or your questions you wish to ask the committee). Put these in a document on your screen and position the document near the camera so if you're glancing at it, it will still look like you're making eye contact with the committee.
Dan Royles
1 day ago
Thanks for the comment, Katherine! I'm not sure if it works the same for PCs, but when I'm on a Skype call and tab over to a different application, the Skype window shrinks down but stays at the front of the desktop. I just drag that to right underneath the camera, so that I can look into the lens but still have the committee in my field of view. And since the window is reduced, I can see the other applications on my desktop—I usually keep a document with notes there that I can glance at without taking my eyes away from the screen. It really helps!
Mark Sadler
1 day ago
One additional tech-issue: double check your audio settings (both play on your end and mic level). The latest version of Skype for PC has a quick check that seems to work well. A common annoyance during interviews I have conducted is the ringing echo in the audio that indicates the speakers and mic are too close or that "under water" sound that makes the applicant sound muted and less than confident. A good and necessary article given this new age of tech interviews.