Common Video Interview Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Interviews are generally tough, but video interviews set the bar higher.

Not only do you have to navigate the mind game of fielding the interviewer’s lethal questions, you also have to deal with other variables such as how awkward your face looks on that webcam and asking your housemates to get off Youtube and Netflix for a bit.

Research suggests that video interviews tend to be a lose-lose situation compared to in-person ones: candidates via video seem less appealing, and interviewees come off as colder and more unreliable.

The compromise of video interviews

It’s a side effect of essentially reducing the world into a two-dimensional copy. Rather than seeing the person in the flesh, taking in the entirety of body language from head to toe, even reaching out to shake hands, you only have a moving image of the person’s face—and that detracts a little from the humanity of it.

Still, though, video interviews have become an indispensable tool in a recruiter’s kit for conquering the world. There’s no other alternative if recruiters are looking for employees around the globe (or even several hours away).

For interviewees, it’s more convenient—you can be in PJs and, after ten minutes, have your much-awaited interview in the comfort of your home, traffic from hell sidestepped.  

The price of convenience, though, is greater potential for embarrassment. And failing your application. These are common video interview mistakes:

Technical difficulties

This is the worst possible mistake that you can make because you won’t even get to the first question. Maybe your internet is too choppy and the video doesn’t work at all, or you can’t figure out how to turn on your webcam last minute.

To avoid this, check the equipment a few days before—and get earphones so your voice won’t come out all fuzzy. A common app for video calls is Skype, which conveniently allows you to make a test call. Guard your internet too, at all costs—risking it in a coffee shop isn’t a good idea.

Uncooperative environment

Here’s another reason not to do it in a coffee shop. As the star in your video interview, you need the right backdrop to pull it off.

Having people pop in and out behind you is extremely distracting, not to mention that all of the noise will filter through. Video interviews should always be done in a controlled environment, ideally in a room where you’re alone.

When doing your test call, scout for the perfect angle. Do you have a concert poster tacked up on the wall? Move your device to hide it; be mindful of the view.

Dressing inappropriately

Observe the general rule of interviews here: wear what you would wear if it were in person, whether that’s a blazer or slacks.

A temptation is to only dress appropriately from your waist up, such as having a formal top on but wearing shorts below. Because the camera’s only from your shoulders to your face, you can get away with this, right? Well, yeah, almost always—unless you have to stand up.

Notice, too, how colors play out on screen. Avoid black or white, which can come off as too strong on the screen.

Coming off as flat

Think of yourself as a theater actor. Because the audience can be as far as thousands of feet away, actors exaggerate their movements. The subtlety of cinema—a slight crinkling of the brow, a half-smile—doesn’t apply here.

Similarly, with video interviews, make a conscious effort to smile, and try to be more animated with your facial expressions, as most of your body language will be centered on your face.

To offset the flattening effect of video, exude more warmth than usual. Remember that eye contact is made by gazing straight at the camera rather than your interviewer’s face on the screen.

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