Not all the time that engineers work in sites, laboratories, and offices. The digital age has enabled some engineering work to be done at home, no longer requiring physical presence and only asking the engineer to perform his or her tasks at the convenience of his own house.
Some do it full-time, others part-time, with the rest as side projects. But regardless, before they usually get such tasks, all it takes is an online job interview. The most common platform for this is Skype.
A Skype job interview is completely different from its counterpart which is done in rooms: the feel, the communication, and the overall setup. But the goal is the same: please the hiring manager or employer to get the job that you want.
How should engineers prepare for this and nail that virtual interview? Here are a few tips:
Pick a convenient location
Somewhere quiet with good lighting and a neutral background will do. If you have a spot in your house that provides this, then good. If done in a public spot, however, you have to make sure that you tell the interviewer that there could be some background noise. Do the interview over a headset with microphone to keep the interview a little more private and with less distractions.
Wear appropriate attire
What you have to wear in a personal job interview is essentially the same as what you should wear during a Skype job interview. Well, you can opt not to wear pants if you are only at home.
Photo via The Panther
Check video and audio quality
Do this by practicing with a friend. You have to test if you will have a flawless communication between the interviewer. Technical glitches are the last thing that you do not want to happen especially when the job interview was already set for a long time.
Do the virtual handshake
Because you cannot the physical handshake over Skype – doing so can be really awkward – you have to master the virtual handshake instead. This only means that you smile, give a nod, and lean in slightly. That’s it. Such a body language signifies professionalism.
Use appropriate body language
Eye contact still matters during a Skype job interview. Look at the camera at all times like you do in personal interviews. You can move your hands for explaining gestures but you have to limit them.
Source: Forbes
