Graduate Job Search – Video Interviews

graduate job search video interview sw19

New Graduates get serious – and smile for the small screen

Finals are finished. Students in SW19 are starting to celebrate, and graduate job search all over London could do with the boost Judy E hopes to give. So get ready. It starts with a four word piece of crucial advice. Smile – and look serious! Video interviews are now central to the graduate job search process. You need to practice. The Webcam is your new best friend.

professional help with interviews in wimbledon

They’re off! Graduate jobsearch starts in earnest

On campus, whether in SW19 or nationwide, Wikijob is the most popular graduate job forum.  Says James Rice, the site’s Head of Digital Marketing, “Jobseekers can expect video interviews to become the new norm.” The software has improved, recruiters confirm. so employers are readier to engage with it.

In the US more than 60 percent of HR managers claim to use video interview for screening. Over here it isn’t so many, but new graduates come in for more than the average. The Post Office, Grant Thornton, Axa, John Lewis, Schroders, TMP Worldwide and home-grown retailer Morrisons are all on board .

Soon to be a Graduate? Get Media Savvy

 Most students are happy practitioners of self-presentation on the media. Perhaps some of them might even be a little too happy?  Between practice sessions of a good 90 -second interview response (time yourselves and / or get professional help from Judy E)  you should also clean up any clips or images of yourself that an employer could find online. “Hilarious” is not the adjective you want springing to anyone’s mind in the graduate job search weeks ahead. (Neither are“Glum” and “Wasted”.)

Looking Good in A Video Interview

  • The way you look: most people look their best sitting slightly sideways, turning their head to look at the camera full face. (see the picture.)There is an excellent tutorial on make-up and presentation for webcam on You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMex-9FyljU).
  • Dress as you would for a live interview.
  • Set the stage. Put yourself in front of a pleasant but professional background.
  • Check sound and directional light. If you do go in unprepared there is a greater risk you will be scrunchy-faced and anxious. Not a good look.

Automated video interviewing is also increasingly common. A company creates the questions and sends an email link to the candidate, who then sits the interview in a set period of time via a web recording, which is sent back to the client. If this befalls you, find an online forum where other candidates have discussed the experience with this company. The questions will be different, but the format knowledge will be invaluable. A good many companies offer sample questions online to give you an idea what to expect. Go for it.

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