Bloody hell - have Skype interview- help!

[Cathpot]

Am overseas , coming back to uk in the summer. Took a punt on a job application because it looked like a nice way back into teaching (maternity cover and a good school) and I wanted to get into the cover letter/ application form frame of mind.

They have asked me to interview, and as I can't get back in time for the physical interview they have said we can do it on Skype.

There are so many questions now- how to look at screen so I don't get that shifty downwards Skype look on. What to wear (or not wear for a screen ) , it's an interview panel so it's going to be tricky to talk to different people , not sure how to handle that. Also and much more importantly - I haven't been to a proper interview in 15 years - 10 years at one school and a maternity break means I have NO IDEA what's coming. What are they asking nowadays? My background is secondary science and I've only taught at state school, this is a private school. The job said could be full time or two part time posts. I absolutely want part time do I say that up front or bring it up if I got offered it?

Sorry this is so garbled - I'm chuffed but a bit surprised - I wasn't expecting them to agree to Skype!

Any advice would be great

Prop the laptop up on some books so the camera is at eye level. Wear a suit. Plain background like a blank wall. Have a notepad and a glass of water within arm's reach. Make sure your laptop is plugged in! When you speak, speak directly to your little camera or web cam, everyone will think you are looking directly at them. Do NOT talk to the screen or to your little face, only to your webcam! Good luck!

Ok- that's exactly what I need, very much liking books to eye level, blank wall not a problem. Don't have a suit in this country- options are silk shirt or top half of a dress. I think the lack of eye contact is going to be really hard as I can't judge their expression without looking at the screen and if I do that I will look like I'm plotting evil deeds. Combine that with the need to think about what I'm saying and it could be a comedically awful interview. Which at least would be a story.

Can you put a picture of a face right next to your webcam to look at? It takes lots of practice to talk to a camera and imagine its a person. If you can get daylight bulbs for lighting, make up does need to be heavier so you don't look washed out.
If you can, practice with the sound in different rooms, I've put curtains and rugs down in my office to help the sound, before it sounded like I was in a very echo bathroom but the best thing is a headset with microphone.
If the sound quality isn't great you could use a mobile or tablet as the sound tends to be much better on them, (selfie stick tripod) I do quite a lot of vlogging and have found laptop is terrible to record yet my mobile is fab and always record audio on that if I'm out the studio.

I'd go for a bookcase neatly filled with books in the background, and absolutely no clutter. Very smart clothes, immaculate hair and make up, contact lenses not glasses if you wear either. And yes to raising the compute up to eye level. Brilliant tip about talking to camera from hooge

I don't normally wear any make up so maybe I should rootle some out. Have to work with what I have here which is a mostly bare house - if I sit at my lap top I can do bare wall or horrific orange wood shelving with mirror backing which even as I type it is clearly a no. Thanks for practical tips- I will have a little practise with DH.

I understand the suggestions of having a blank background, but I had a skype interview whilst I was at school (I had informed SMT and they were ok with this) So I thought it a good idea to have examples of pupils work displayed behind me.

I'd endorse all the other recommendations, I wish I had thought of the eye-level thing before.

I wonder if you might also benefit from having a list of positives you want to bring up stuck on post-its around the perimeter of your screen. Not just one list as it may appear obvious that you are always going back to the same point.

I think a skype interview can give you the opportunity to say more about yourself than a face to face.

Good luck

Post it note idea very good- I've been thinking of things and writing a list , but as you say not ideal to read off a list. Any likely questions I can ponder on?