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How to ace a Teams interview?

32 replies

Bmidreams · 22/01/2021 09:48

It's my first one. I don't even use Teams or anything online as part of my job! I'm also terrible at interviews, but normally come across well in person, so have generally been successful. Does anybody have any top tips please? I'll be interviewed by a panel. Will I just see the one person who speaks? I just can't see how this is going to work for me, and how I'll get myself across.

OP posts:
maxelly · 22/01/2021 15:37

It is stressful, sympathies, but on the plus side it's the same for everyone and panels are usually understanding and sympathetic to the difficulties.

First thing I would do is really take some time to familiarize yourself with the tech, how it works etc well ahead of time. Download the software onto the device you intend to use, whether that's a phone, tablet or laptop, and get a friend or family member to do practice calls with you, do the whole process from receiving the invitation (usually on an email), to clicking through to the meeting - you may be placed into a 'lobby' to wait to join the call so don't be disconcerted if that happens - and then talking and doing Q&A and finally leaving. Make sure your microphone and camera works so they can see and hear you, you are in a well lit area but without any lights pointing direct at the camera and that the camera is at the right angle, so you aren't shrouded in darkness, accidentally blinding the panel or angled so they can only see your left eyebrow Grin. Do not be disconcerted if you feel you look awful on the video, its the same visceral reaction I find to hearing yourself on a voicemail or answer phone or similar, everyone feels they look terrible but no-one else will notices all, they are probably too busy worrying about how bad they look themselves!

Choose a background/seating position with a backdrop which is professionally appropriate (ideally no pants drying behind your seat!), plain and non distracting (a plain white wall is best IMO). Check your wifi is fast enough to cope and doesn't constantly cut out, if it does you can try hotspotting through your phone or buying a dongle for mobile internet which can sometimes work better. The more comfortable you feel with the tech in advance the better you will perform as having to fiddle around with your mic and camera for the first 5 mins of an interview is not only stressful but also cuts into your time to actually answer questions!

On the day itself, dress as smartly as you would for an 'in person' interview (on the top half at least, they won't see you below the waist so you can wear PJ bottoms if you like Grin ). Get your family to ensure they are quiet and don't distract you during the call itself and shut any noisy pets into another room. You will normally be able to see the whole panel during the call, and they will all see you, but they will make it's clear who is talking, often whoever is not speaking will mute themselves so you don't get background noise from their houses!

In terms of tips, I'd say do try and look into the camera rather than down at your keyboard, and use positive, open body language as you would if you were in a room with the panel, it's hard to make proper eye contact over Zoom/Teams but do try and at least look in their general direction! Despite this it is perfectly possible to build a good rapport and sell yourself using the software, you do it in much the same way as you would in person, smile, be as relaxed and natural as possible, engage in some light small talk, give clear and relevant examples of where you have met the job competencies etc etc.Talk nice and slowly and clearly, it can be harder to hear over Teams if there is any interference on the line and be prepared to repeat yourself if they didn't always hear you 1st time. Do make sure to structure your answers carefully, I am a bit of a 'waffler' especially if nervous, the trouble with teams is you won't necessarily pick up any non verbal cues that they've heard enough and want you to stop talking as easily as you would in person. Do feel free to pause and ask if they would like any further detail when you get to the 'end' of an answer to find out if they would like to hear more, try and avoid trailing on and on until they interrupt you if at all possible!

Good luck!

JemimaTiggywinkle · 22/01/2021 15:51

Have you got someone you can have a video call with in advance just to practice and get used to using it?
If you know anyone with a teams account, they could send you a meeting invite and you can have a quick call with them. Highly recommend this, just to check any technical issues.

You will see all the panel members at once. They will be able to see each other and you.

There will be a small box in the corner where you can see yourself. If you can’t see yourself, it means your camera isn’t on! You need to have it in.

Make sure you are sitting somewhere where the background is uncluttered and not distracting.

Bmidreams · 23/01/2021 11:43

Thank you both so much. Thank you for taking the time to reply so comprehensively! Great advice. I'll ask dh to send me a meeting request.

OP posts:
CrispsnDips · 23/01/2021 13:09

I had to have a practice run with my daughter before my interview. In fact I had to use her iPad because my iPad is very old and Teams doesn’t seem to work on it (and my computer is rubbish, too). When I connected with the meeting, my image wasn’t visible for a couple of seconds (even though it had been in the practice run) but, fortunately, I was able to work it out quite quickly.

We laughed it off a little as I said “I think I am more of a Zoom girl “ and one replied “I think I am more of a landline man” 😃 It ended up being a nice opening to the interview, we’re all human and technology doesn’t always do what we expect 😄 (I didn’t get the job though 😄)

ScrapThatThen · 23/01/2021 13:24

Don't expect it to work exactly the same on your interview, something will probably go wrong - just be cool calm and collected and be prepared to switch to telephone if needed. And work out how to use the chat box to send simple messages in case of sound issues eg 'apologies I am not on mute but for some reason the sound isn't working, shall I call you?' Mine got stuck loading a page and they kept presuming I was being dumb and had it muted so it was good to be able to communicate. I got the job and was told it was a very good interview and they couldn't believe I didn't get flustered. Good luck!

LApprentiSorcier · 23/01/2021 13:30

If you select 'meet now' it's possible to get into meeting mode when it's just you, and you can then use the 'record' facility to record yourself and play it back. It would be worth doing this in advance to check light and audio quality, best screen angle and so on.

If you don't have an ideal natural background you can blur it.

Best of luck.

hillarypcof · 23/01/2021 15:19

Hi!
I had a Teams Interview yesterday afternoon and got offered the job - so I will share with you my tips!

First things first - good lighting and a quiet room where you won't be interrupted. This is more psychological for you to be honest, just so that you feel relaxed and that your mind isn't elsewhere. It was sunny whilst I did mt Interview, so the natural lighting felt great on my skin and definitely gave me a boost.

A glass of water near you incase you want to take a drink. I did - and used this as thinking time if I was ever unsure of an answer - and when they called me to offer me the job they commented how much they liked that, as it demonstrated that I 1. Had planned ahead to bring a drink and 2. took my time to think over a good answer rather than rushing and giving them a load of waffle haha

I also made notes which I kept behind the computer screen, like little prompts of examples that I wanted to give, and the core values of the organisation. I didn't read off them by any means, but sometimes just being 'ON' camera can throw you a little bit, so the prompts were great to jog my memory.

As for Teams itself - look at the camera, not at your icon in the bottom corner. It will feel more real-life to the interviewers this way, as if you are looking at their eyes as you would during a face to face interview.

I was interviewed by a panel of 3, and they were all on the screen, plus me in a little window in the bottom right of the screen.

Relax - be yourself - and good luck!!!! :-)

Bmidreams · 23/01/2021 17:35

Aarrrggghhh, thanks everyone! Great advice! Just wish I could have the house to myself but not possible!

OP posts:
Mintjulia · 23/01/2021 17:42

The hardest thing I find with video interviews is that if the person at the other end is talking, it's hard not to look at them rather than at the camera lens. It takes a bit of practice. Good luck Smile

LApprentiSorcier · 23/01/2021 17:43

Caution everyone to be quiet and put some kind of 'do not disturb' sign on the door so that no one walks in accidentally.

In the unlikely event any background noise is loud enough to be disruptive, just apologise and say there's some noise 'outside'. People know this stuff happens. I was on a teams meeting once and someone in a neighbouring garden started using an angle grinder!

BillMasheen · 23/01/2021 17:53

Top tip

Put a smiley face sticker near to your camera or google eyes either side of it. Reminds you to look at the camera not the screen. (Draw a face on a post it note if you don’t have a small Child to nick a sticker from)

I do a lot of presenting, interviewing and chairing meetings on teams. Seems like it’s my entire job at the moment (no I’m NOT a teacher or lecturer) All of the tips by pps are brilliant. There’s a couple I hadn’t thought of that I’m totally stealing.

My other one, is don’t panic if there is an interruption or distraction, acknowledge it, deal with it, and carry on. Like the BBC news chap that time.

We’ve had pets, small children, deliveroo and Amazon deliveries, husbands in underwear, and loud random Alexa messages disrupt quite formal meetings. No one minds nowadays, it happens to us all.

AChickenCalledDaal · 23/01/2021 17:54

I'm using Teams a lot for quite formal meetings. I'm finding it very handy to be able to stick notes of key points somewhere that I can see them while "looking at the camera" but not visible to the person I'm speaking to. Could be very handy in a job interview Grin.

Resist the temptation to wear pyjama bottoms - I know of someone that was asked to stand up. Although I'm not sure I'd accept an offer from a firm that pulled that kind of daft trick.

Do get your lighting and backdrop as good as you can. I've also been the interviewer and wasn't impressed with the guy who was sitting in darkness and waving his phone around so I felt travel sick. And I knew he'd been working from home for years, so it wasn't as if he hadn't had the time to get set up in a professional looking manner.

OverTheRainbow88 · 23/01/2021 17:55

Ooh following as am in same position next week!

openallthetime · 23/01/2021 17:55

i saw someone on here saying that sellotape over the camera lens makes for a flattering filter, I can confirm as I have tried it myself! thanks to whoever mentioned it btw!!

BillMasheen · 23/01/2021 17:57

Rofl @LApprentiSorcier. I had one of those.

I was giving a presentation to a load of external stakeholder types (like over 100 attendees via Zoom ) and workmen started digging up the bloody street outside.

Luckily I do have a headset with a microphone, so I just plugged that in and ploughed on.

swiftt8919 · 23/01/2021 17:57

Dress smart.

Read up on the company/ place of work.

Practise and rehearse questions!

openallthetime · 23/01/2021 17:57

Not sure if you're looking for "visual" tips, but I would also say if you can adjust the lighting so your face is lit from the front (e.g. face a window, with the laptop in front of you) it is always much more flattering. And put the laptop higher than you, so it's either at eye level or slightly above. It's more flattering than looking up the nostrils ;)

grassisjeweled · 23/01/2021 17:58

Put your notes where you can see them, but obviously not on the table in front of the computer. I usually pin my notes to the wall in front of me, so it looks like I'm just looking around /up.

I'd have key words in massive letters: 'PROJECT XYZ = USING PROJECT MGMENT SKILLS' etc.

Lurkingforawhile · 23/01/2021 17:58

The only tip I've learnt recently is to put your device in portrait orientation and then you look more central to the camera. I would also suggest a note of the front door so no one knocks during the interview, and make sure your landline phone is in another room - we have a phone in the office (cordless) and it's annoying when it rings

LApprentiSorcier · 23/01/2021 18:00

Just channel Professor Robert Kelly and you'll be fine!

BillMasheen · 23/01/2021 18:05

That’s the chap!

And yes pleas to stacking the laptop on books or something. I don’t want to be looking up your nose if I’m interviewing you.

Good lighting is important IF you can manage it (don’t Stress if not). Im genuinely toying with getting a cheap usb ringlight or something. My office is like a bloody crypt.

Someaddedsugar · 23/01/2021 18:05

I’ve been an interviewer via Teams a number of times in recent months and as an interviewer I personally find it’s just as awkward for me as it is for the interviewee. It’s very difficult to read the room virtually as body language can be hidden due to the position of the camera.

Ideally try and make sure your head, shoulders and upper body are in shot where possible, and try and avoid having the light of a window etc behind you. If it is possible, try and position your device so that you’re facing the window rather than sitting in front of it. This will light up your face and also stops the dark shadows that can obscure facial expressions. If you have anything in the background that you don’t want to be visible blur your background using the Teams settings. This also means if someone walks behind you they’re less likely to be seen and distract the interviewer.

As pp has said, if someone does interrupt your interview apologise and move on quickly - it’s not the end of the world and happens all of the time. In the current circumstances I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid.

Dress as you would for an in-person interview and as pp has said make sure to consider where you’re looking while talking if your camera is in a different place to the screen (web cam on a dual screen etc).

If there are other people in the house and you’re connected by WiFi, ask them if they can disconnect their devices during your interview so your connection stays strong. Teams can be glitchy with poor internet connection. I’d also try and log on 5 minutes before the interview so that you know you’re ready to connect when the interviewer lets you in. We’ve had a couple of people ending up 5/10 minutes late while they try and connect and have had issues.

If you have talking points try and have them on screen so you don’t need too look away to read from them. You can change the size of the Teams window to fit a word doc or similar alongside.

Good luck @Bmidreams - let us know how you get on!

OverTheRainbow88 · 23/01/2021 18:10

This is really helpful! Thank you!

Lurkingforawhile · 23/01/2021 18:12

I love the idea of sellotape on the lens. I'm going to try that (outside of interview!)

LApprentiSorcier · 23/01/2021 18:42

@Lurkingforawhile

I love the idea of sellotape on the lens. I'm going to try that (outside of interview!)
Me too - will try it on our weekly team meeting next week & see if anyone notices.
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