Smile when speaking, film a mock interview, and prepare a contingency plan in case of signal issues.

1. Dress and behave as if you were going to a face-to-face interview – According to Katherine Burik, founder of The Interview Doctor, a typical error for phone and video interviews is to treat the case more lightly because it is not in person. According to Victoria McLean, a CV writer and interview consultant, “you need to be your technical best in every way.” Dress professionally and speak plainly to do this, she says, adding, “Ensure that body language and expression are competent.” Similarly, Burik advises not to skimp on training. “Be prepared and optimistic – act as though you will be a natural candidate for the position.”
2. Have a contingency plan in place in case of signal failures – Background noise, TV, pets, or a low signal are both examples of noises that can interrupt a phone or Skype interview. “Whenever possible, try to locate a secure location and use a landline. If your call is cut off, accept it and ask the interviewer if you should repeat your comment or reschedule the call,” McLean suggests. If you know your location has a bad signal, schedule your interview somewhere else.
3. Perform a dummy interview or a phone interview – A specific set of skills is needed to perform well in a video or phone interview. “Appearing on screen can feel weird, so if you don’t use Skype on a daily basis, have a few practice runs with friends to get used to it,” says Roop Bhumbra, national director at recruiter Hays Social Care. “Practice with a friend, video the session, and replay it – so you get used to speaking on camera,” says Jon Gregory, a career quest, submission, and interview professional. Similarly, it can be difficult to display the normal body language that shows curiosity during a phone interview.
4. Give time for your phone or camera to be set up – You can have extra time for Skype and video calls because they can take a few minutes to set up. “Be at least five minutes early for your interview, and have your phone or camera turned on and ready,” advises Jo Thurman, regional director of Personal Career Management.
5. Don’t overthink and just be yourself – It’s a smart idea to plan answers to future inquiries, just don’t feel like you’re reading from a book, advises Lizzie Mortimer, a careers specialist at the University of Edinburgh. “Keep a few bullet points on hand to help you recall the points you want to make while being natural and enthusiastic.” McLean acknowledges that it is important not to sound scripted. “I once ran a phone interview where the candidate seemed to have scripted answers to every possible question. Each time I asked a question, I heard this intense rustling noise as he searched for his answer. Needless to say, he didn’t get the job.”
6. Demonstrate that you are a fine cultural match for your business – Apart from your competency and abilities, the most important thing you need to demonstrate is that you are a strong culture match for the organization, according to Chris Davies, founder of Graduate Coach.“That’s really difficult to do during a phone or Skype interview, but the best advice is to be natural and try to turn the interview into a conversation.”
7. Throughout the interview, talk softly and thoroughly – When you’re stressed, it’s easy to talk so easily on the call, according to McLean. This may be a challenge because the interviewer cannot see you and can ignore the point because he or she cannot pick up on the visual clues. “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill

akomakoo.com is the leading job search website for users in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Launched in 2020, by Abdul Hamid Al Asfoor (Managing Director of Albayan Media Group), akomakoo.com has become the most exclusive and leading platform connecting buyers and sellers from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain and vice versa.

An exclusive and trusted community where underused goods are redistributed to fill a new need, and become wanted again, where non- product assets such as space, skills and money are exchanged and traded in new ways that don’t always require centralized institutions or ‘middlemen’.

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Suha Shafi

I hold a bachelors degree in business administration and I’m currently working to obtain knowledge & experience on the day to day activities in the business field for a bright future.