Video Interviews: The New Frontier Of Job Interviewing

The next time you apply for a sports industry job, don’t be surprised if it involves a video interview.

Consider that most of the 500 human resources managers who were asked in a survey how often they used video interviews decided to check the box beside "very often." The other popular responses were, in order, "never," "not very often", and "somewhat often." As it turned out, the number of HR managers who selected “very often” exceeded all the other responses combined.

Since a video interview could very well be in your future the next time you submit an application for a sports job, what follows are some tips on how to be ready for a video interview.

Video Interview Preparation: Social Media Checkup

Before you start to develop and sharpen your video interview skills, you should give your social media activity a quick once-over. Employers won't hesitate to check out your online activity, and if they find anything that makes you look bad, you could find yourself out of contention for jobs.

Consider these startling statistics:

• 75% of recruiters will conduct online research on applicants


• 70% of recruiters turned down applicants based on what they discovered

As well as being careful about what you post, be sure to keep your private social media accounts private so that only people whom you want to access them will access them.

Video Interview Preparation: Research & Rehearsal

Before the video interview, you'll need to do some research on the company and the sector. That way, you'll be able to ask intelligent questions and to provide knowledgeable responses. In either case, you’ll be able to wow the interviewer and increase your odds of getting a job offer.

You'll also want to rehearse so that you're prepared come video interview time. For this step, your best bet is to practice with a friend over a program such as Skype. When practicing, watch out for things like your grammar, your word choice, and your confidence level since these factors account for 45% of what determines a first impression.

In addition to researching and rehearsing with a friend, you should also rehearse independently. Record yourself doing a made-up interview and then watch the recording to get information on your composure, how comfortable you look, and anything else that can help you to improve.

Video Interview Preparation: The Technology

All the research and practicing in the world won't amount to much if you experience equipment failure during the actual video interview, so be sure to check out your technology beforehand. You'll need a quality video capturing device, a headphone/microphone unit with exceptional audio quality, and reliable Internet access so that you maintain a strong connection.

The Interview

When it comes to the actual interview, you’ll want to be mindful of the following:

• Maintain good posture


• Establish eye contact with the person interviewing you


• Keep some notes close to you that you can refer to -- but ensure that they’re out of the range of the screen


• Dress professionally


• Be sure to smile

Whether you’re applying for a job, an internship, or an MBA program for that matter, a video interview is something you should be prepared for since they are becoming more popular. With the tips and suggestions above, you’ll be prepared to do well during the video interview.

Check out this amazing infographic for further information on preparing for video interviews: