As if having the operational skills to work in healthcare isn’t enough, you also need to know how to interview to land your next opportunity. Since COVID, however, interviewing has changed to embrace video conferencing as part of almost every recruitment effort. Making the transition from an in-person interview to a video screen requires some skill—these formats are very different. Here are seven video interview tips that will help you the next time you need to present yourself on screen.
#1 Prep your equipment in advance of the interview. If you have a Zoom, Webex, or other video conferencing link, download it or click the embedded link early and make sure your video and audio are working just fine.
#2 Prep your space for presenting the image of a business-like, quiet setting. Let the rest of the family know you’re interviewing. Select a neutral, uncluttered background and be aware of how much the camera will see behind you. You may want to raise your computer or your external camera to eye level so you’re not looking down at the screen. Also, check your lighting and be sure you’re lit from the front and not behind, which can wash you out to the point of becoming a silhouette.
#3 Dress for success even if your normal at-home uniform is pretty casual. Avoid hotter colors like red, which can overwhelm the camera. Go for blues, and avoid too many patterns that may distract the eye.
#4 Look at the camera for direct eye contact. This is a lot harder than it sounds. Consider setting up some Zoom calls with your family and friends and practice. As you interview, your eyes will naturally follow the person asking the questions. But when you answer, look at the camera and send your answer toward that glowing light.
#5 Speak just slightly slower than your normal cadence. Breathe! Take your time to answer but enunciate clearly so that the audio component of the video conference shares your response clearly. Dead air on a video conference is fine. Learn to be patient as you consider your response to a question. This takes practice if you’re nervous with video conferencing technology.
#6 Smile during the interview. Your goal is to share a little bit of your personality and warmth, which, as you know, is critical to care delivery and teamwork at an FQHC. Sometimes the warmth in a smile will alleviate tension—just like it can in real life. Use it to your advantage during the video interview.
#7 Practice, practice, practice your video interviewing skills. These skills may be well-honed if you’ve been a telemedicine provider, but, as we all know, interviewing is a bit different. UHC Solutions would like to offer you a free practice session. Our professional staffing agency works within the FQHC and community health field to help these organizations find talent. Whether you’re looking for a healthcare job now or later on, we would be happy to set up a video conference interview to get to know you—and us—just a little bit better.
