Be your best for your Skype interview

During or as a result of the recruitment fair, you may be asked to participate in a skype interview. Here are some tips to help you to best prepare for your interview by Skype:

Days before your interview

• Set up Skype, or make sure your Skype account is up-to-date, and practice using it with a friend or family member to make sure all your technology is working and that you can be seen and clearly heard.
• Make sure you use a professional Skype photograph which portrays you in a professional light.
• Confirm the date and time of your interview. Remember to take into account any time differences between you and the interviewer.
• Let the interviewer know your Skype name and contact details.

The day of your interview

• Add your interviewer as a contact if you know their name, to help the process run smoothly. Click that you are ‘online’ in your Skype account so that you can be accessed.
• Dress as if you are attending a traditional interview in smart, professional clothing.
• Choose a suitable environment for the call. A quiet, well-lit room with a clear background is ideal. Make sure you let people in your household know what time you are being interviewed so that they don’t interrupt you.
• Have some samples of your work or pictures of your current classroom on hand, in case the opportunity arises to show these to your interviewer.
• Think about the questions you may be asked, and the answers you may wish to give - take a look at the TIC blog for examples of these.
• Test your video and microphone equipment one more time.

15 minutes before your Skype interview

• Turn off your house and mobile phones.
• Send a Skype message to your interviewer to let them know you are available to Skype when they are ready.
• Sit down ready and relax. Sometimes the school recruiter will call earlier than planned. You want to be able to answer the call in a calm manner rather than a flustered one.

During your Skype interview

• Try to look into the camera during your call, so that it looks as though you are making eye contact with your interviewer. This will create a stronger impression than if you were looking at yourself or the interviewer during the call.
• Try to speak as clearly as possible, smile, and stay calm if there are connection interruptions.
• Listen to the questions and don’t rush an answer. It’s much better to take time and give a considered response than feel pressured to answer immediately.

After your interview

• Follow up your interview with an email thanking your interviewer and confirming your interest in the position.

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