Use your computer, not your phone to interview online. Prepare before the interview to center
yourself in the frame of your video screen.
Reduce the amount of space above your head and create a “mid-shot,”
showing at least your shoulders and upper chest in the frame. Create flattering lighting. Adjust the screen so that you’re not being
seen from above or below, but straight forward.
If you can create a standing desk, consider this as standing during an
interview might help you be more energetic.
Smile. Keep a
relaxed, pleasant facial expression when listening to questions.
Keep a pad and pen nearby to note questions.
Practice stories that relate to the traits and skills listed
in the job description. These stories
should be under one minute, if possible.
Determine the most important details, those that show what you learned
during a challenge. Good stories always
include a struggle. A positive and
upbeat sharing of our difficulties will help build both trust and empathy with
our interviewer. Research has also
confirmed that stories are more memorable than other types of data and
skepticism is reduced when listening to a story.
© 2020 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved
Use your computer, not your phone to interview online. Prepare before the interview to center
yourself in the frame of your video screen.
Reduce the amount of space above your head and create a “mid-shot,”
showing at least your shoulders and upper chest in the frame. Create flattering lighting. Adjust the screen so that you’re not being
seen from above or below, but straight forward.
If you can create a standing desk, consider this as standing during an
interview might help you be more energetic.
When gesturing, stay relaxed and use your hands to convey your thoughts. You really don't need to think much about gesturing. Just let yourself be free, and a bit playful. Gestures become problems when we try to figure them out in advance and they are scripted and unnatural. Overusing a particular gesture should also be avoided. (Over the years SNL has poked fun at this issue when characters overdo the air quotes gesture.) 
Speaking is different than writing. Our job as a speaker is to help our audience feel smart, not try to look smart ourselves through jargon or complex language. Simplifying our message takes work. Expressing our ideas simply and clearly takes practice.
I heard it again today: “I freeze up after questions, even though I know the answer.” This was from a client seeking interview coaching. My public speaking participants also lament “brain freeze.” Emotional Intelligence and brain science can explain what’s happening. Our nervousness triggers our flight/fight response. Our amygdala “hijacks” the neocortex, including the language centers of the brain. Now we can’t remember what we were going to say.
