[Kalla]

Hi all

i know some of you have done this before - please could I have some tips.

OH has one lined up in a couple of weeks time.

Does he need to wear a suit? same as normal face-to-face interview? I sortof think so, but I guess it just feels weird cos he'll be sitting in our living room at the time.

is there any etiquette that he should be aware of?

basically, he intends to just treat it sames as if he was going into a company to get interviewed - but like i said, just feels weird, cos he'll be at home with comfy slippers on.

[victoria24]

what does he do?

[YouMeAndThree]

My OH put a smarter than normal shirt on, but not a jacket or tie. I spent most of the time making sure that what could been seen in the background was tidy :laugh. At the time he was being interviewed for a training provider role. He had 2 interviewers, one was in a shirt, the other a t-shirt (the senior of the 2 was wearing the t-shirt).

The interview itself was really quite informal - the anxiety waiting for the computer to ring at the set time was huge though.

Good luck.

[Kalla]

thanks for the tip - will pass on to OH. first time doing this so it's new territory for us.

he's an environmental manager.

[victoria24]

as a manager, i'd too go with the shirt no tie option. most people here dont seem to wear ties as much. I didnt wear one to my interviews but kept it in my pocket and had no need to wear it.

[dusk]

try and make sure theres nothing going on in the background (noise or movement) and that your OH has a glass of water and a pen and paper :D

also make sure you have a back up plan (just audio or phone) if the vdeo stops working, and that this has been commuinicated beforehand :)

[Wooly_Cow]

Depends on if the video conf. is at an agency that does this sort of thing.

I went to one just off Blackfriars, and they set everything up. In that case the same rules apply as for a normal interview i.e. be there early, and prepared.

As for dress code, Kiwi's are not that fussy but this doesn't mean dressing down. If you feel comfortable in a suit and tie...then wear one...they won't hold it against you, but as has been said a shirt will probably do.

Sometimes the quality is so poor they wont really see what you are wearing anyway!.

A video call is normally 'head and shoulders' only anyway. This allows you to take in paperwork and refer to it...so another tip is to have your CV, your letter of application and any questions in front of you. I also took some technical 'aide memoires' for me.

Also there may well be some echo and delay so speak slowly and as Kiwis can 'mumble' try and listen and don't be afraid to ask them to repeat questions.

Hope this helps

[Alan]

Wear nothing on the bottom half but be dead smart above, it's far more of a thrill!

[Kalla]

geez thanks guys - all helpful stuff

(especially the part of wearing nothing on the bottom half - except I would be terrified that he'd have to get up half way through to get something and all would be exposed!! hee hee) :D

[victoria24]

this is really usefull for prep:
http://www.businessballs.com/

[Kalla]

thanks guys.
will post once it's all done to let you all know how it went.

[willow]

Hi

i had a video interview via skype.

i had a smart top half and so ensure i was really comfy i had my pj's on the bottom half!! just glad they didn't ask me to stand up to get a better look at me! it was so late at night that the pj part seemed just right. i was able to feel chilled and comfy, then as soon as the interview finished it was up to bed asap! my kind of interview!:nice1

[Kalla]

Hi all

Thanks for all help and advice re the video interview. OH had it last night at 10pm UK time.

After a few back and forwards re skype etc, they decided rather on a video conferencing facility about 40 mins from our home which worked out well. OH said it was all very professional and set up well and a relief that he knew if something went wrong it wouldn't be up to him to sort out the tech side of things.

Apart from a few awkward moments where there was a delay in the link and then everyone talking at once followed by a total silence, he said it went well. Was interviewed by 2 people. He went in a suit cos that's just what OH is like (even though I tried to convince him to be a little more casual) so he was a bit overdressed for the occassion but it didn't matter. It seemed all very relaxed and friendly.

Thanks again for all the help. We should hear in a week if he's been selected for a second interview and then we'll take it from there.

[dusk]

fingers crossed :)

I would think using the video conferencing took some of the stress out of it which probably helped :)

[YouMeAndThree]

Glad it went well. Fingers crossed for the next round :clap

[willow]

Make sure you let us know if he gets the job. glad the interview went well.

when i had my interview it was the folks at the nz side that couldn't get to grips with skype. it was quite funny and made me feel less stressed because i could see and hear them fumbling and then panicking because they could not work it. i had to keep typing instructions to them via the instant messaging to get them to be able to see and hear me. it made them seem more human and the whole thing less daunting.

[Kalla]

OH got second interview!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gulp!

Somehow the idea of moving to NZ is less nerve wracking than the reality of it. Now I feel this might actually happen, I'm a bundle of nerves!:eek:

[Kanga]

He went in a suit cos that's just what OH is like (even though I tried to convince him to be a little more casual) so he was a bit overdressed for the occassion but it didn't matter. It seemed all very relaxed and friendly.

Good on him and congratualtions on the second interview!
I know NZ is more casual but I think it doesn't hurt to lool like you are serious. Certainly my partner when going for a real chancing his arm post went to a tailor in NZ and we spent a good several hundred dollars ( a lot for us as we tend to spend only a couple of hundred per year on clothes) to make sure he looked serious ... he got the job and the feedback he got later when friends with one of the interviewers was that his appearance really impressed them. The tailor pointed out that he was better off looking smarter than the next and previous guy, than more casual.