A guide to nailing a Skype interview

Student Workforce

Job interviews are scary as it is but Skype interviews are extra scary and need extra preparation. Technology is a great component but imagine the Skype interview going well and then Eskom decides to hit you with load shedding or even worse you decided to do the interview in a noisy internet cafe. The scenarios are endless, a perfect location for a Skype interview and a pre-recorded interview can do wonders for you.

Robyn Kelly, a recruitment consultant from Abantu Staffing Solutions provides useful tips on ways to prepare for a Skype interview.

Dress appropriately

First impressions last, it’s tempting to wear sweatpants and dress formally from the waist up but what happens when you need to get up to change a light bulb? Such things happen, dress as you would to a face to face interview.

Keep your Skype professional 

Unlike an in-person or phone interview, your first impression during a Skype interview doesn’t actually involve you. The first thing your interviewer will see is your Skype username and picture, so double check that they are both interview appropriate.

Make sure your audio and visual quality is appropriate 

Ensure that you avoid a “can you hear me now” situation by tweaking your volume and Skyping with a friend before the interview to check your audio levels. In addition, having a Beyonce poster as your background is distracting, be aware of what’s in your background so that the attention during the whole interview is on you.

Close other programs and tabs on your computer

You want to give the impression that you’re serious about the job opportunity, receiving a Facebook notification in the middle of the interview gives the impression that you’re not serious about the job you’re applying for.

Be punctual

For an in-person interview, showing up 15 minutes early is on-time. You don’t want to be flying in the doors right when the interview is supposed to start.

For phone or Skype interviews, the rules are a little different. While you don’t want to call 15 minutes early, you should be at your desk and ready to go at least that much time in advance. Check your cell service, internet connection, etc. You also want just a few minutes to get in the right mindset, look over your resume and cover letter one last time, have a sip of water, etc.

Also be sure you’ve nailed down details of who’s calling who. You don’t want your potential employer waiting for 10 minutes just because you were supposed to dial in to a conference line and you’ve been sitting there staring at your phone.

 

 

Graduate’s guide to job hunting

If a degree guaranteed job security, the #HireAGraduate campaign would not have taken place earlier this year. Microeconomic research indicates that since the early 2000s’ Higher Education benefits do not necessarily meet the needs of the South African labour market. This means that graduates need to ensure they match the skills they receive at University with the needs of the labour market. A variety of graduates give advice and provide a guideline for graduates who are seeking employment on social media.

Khanyisile Melanie Mboya: Public Relations and Industrial Sociologist Graduate

Khanyisile: Apply early June/July, don’t wait to graduate. Design your CV to suit the work you’re applying for. Get atleast five trusted referees.  Apply to as many Jobs/internships/opportunities as possible.

Persist, you will get tired but tired doesn’t pay bills or build dreams. Applying is tedious but it’s what you have to do. Tell people of your intentions, spread the word. Don’t just send your CV to companies, send them to specific people as well. Use linkedin and ensure your social media profile is professional.

Asekho Mali: Bcom in International Hospitality Managent

Asekho: Pray about it, be comfortable with not getting your dream job. Sometimes the best place is not the best place to be.Learn to balance the job and the dream, until the dream becomes the job.

Sibusisiwe Lynette Tshabalala: Bachelor of Social Science Graduate

 

Sibusisiwe: In an ideal setting, you walk straight out of varsity and into a new job. You look forward to taking leave from your new job so you can attend grad with pride and a sense of accomplishment. Unfortunately, that’s not always how it goes down. A huge part of going from graduate to young professional is the actual process. You will spend lots of time and money on the internet and realise how much you miss eduroam once you’ve left varsity. You will write countless cover letters, and send out endless emails and applying online for a job “made just for you”. In reality, very few have secured jobs or spots in a graduate programme by the time they write their last exam in November. The fact of the matter is that looking for a job is a full time job. The important thing is to be resilient and just keep at it. Keep researching about the industry, read newspapers or catch up on the news. Find ways to stay sharp and interested as there are many others applying for the same job. Don’t allow rejection letters throw you off.

Ziyanda Faku Ntlokwana: Bcom Graduate

Ziyanda: My supervisor usually advises us to apply for a variety of jobs. Don’t only apply to jobs that go with your qualification. You’ll get experience from whichever job you’re doing.

Kefentse Letlala: Bcom Honours and LLB Graduate

Kefentse: Gather all your information in a file physically and on your computer. Create a folder that has your CV, Qualifications, Testimonies, Covering letter, Certificates etc. so that you can simply choose and attach your documents instead of always having to create new docs or having to find the information. The only exception will be your covering letter. You will have to change your covering letter depending on where you will be applying. The physical copy is for those applications that want your marks from first year to final year (most annoying thing ever) but in such cases it’s easier to have hard copy in front of you. It also makes it easier to answer the different questions you are asked that might be on your CV already.

Jenny Siu graduated in Business and Economics at the University of Southampton five years ago, before venturing into the corporate world. She gave a Ted talk on how she overcame Millennial job hunting barrier straight out of university.