Thanks to the Covid most first-round job interviews will now be digital
It certainly didn’t start with the Covid pandemic – many companies have been doing electronic interviews for the past several years – but 2020 made “Zoom” interviews widespread and acceptable. The video interview will never completely replace the in-person version, but it will do a lot of the early heavy lifting.
Regardless of how proficient older workers are with technology in general, there remains some trepidation when one has to visually present oneself to someone you’ve never met and someone may determine the next stop on your career. Unless you’ve done some amount of public speaking or presentations, knowing that the camera is there can be unnerving.
This plays right into the myth that older workers can’t handle technology. Of course, your very participation debunks that theory. “If I wasn’t comfortable with the technology, I wouldn’t be here now!” (…on a video interview)
But if you do feel uncomfortable, take every opportunity to practice. Even if you’re not interested in the job, do the video interview anyway. It’s good practice – for speaking; for being comfortable in that environment; for listening, responding, taking notes, etc.
It’s even a good idea to do a practice interview with a friend – and then record that fake interview so that you can self-critique. And don’t stop at critiquing your performance. Pay attention to your background, your lighting, your background noises, etc. During the actual interview, they will all play at part in projecting who you are.
The bottom line: video interviewing is here to stay. You’d better get used to it.