Wow your interviewer or colleague with tips from Christa Foley, Skype-savvy recruiting manager for Zappos.com
1 Play the part of a professional
People would rather see you in a nicely decorated, well-lit room than in front of a plain white wall. Sit close enough to the computer for your contact to see your midsection and a bit of space above your head. Wear what you’d wear for an in-person meeting. If you’re in front of a light wall, wear a dark-colored shirt or jacket for contrast, and vice-versa. And yes, pants are mandatory.
2 Make a back-up plan
Skype freezes sometimes. Your chat partner won’t penalise you, but he or she will assess how you handle a glitch. So mention at the outset that if your screen freezes at any time or if you lose audio, you’ll send a message via chat. That kind of foresight is what they want to see.
3 Don’t be a creep
Avoid looking at yourself on the screen during the interview. You’ll appear shifty and distract yourself. Move the image offscreen, or minimise it so the only place you look is into the camera at the other person.
