Online Interview: Skype and Sniffles and Such

I have to admit, it feels really good to have the online interview completed! At first I was pretty unsure about it. The first thing that came to mind when the assignment was introduced in class was messy, sometimes very loud and chaotic, apartment. I thought for sure that I would have to go somewhere else to do the interview--maybe the library or complex clubhouse. But then volume would be an issue and if people were there it would be weird. Plus our internet is always pretty shaky and my camera was bound to freeze up a time or two or ten. To add onto that, I was sick all of last week and could hardly get a sentence out without sniffling or sneezing. But enough with the laundry list of concerns...

My partner and I decided to do the interview Saturday morning. She was kind enough to work with me and my schedule and do it bright and early! The original plan was to use Skype but (of course) my video wasn't showing up. We adapted and switched over to the oh-so-reliable FaceTime. From there, everything was smooth sailing. 

Here are some things that I learned during this assignment:

1. Professor Middleton was right when she told us to dress professionally--from head to toe. Our online interview was scheduled for 9:00 am so I set my alarm for 8:00. The plan was to wake up, shower, and get ready before the scheduled time. Before I knew it, it was already 8:45 and I was still in bed, after pressing snooze a time or two. As a result, I managed to put a dress on but didn't have time to do my hair, put on make-up, or even brush my teeth (HALLELUJAH the interviewers can't tell--am I right?) I would never show up to a traditional interview like this and I feel like it had an impact on the way I sat and held myself. Next time, I think it would be beneficial to treat it as I would any other interview, in terms of my dress and appearance.

2. Make sure your environment is distraction-free and clean. The morning of the interview, our apartment living room was kind of a disaster. I was able to clear a section by the door with a white wall and without any other clutter in the camera. However, I could still see the rest of the living room during the interview and it was distracting. Next time, I should consider cleaning the apartment, or maybe just the room I'm in, to ensure there are no distractions and just an overall feeling of organization and cleanliness. 

3. Talk slowly and enunciate. I've always have the problem of talking too fast and not enunciating my words. Life is just too exciting and I want to get everything on my mind out and share it with people  before I forget! This is often times the case in interviews as well: the interviewer will ask a question and I think of a great response but I don't want to forget any of it so I just talk really really really fast! This is a problem in person but especially over the computer. Often times there is a poor connection or outside noises that already distract from what the other person is saying. It is so important to slow down your normal speech and say each word clearly. My partner did this so well and it's something that really stood out.

Hope all your interviews went well!