For me the answer to the chicken-or-egg question is: Oprah. It was watching Skype in action on her show – not all the great reviews I kept reading – that led me to give it a try.
At the time, I hadn’t used my laptop’s webcam yet, and I definitely don’t plan to for Chat Roulette anytime soon either, yikes! So first things first, I gave my webcam and microphone a quick test. Downloaded Skype, created an account and was on a video call in less than five minutes.
Skype-to-Skype calls/video calls are free (there are low cost calling plans too) and you’re able to dial up regular “old-fashioned” telephones with it – Skype is not just a computer to computer thing. There’s a whole bunch of useful features that you can explore for both personal and professional use including the ability to create an online number with voice mail, IM your contacts, conference in others, share files while on a call and add it to your mobile device.
Skype is now even being integrated into TV sets. On peak hours there are 20 million of us Skyping away. In Q3 2009, Skype users made 27.7 billion minutes of calls (over a third were video calls) and a growing number of those minutes were spent conducting job interviews.
This piece from Time offered up a great overview of how recruiters are using Skype to interview. From the good: Saving time, money and carbon footprints. To the bad: A candidate’s barking dog cutting an interview short. To the ugly: A college student with a very messy dorm room quite visible in the background.
Considering the bad and the ugly possibilities that come with conducting video calls for job interviews, it is no surprise that companies such as 360JobInterview are now helping candidates get a leg up on the technology. One of their key services: One-on-one interview and career coaching sessions from HR professionals via Skype.
Skype also breaks it down to these three tips which provide solid advice for both the job seeker and the recruiter about video call interviews:
Smile and Focus – I know the first few times I used a webcam, my eyes were directed more so at the other person on the screen and not the camera. Try to remember to maintain regular eye contact with your webcam and for sure, keep smiling.
Choose your Colors Wisely – What Not to Wear: The team at Skype advises to avoid brights and patterns that can distract.
Lighting and Background Check – You certainly don’t have to create a movie set for a video call, but give some consideration to lighting and your backdrop – besides your wardrobe, you don’t want any other distractions.
With 521 million Skype user accounts and growing, will it be lights, camera, action for more job interviews? Recruiters, what do you think about using Skype for screening candidates and conducting interviews? Have you already done so? Tell us about it. Plus, it almost goes without saying, if you want to give Skype a practice run, or have more questions, drop me a line here or at blog@alstin.com.
