Should you take your automated video interview in a cafe, your home, or even your office? The perfect place to take your interview may depend on the person, but we have a few tips to ensure you have the perfect backdrop based on your circumstances.

Background

You want a neutral, but not boring background. Consider great interviews you’ve seen in the past (whether that is on the news or celebrities being interviewed on YouTube): they keep the background interesting with plants, bookcases, and other appropriate decor. Rather than a plain white wall, show some more personality with some of your favorite professional reads in the background. Test the image on your computer’s native video recording software to ensure everything looks just right (for example, you don’t want a plant sprouting out of your head or arm.)

You may be able to find this ideal backdrop in your own home where you have ultimate control over the surroundings or in public places like the private room of a library or coworking space.

Sound

You will want a quiet space devoid of any excess noise such as children crying or dogs barking. If you have a home office, ensure any potential disruptions are taken care of prior to starting the interview. Depending on the settings the interviewer chooses, you may not be able to re-record your answer if something goes wrong or interrupts you during the course of filming.

To ensure sound levels are appropriate, consider taking the interview in a controlled environment such as your home or a private room in a public space. If you must perform the interview in public, invest in a set of headphones that cancel background noise while recording.

Lighting

Make sure the interviewer can see your winning smile. Further, our artificial intelligence software performs best when it can clearly see the candidate’s face — ensuring you get an accurate assessment reported to the hiring manager. Utilize natural light facing you (not back-lit creating shadows around your face) as much as possible. If you are seeing shadows, try to place lamps so they indirectly light your face (e.g. reflecting onto you from a white wall nearby.) Lamps with cool-colored bulbs will produce the best effect.

Following these quick tips for your background, sound, and lighting, you will be ready to record your automated video interview with confidence. Creating the right backdrop is important, as it allows both the AI software and hiring manager to dig into why you are the right candidate for the job—not get stuck on the small details that distract from your winning interview.

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Check out our job board to explore opportunities through Appliqant’s video interviewing software. Happy job hunting!