If you want to perfect your job interviewing skills, video recording is a must. It provides the unique advantage of letting you see yourself from the eyes of the interviewer.
More often than not, you will see there are things you do that may inadvertently distract the interviewer. These distractions may be blocking the message you want to convey.
Practically every type of professional coach, from the NFL to speech coaches, uses video recording to teach individuals how to improve their performance. The ability to show an individual where he/she can improve is much more effective than simply telling him/her how to improve. Seeing your mistakes speeds the learning process. Video recording allows you to see what you need to change in order to be more effective.
Most have us have heard that practice makes perfect. Actually, practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect. Video recording allows you to perfect how you present yourself in an interview. Practicing what you learned will allow you to make it permanent.
Video recording your mock interview will allow you to focus on both verbal and nonverbal communication. A few examples of nonverbal communication are gestures, eye contact, facial expression and posture.
How important is nonverbal communication? Studies have shown that during interpersonal communication, 7 percent of the message is communicated verbally, while 93 percent is non-verbally transmitted. Of the 93 percent that is nonverbal communication, 38 percent comes through vocal tones and 55 percent is through facial expressions.
Video recording has been underutilized in interview preparation, which is surprising since video cameras are not cost prohibitive. For those who are really short on cash, video cameras are so ubiquitous that if you don't have one it's not hard to find a friend that will loan you his or hers.
One of the reasons video recording is inconsistently used by job hunters is because most of us do not like to see or hear ourselves on camera. It's painful to hear our voices because we don't sound the way we think we do. Or, when we see ourselves on camera we don't like our body shape. Some people feel that having to watch a recording of a mock interview video is a lot harder than the actual interview.
If you can get past the painful part of watching and listening to yourself, however, video recording will pay huge benefits in helping you interview well.
The most effective way to practice with the video camera is to think of the camera as the interviewer. After sitting down, place the camera at eye level. Make eye contact with the camera as if it were a person. You can have someone ask you pre-planned interview questions, but direct your answers to the camera. This will be the best way for you to evaluate your eye contact and facial expressions.
After your mock interview, review the video recording to determine if you did anything that would distract an interviewer. Evaluate your energy level and whether or not you could hold an interviewer's interest. Were you believable? Did you appear confident? Were your answers too verbose? Were you dull and monotonous or lively and engaging?
After you have evaluated your video, invite a couple of other individuals to critique it. Ask them to share with you what they see as your strengths and areas for improvement. Encourage them to give you honest feedback. Let them know your goal is to improve and the only way you can do that is for them to be open and honest with you.
The way you receive the feedback will determine its value. If you become defensive or argumentative about the feedback, you will waste everyone's time. It's fine to ask for clarification regarding feedback in order to ensure that you understand the point that is being made. However, once you start to quibble with the person giving the critique, you will seldom receive useful feedback.
On the other hand, if you encourage feedback by saying things like, "That's a good point" or "Thanks, I'm glad you pointed that out," you are on your way to receiving suggestions that will move you closer to having a stellar next interview.
If you haven't started using video recording to prep for job interviews, now is the time to start. Video recording and then watching yourself is by far the best teaching method for improving your job interviewing skills.