With companies maximizing their budgets in this economy, some job seekers may find themselves being asked to conduct a video interview.  This format allows the company to keep HR personnel and hiring managers in the office and still have a personal experience of seeing the candidate answer questions.  Here are some best practices to this newer form of interviewing:

• Dress for the interview. Wear a suit or equally appropriate interview attire for your industry and the position you are applying for and be as professional as you would if you were meeting them in person. Having a video interview is a convenience to the interviewer and is not a convenience to you as the candidate. The reality is that you need to still dress for the occasion as if you were going to the corporate headquarters.
• Position yourself in a room with a neutral background. Some candidates will conduct a Skype® or WebEx® or GoToMeeting® interview with their kitchen or bedroom in the background. This could be distracting to the interviewer. Try to find a blank wall that will keep the person focused on what you are saying.
• Practice with a friend to make sure that you have functionality with your webcam and the system the employer is using. Don't wait until 10 minutes before the interview to download WebEx® or GoToMeeting® or whatever system they use. Ask what program they are using and download it in advance.
• Check your volume and get a separate microphone if you need to. Some people know that they talk quietly and the interview process is not the time to be the soft spoken person, especially via computer. Detachable microphones are very affordable and can make the most soft spoken person sound confident and interview appropriate.
• Practice your speaking level with a friend. Get online with someone you trust to be candid with you and practice your tone and level of speech. This person can also help you determine if there are any other bad habits you may have such as wandering eye contact, overuse of your hands, or unnecessary words like ‘um' and ‘you know'.
• Practice answers to commonly asked questions. Have any supporting documents prepared and in front of you as a reference as well. Candidates that can share information during the interview and then offer to send it to the interviewer will have an advantage during the interview process.

Every metropolitan area has workforce departments at the city and county level who collect and analyze labor market information on a monthly and/or quarterly basis.  This data is very important for the job seeker to review.  Not only can you see the current jobs and industries most in demand in your geography, but you can also determine certain skills and certifications that employers are looking for most.  Soft skills are always crucial, but depending on your field, your administrative skills and abilities may give you a strategic advantage in the hiring candidate pool.  Here are some areas of note in the latest labor market information from December:

• Microsoft Office – it doesn’t matter if you are a ‘Mac’ or a ‘PC’ person, Office programs are a must have skill for most jobs.  Take a look at current job listings you want to apply for to determine if you need to refresh on certain programs or if you can leverage your skills as a strength in the interview process.

• Scheduling – Your skills in this area could range from knowledge of using online programs such as Google Calendar to more ‘old school’ methods like managing a hard copy schedule for several teammates on a certain project.  Having the ability to examine the needs of a team or project and determine the appropriate manpower timing allocation can be an important skill depending on your field.

• Budgeting – Obviously, there are some jobs that require high levels of expertise in this area (finance, accounting, etc.).  Other positions may not have this as a primary function, but could be a ‘value added skill’ from the employer’s perspective.  Even in entry-level sales positions, there may be a need to budget for expenses, account development, or promotional materials.