SKYPE etiquette

Here what I come up with.....

1. Present yourself in professional attire. – Business casual/suit all preferable. Message is “dress for success”. If you are wearing just a jacket and no pants, it’s no good. Your mind needs to think that you are preparing for something important. Also, your grace (i.e. interviewer) could ask you to stand up.
2. Professional setup – Take your interview in a most professional environment. Clean up your desk; Turn your table facing a clear wall; Close your door so no one can interrupt you; Keep a notepad, pencil and a glass of water. Also, check the background light – neither too dark nor to bright.
3. Test your mic and webcam. Call your brother or sister or friends and have casual conversation. At the end of the conversation, ask if they were able to hear properly. If you are experiencing voice-breakup or the call is dropping, better check your internet connectivity. Also, ask your sibling or friend if they can see you properly without delays or frozen screen. If you are not able to fix any of the problems, let you interviewer know before the start of the interview.
4. Check the room temperature – adjust the thermostat accordingly; See you can’t do this in face-to-face interview. I found out that I was able to best perform when it is more chilling. It’s just me.
5. Before the interview, make sure you know who is going to initiate a call. If not, call the admission office and ask clearly.
6. Make yourself available 20 mins before the call; Some colleges do skype testing, which could disrupt your mental state.
7. Make sure no other program is running in your laptop or computer. Close browser/explorer/etc.
8. Prefer to get a call on phone; Even inform your interviewer that you could call them if possible. Some interviewer will allow it. If you are using Skype for voice call, make sure you speak slowly as it is known to have problem.
9. Pass proper pleasantries to your interviewers. Remember their names.
10. Once you get a turn to speak, first let them know about any ensuing system problem/voice drop.
11. Maintain proper eye contact and “SMILE”. Do not forget to smile.
12. Don’t come too close to webcam. Maintain proper distance.
13. Do not make any unusual facial expression. This happened with me. I said something wrong and grimaced. Be confident. Apologize if something went wrong.
14. If you are not able to listen to your interviewer, apologize and ask them to repeat. While apologizing, you can say that you are having problem with your internet. They will understand.
15. If you are unsure about the question, apologize again and clarify it.
16. Show your hand moments only if required.
17. If your legs are shaking, don’t worry. They can’t see you. But try to calm yourself down. And don’t shake your body.
18. While replying, still maintain eye contact. Don’t stare up or down. You can probably do in face interview. But in skype interview, it connotes wrong intention. The interviewer may think you are looking some prepared answers.
19. This goes without saying. The remaining format of the interview is the same. Be clear, confident. Answer with personalized examples. Ask any question if you have.
20. During your interview, sit straight. Your body language is still very visible to everyone else.
21. At the end, finish the interview with the closing arguments. Thanks them for their time and apologize for any inconvenience.
22. Take your time to shut off the webcam and mic before you talk to your family. If mic is on, they can still hear you.