Take the tape off your webcam. I’m a tech recruiter and I like to expose myself!

At some point, you’ve probably sat in front of your webcam in a state of undress. I know I have! It’s nothing to be ashamed about – you might not even have realised you were doing it, sat there browsing Facebook at 3am in the morning. Wait. What did you think I was referring to?

Those of you with your head screwed on will have ensured that your webcam is taped over when you’re not using it. If Mark Zuckerberg deems it a good idea to cover up, then frankly so do I. He also tapes up his microphone but insists that Facebook isn’t listening in on users’ conversations… OK Mark, whatever.

But, it could be time to whip the tape off your webcam and expose yourself to the world if you want to secure yourself a great new job in tech.

Video interviews are becoming commonplace in the tech industry, enabling forward-thinking recruiters (like us of course) to make better and quicker decisions on behalf of their clients. But the format is beneficial to candidates too…

Time is money

Video interviews allow a recruiter to get a better sense of who you are, both personally and professionally. That means you’re less likely to be put forward for a job that doesn’t fit with your personality and career path.

Video interviews done in the right way bring an end to the ‘wasted interview’ – that’s the face to face interviews where both you and the company decide in the first 5 minutes it’s definitely not a fit. Let’s face it, once you’ve added up the time it takes to prepare and attend an interview, you’re looking at a minimum of half a day usually. Not to mention the expense of getting there.

With video interviewing, recruiters have no excuses for suggesting you for a job you were never right for in the first place.

Standing out

You’re under no illusions about how competitive the job market is today, especially in the technology industry. There’s no better way to stand out among a sea of CVs with the same qualifications, than giving a good video interview.

It gives you the chance to showcase your personality and enthusiasm for the role and show that you’ll be a great cultural fit for the organisation. Plus, if you’re being interviewed by an experienced technology recruiter, it gives them the chance to ask you questions that really draw out your skills and experience.

Sneaking off

Because video interviewing is more flexible than face-to-face interviews, you don’t have to be somewhere at a certain time. Which means less sneaking off at work and no more wasting annual leave (or pulling sick days) to attend interviews that end up going nowhere. To some extent, you can decide when and where you do it, which will make you more relaxed and quite simply, you’ll show the best version of yourself!

Sign of a good recruiter

If your recruiter requests a video interview, you know that they’re following best practice.

They’re showing you that they value your time. They won’t drag you from pillar to post attending interviews just to fulfil over-inflated KPIs.

Our consultants are rewarded for finding the right candidate, not just any candidate. There’s no incentive for putting somebody forward unless they’re a great match – in both skills and personality – for the role on offer. Can your recruiter say that?