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Hey guys,

I have a Skype screener interview with a firm I mass mailed that's out of market. Have any of you done one of these? Do I still wear what I would normally wear for a normal interview?

callmemaybe wrote:Hey guys,

I have a Skype screener interview with a firm I mass mailed that's out of market. Have any of you done one of these? Do I still wear what I would normally wear for a normal interview?

I had a video screener for my 1L SA, and I did wear a suit... It felt really odd, but worked out!

Whatever you normally wear to bed should be fine.

Perfect. Birthday suit it is.

In my previous job, we held a Google Video Chat screener for a position; the only awkward thing was that our committee had grown too large and it was hard to fit us all into the picture on the hiring end. The candidate came off great though.

I would definitely advise that you wear a suit. Also, consider the background that you're going to use and play (in advance) with the height of the camera to get as flattering an image of you as you can. If you're using the built-in camera on your laptop, this may mean stacking your laptop on casebooks or lowering your desk chair. Basically, you'd prefer that it look more like a professional videoconference than a vlog post on youtube.

Definitely wear a suit. Make sure no cat is going to jump on your desk and walk across the keyboard in front of the camera. Put your laptop on a thick book or two (I used a couple of casebooks) so the angle is better. And try to look at the camera when you're talking, not at the picture of the interviewers on the screen. If you're focusing on their faces, it looks to them like your gaze is too low.

callmemaybe wrote:Hey guys,

I have a Skype screener interview with a firm I mass mailed that's out of market. Have any of you done one of these? Do I still wear what I would normally wear for a normal interview?

Yes, wear what you would normally wear to any in person interview. I did a skype interview, wore my regular suit and found a quiet study room that I reserved to do the interview in the library. Didn't have it in my apartment where my dirty laundry was sitting on the couch in the background.

If you can't find somewhere other than your apartment, I'd just flip your desk around so the camera on your computer is facing the wall.

I did one of these and got my 1L SA through it. One option (if you're in town) is to have your school's CSO coordinate it. Mine did and it went off very smoothly; they do them all the time.

in any event, good luck. And remember to look at the camera, not the screen (*eye contact*).

This is strange, but remember to wear professional pants - I've heard stories from friends who have done Skype screeners that there are firm interviewers who have actually asked them to stand up during a Skype interview to see what pants they were wearing and make sure they were dressed professionally. SUPER weird, but apparently it's a thing that has happened before.