One-way video interview, the worst invention in recruiting. I still have flashbacks of cringing at my accent after re-recording 5+ times per video.
What's worse is you know you can't perfect the recording anyway, and you are stuck submitting the recording you hate the least. All of that pain to get a templated rejection email 2 weeks later.
What a one-way video interview looks like
You record answers to set questions on a platform such as HireVue, with nobody on the other end. Candidates for CommBank's 2027 graduate intake reported one take only, with 48 hours to complete it.
How to stop sounding like you are reading a script
You have to find your way of hacking through that stage, and that can be as simple as practising and internalising what you are saying, without reading a script.
In my first final interview, my answers were so well rehearsed that it was obvious I was reading a script. I sounded like an AI.
What fixed it was practising my stories the way I'd tell a friend. Loose, natural, with detours. Try sharing your interview stories mid conversation with a friend, remember the tone you use, and use that tone in your next interview.
If you have a video interview coming up and want to run a mock with a mentor first, book a free 15-minute call.
One-way video interview checklist
Room locked. Nothing worse than an intruder.
Formal clothes with a collar.
Eye contact with the camera at all times.
Bright background lighting.
Camera at eye level.
If you cringe at your accent on playback
People used to call me "Philip" because I pronounced my name "Fidel" with a Cantonese accent. Like a lot of international students, I struggled with English for a while.
My advice: make friends outside of your own country. Today after class, start a conversation with a groupmate.
And take a step back to realise how far you've come. You once struggled to hold a conversation in English. Now you're doing self-recorded videos in that same language.
After the templated rejection
Ask the recruiter for feedback. If they reply, you find out why you fell short, and you stay on their radar as someone with a good attitude and willingness to learn.
For more on the wider pattern of Australian interviews, read: Why International Students Fail Australian Job Interviews (Even With Good English).