“How can I prepare my UCF apartment for a Skype interview?”

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Riverwind
Weekly resident activities like Taco Tuesday, paint night and pool parties help residents at Riverwind unwind after stressful classes and interviews

Ah, Skype interviews, the holy grail of the collegiate job hunt. Whether you're looking for a summer internship or your first full-time job, interviews can be incredibly daunting. So to make sure you focus all your energy on formatting your resume and preparing the perfect answers, we've put together a few tips and tricks to get your UCF apartment just as interview-ready as you are. Because although the perfect background and lighting won't necessarily make the interview, it can definitely break it.

1. Lighting

You may need to play around with your lighting, so a couple days before your interview set up your computer and test out your lighting. The end goal is to be clearly lit so the interviewer can see you and your expressions clearly. The absolute best way to light yourself is to face a window or balcony/patio and use natural lighting. If that's not possible, use a well-positioned lamp. Just avoid washing yourself out with a bright lamp- you don't want your nervous perspiration to glisten. Also try to avoid putting a strong light at an angle across your face as this will cast shadows. Ideally, you should use a desk lamp and bounce the light off a wall to give a warm glow without harshness.

2. Less is more

Keep it simple. You may be tempted to show off your intellect with stacks of books or show your passion for The University of Central Florida with posters. Resist. You want all the focus to be on you, and you alone. Choose a solid-colored, neutral wall with either no decorations or a few tasteful pieces.

3. Clean it up

This seems obvious, but if you follow none of the other tips definitely take this one to heart. There's no need to deep clean your entire UCF apartment, but once you've chosen the backdrop and picked out the perfect interview attire, make sure to clear out any clutter. Nothing would be worse than cheerily reporting that you have great attention to detail with dirty socks strewn about behind you. So tidy up!

4. Prepare the roommates

Make sure to give your roommates a heads up before your interview time so they can steer clear of the area and keep the noise to a minimum. If your apartment has a clubhouse, consider booking that space for a few hours to make sure you'll have it to yourself. And if you live in a pet-friendly apartment, close them in another room as well. You want to be remembered for your compelling dissertation and record of experiences at the University of Central Florida, not because your cat threw up a hairball behind you.

5. Face it head-on

Try to get your camera eye-level. You may need to stack a few books or a cardboard box under your computer to get it just right, but you want the interviewer to be making digital eye contact with you, not staring up your nostrils. A few days before your interview open up photo booth or a similar camera app and test out the positioning; it'll be worth it. 

Just like staging an apartment helps potential renters envision a home, staging your interview background can give interviewers a closer look into your personality. However, it's important to remember that they probably won't hire you just based on that eggshell color behind you. Substance is everything. Now go rock that interview!

These are the opinions of writers and not the opinions of 407apartments.com or any of our advertising partners.