UCalgary students can now refine their video job interview skills with help from new practice platform

Does the thought of a job interview make you nervous? After all, you only have one shot to make a positive first impression. What if you had to make that positive first impression in an asynchronous, online, video recording scenario?

The Haskayne School of Business has announced the implementation of StandOut, a new video interview platform that allows students to practise their video interviewing skills in a low-risk, feedback-focused environment.

More and more, and across many industries, employers are using video interviews as a means to pre-screen their job applicants. Video interviews are a cost-effective tool, and generally speaking speed up the recruitment process. They also allow recruiters to interview a higher volume of candidates from many places around the world.

• Photo above: Kimberley Dart, manager of Haskayne’s Career Centre, standing, teaches third-year business student Bernice Cheung how to use StandOut, a new platform that allows students to practise their video interviewing skills. Photos by Riley Brandt, University of Calgary

“Career advisors at the Haskayne Career Centre have long encouraged business students to practise their interviewing skills before they are invited for a job interview by an employer,” says Kimberley Dart, manager of Haskayne’s Career Centre. “A robust practice interview program and mock interviews have been offered for many years at Haskayne and are very popular with students. Interviewing is a skill, and practice makes perfect.”

Haskayne’s Career Centre staff are always looking for new ways to help students with their interview prep, whether that be in person or in the digital world. StandOut takes interview practice to the next level. “Until the introduction of StandOut, my career advisors had no way to prepare students for this type of interview — other than providing some guidelines and general tips. A video interview can certainly be daunting if you’re unfamiliar with the technology and process,” says Dart.

Career advisors across campus are familiar with this new tool, and are pleased to offer the service to all University of Calgary students (managed through their respective career centres). Additional planned features, including student profiles and a job board, will be rolled out as the tool is developed further.

Curious about the platform? Have additional questions? Contact Kimberley Dart.