Employers have found that video interviewing can be very useful in the early stages of the process when hiring candidates that don't live nearby.  So if you are asked to have a video interview, there are some key steps in planning that will give you an advantage. 

• Location, location, location. Find a place in your home that you can be completely undisturbed with complete quiet. Since the interviewer will be able to see you, there should not be anything in the background that would be distracting to the employer - a blank wall is the best choice.
• Double check your technology. Identify what platform or program you will be using and download it a few days in advance so you can make sure you won't have buffering issues for the interview. Practice with a friend if you can to establish what volume you should have on both your microphone and your speakers.
• Prepare to be in person. A video interview is just like an in person interview - it's important to dress in business attire, be prepared with answers for questions you anticipate, and write down questions you want to ask the interviewer at the end of the discussion.

The beginning of a new season is a perfect time to find new things you can do at your job to increase your value and continue your professional development.  Whether you have been in your job for months or years, it's important to evaluate how you are working and look for ways to be a better teammate, leader, and employee.  Here are 3 things you can do at your job this week:

Share a skill.  Every member of a work team has certain skills that they personally define as their strengths.  One way to help your team excel and grow is to share your skills with your co-workers so they can get better too.  If you are the techy person on the team, find someone who consistently asks for help in that area and take time to show them something new that will benefit future projects.  If your strength is customer communication, share a ‘best practice' email with the team so everyone can build that skill.

Ask your boss how you can help.  This doesn't necessarily mean waiting until there is a problem and then asking how you can be part of the solution, but that could be one way to help.  Identify how you could provide assistance on a project or on planning and ask how you can support your manager's efforts.  The key is to open the lines of communication so your boss knows that you are interested in supporting him and the team.

Learn - or plan to learn - something new.  You could ask a co-worker with a skill you don't excel at to help train you or share ideas on how you could increase your skill in a specific area.  Or, you can find internal training programs - formal, online, or informal.  Or, you can determine what skill/function you want to learn and search for external training.  If you take that path the next step would be to have a discussion with your manager to establish if the company will pay for the training as part of your professional development.