URGENT!! Microsoft Teams Interview!!

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I have an job interview in a week on Microsoft Teams. I have never used Microsoft Teams in my life and know nothing about it. Essentially I would just appreciate any info you can give me on how to use it. Thanks!

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I have an job interview in a week on Microsoft Teams. I have never used Microsoft Teams in my life and know nothing about it. Essentially I would just appreciate any info you can give me on how to use it. Thanks!

Do you need to do anything other than turn up and answer questions?

[The Hallucinating Goose]

1 minute ago, gingerjon said:

Do you need to do anything other than turn up and answer questions?

Not as far as I know. Here is a couple of extracts from the email I received:

 

"The interview will be for 45 minutes and be competency based.  It will also be held via Microsoft Teams; you will need to have access to a computer and camera.

To get started, let us know what interview date and time works best for you.

Once you have selected a date and a time for interview, a confirmation email will be sent. You will also be sent a calendar invite, with a link to the interview via Microsoft Teams. This will include instructions on how to join the interview."

 

I have selected a date and time now and it says that is confirmed on the account I have on the company website, haven't got an actual email through yet so just waiting on that. As it says I just need a computer and a camera, doesn't say anything about a microphone which is good because I don't have one. Do you think I will need to actually talk in which case it will probably be better for my to download the app and do the interview on my tablet.

[Padge]

This explains what to do.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/join-a-meeting-without-a-teams-account-c6efc38f-4e03-4e79-b28f-e65a4c039508

 

[LeeF]

6 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Not as far as I know. Here is a couple of extracts from the email I received:

 

"The interview will be for 45 minutes and be competency based.  It will also be held via Microsoft Teams; you will need to have access to a computer and camera.

To get started, let us know what interview date and time works best for you.

Once you have selected a date and a time for interview, a confirmation email will be sent. You will also be sent a calendar invite, with a link to the interview via Microsoft Teams. This will include instructions on how to join the interview."

 

I have selected a date and time now and it says that is confirmed on the account I have on the company website, haven't got an actual email through yet so just waiting on that. As it says I just need a computer and a camera, doesn't say anything about a microphone which is good because I don't have one. Do you think I will need to actually talk in which case it will probably be better for my to download the app and do the interview on my tablet.

It uses the microphone in your laptop or on your head/ear phones if there is one.

I’ve never used the App but we use Teams for most Group calls/ meetings. Just check your background!!

[The Hallucinating Goose]

4 minutes ago, LeeF said:

It uses the microphone in your laptop or on your head/ear phones if there is one.

I’ve never used the App but we use Teams for most Group calls/ meetings. Just check your background!!

Ive just discovered that my laptop does actually have a built in microphone, made a few voice recordings but it was really quiet, might just be the quality of the speakers on my laptop though. 

[gingerjon]

If you want to have a dry run, send me a PM. We use Teams at work and I can invite you to a “meeting” to go through it in real time.

[Padge]

3 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Ive just discovered that my laptop does actually have a built in microphone, made a few voice recordings but it was really quiet, might just be the quality of the speakers on my laptop though. 

If you have some form of headset with a mic its much better than using the inbuilt speaker and mic. The sort of thing you may use with your phone.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

24 minutes ago, Padge said:

If you have some form of headset with a mic its much better than using the inbuilt speaker and mic. The sort of thing you may use with your phone.

I don't have a headset of any kind. This is the reason I'm thinking about using the app on my tablet instead, I imagine the microphone on that device is better than the one on my laptop, I'll just have to wait until I get the next email with the next set of instructions and see what it says. 

[Damien]

MS Teams is easy to use, I often use it for meetings. Just make sure you try it and do a couple of dry runs first. The main issues will just be settings for the mic and camera. You should definitely get headphones with a mic as the sound quality will be far superior for both sides and you really want it to be as clear as possible in an interview rather than straining to hear them, and them to hear you.

[LeeF]

55 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Ive just discovered that my laptop does actually have a built in microphone, made a few voice recordings but it was really quiet, might just be the quality of the speakers on my laptop though. 

You can mess around with the volume settings relatively easily

 

25 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I don't have a headset of any kind. This is the reason I'm thinking about using the app on my tablet instead, I imagine the microphone on that device is better than the one on my laptop, I'll just have to wait until I get the next email with the next set of instructions and see what it says. 

Doesn’t have to be a headset. A lot of earphones have a microphone nowadays

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I'll have a wander to the shops tomorrow and see if I can find a microphone or headset or something for sale, if not then I'll have to get one off amazon and just get it on next day delivery. My interview is on Thursday. 

[Padge]

38 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I'll have a wander to the shops tomorrow and see if I can find a microphone or headset or something for sale, if not then I'll have to get one off amazon and just get it on next day delivery. My interview is on Thursday. 

Supermarkets, phone shops, and bargain shops (Wilko - B&M etc.) all offer reasonable priced headsets/earphones with microphones, just make sure it has a mic with it and isn't just earphones. Only recommendation is don't  go dirt cheap as they are often not very good.

 

[Charlie RL]

Teams is fine.  Good idea a to have a dry run if practical.  

There is an emergency fall back eg if your IT  or broadband fails when needed.  I find Teams busy daytine and Zoom busy evening time. 

You can phone in.  The Teams email invite you get should have a meeting reference PIN and dial in phone number.  

[Bedford Roughyed]

Think about your back drop, i.e. what's behind you.  You can blur it out, but that can look suspicious.

Raise the laptop up much higher than usual, a stack of books can work, so you are not looking down at the screen (looking ahead is more flattering).

As teams is windows based, you can reduce the size of the interviewers screen.  If you then have lots of notes or reminders round the edges, who is going to know!  (obviously don't make it too obvious if you are reading with eye movements....!).

[The Hallucinating Goose]

3 minutes ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

Think about your back drop, i.e. what's behind you.  You can blur it out, but that can look suspicious.

Raise the laptop up much higher than usual, a stack of books can work, so you are not looking down at the screen (looking ahead is more flattering).

As teams is windows based, you can reduce the size of the interviewers screen.  If you then have lots of notes or reminders round the edges, who is going to know!  (obviously don't make it too obvious if you are reading with eye movements....!).

Thanks for the tips mate, some good advice there! 

[Futtocks]

1 minute ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Thanks for the tips mate, some good advice there! 

Teams/Zoom is very easy. You'll also get a chance to preview your own camera's view before joining the meeting, so if you've forgotten to wear clothes, or you feel you should take down the tennis girl poster on the wall behind you, or one of your crack pipes is in shot, you can take a few seconds to tweak what the other people will see.

[Bedford Roughyed]

Also at times you might want to emphasise an answer, look into the camera rather than talking to the face onscreen.  This appears as you are directly talking to the interviewer.  

[The Hallucinating Goose]

12 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Teams/Zoom is very easy. You'll also get a chance to preview your own camera's view before joining the meeting, so if you've forgotten to wear clothes, or you feel you should take down the tennis girl poster on the wall behind you, or one of your crack pipes is in shot, you can take a few seconds to tweak what the other people will see.

When have you been round my place?! Nah, I will be doing the interview in my living room where the table is. I'll sit opposite the window so I should be well lit and there will probably just be a shot of the hall door, bookcase and maybe an armchair depending on how I position it. 

[Roughyedz]

tip . . .  whatever your interview is for, try to have some artwork, picture, print, or souvenir relating to the topic of the interview strategically placed paced on wall behind you

[Bleep1673]

Panic, and turn up in your boyfriends pajamas. 

[Futtocks]

11 hours ago, Roughyedz said:

tip . . .  whatever your interview is for, try to have some artwork, picture, print, or souvenir relating to the topic of the interview strategically placed paced on wall behind you

But don't make it too obvious.

[Cheshire Setter]

You need absolute silence too. Kick out the family and pets for the day, and make sure all windows and doors are closed. Those poor quality microphones don’t filter out the background too well.

I’ve used Teams a few times this year, and it didn’t look too professional in one session when one of our crew couldn’t be heard because of her dog barking in the next room! Especially bearing in mind we are all trying to justify keeping our jobs! 

[Bob8]

23 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Ive just discovered that my laptop does actually have a built in microphone, made a few voice recordings but it was really quiet, might just be the quality of the speakers on my laptop though. 

I use Teams all the time.

It is worth getting a decent headset with a long lead. You will be clearer, hear them better etc. @Cheshire Setter is spot on in his advice.

For your background, use real life. The backdrop effects, even background blurring, can be jarring and suggest you have something to hide.

I will pm you my work email, so I suggest we have a quick chat on Teams as a run through.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Hi everybody, thank you very much for your advice and it will be very valuable in the future but I thought I would tell you that I've decided I aren't going to attend this interview after all.

After discussing the job with my family I have decided that this job would not be suitable for me at this time due to a number of personal reasons. Another opportunity has also come up which I am going to pursue instead. 

Thanks for all your advice though, I am sure I will need to use teams at some point in the future!