7 tips to prepare Students & Graduates for an online video Interview
If you’re a Student or Graduate, then after clearing our online assessments, you will be invited to participate in the On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI)—a short, self-recorded video where candidates can tell us about themselves by answering five questions. Shell Recruiter, Toib Olomowewe shares his experience.
Your Guide to the Shell On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI) | Shell Careers
Title: Shell On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI)
Duration: 2:18
Description:
An applicant’s guide to undergoing the Shell On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI) process.
[Background music plays]
Gradually rising of intro music
[Text displays]
Shell On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI)
Everything you need to know about the Shell On-Demand Video Interview
[Video footage]
The video host Azura appears and starts speaking into the camera
[Azura]
Hey there! Hope you are as thrilled as we are that you made it to the On-Demand Video Interview stage or ODVI for short
[Azura]
The process is actually quite simple, and can be broken down into these easy steps.
[Video footage]
Footage of someone turning off a TV with the remote control.
[Text displays]
Find a quiet place
[Azura]
First off, find a nice quiet place for the interview
[Video footage]
A mobile phone is seen being muted and locked.
[Text displays]
Mute your phone
[Video footage]
A male cast member shuts off an electronic speaker.
[Azura]
So your responses will be clearly heard
[Background music fades out]
Cricket sounds
[Background music]
Accompanied by a “swoosh” sound
[Video footage]
The male cast member begins looking for a Wi-fi connection around the living room and performs a fist pump when he finds a strong connection.
[Azura]
Also, make sure you have a strong internet connection
[Video footage]
A male cast member wearing a white dress shirt casually sits on a chair before his online interview.
[Azura]
It’s good to be prepared for the interview
[Video footage]
Camera pans down on the male cast member to reveal he is actually wearing yellow board shorts. Male cast member is shown smiling.
[Video footage]
A female cast member sits on a sofa with a notepad thinking deeply and then starts before writing something down.
[Text display]
Why? When? How? Who? Where?
[Azura]
Know why you are applying and share examples of stand-out experiences
[Background music]
Accompanied by a “swoosh” sound
[Video footage]
A female cast member wearing a hijab is seen being engaging during an online interview on her laptop.
[Azura]
Be engaging as this will give you an advantage
[Video footage]
A close-up shot of a female interviewer from Shell. The camera zooms out to reveal footage of 5 other interviewers from Shell.
[Azura]
During the interview, you will get a series of questions from recent Shell graduate hires.
[Background music]
Loud heartbeat sound
[Video footage]
A male cast member who is visibly sweating adjusts his shirt collar feeling uncomfortably.
[Azura]
But don’t sweat it!
[Video footage]
An animated clock appears on screen with the number “30”. Half of the yellow-coloured face of the clock turns white to indicate that the applicant has 30 seconds.
[Azura]
For each question, you will have 30 seconds to prepare your answer
[Video footage]
2 male cast members; one dressed as a coach with a whistle and stopwatch and another acting as the candidate who is about to be interviewed online via his desktop computer. The coach blows the whistle and starts his timer and the candidate begins to speak confidently facing the screen of the desktop computer.
[Azura]
And a total of 3 minutes to record yourself.
[Video footage]
A female cast member, who is sitting behind a desk, nervously flips through a pile of papers on her desk.
[Azura]
When answering the questions just relax!
[Video footage]
The same female cast member is now seen confidently delivering an interview on her laptop.
[Azura]
We just want to know what you already know and how awesome you really are!
[Video footage]
Close-up of Azura speaking
[Azura]
Simply be confident and overall be yourself. You've got this!
[Video footage]
A female cast member sitting behind her desk does a small dance in her seat while looking at her laptop to celebrate a successful online interview.
[Video footage]
A male cast member sitting behind his desk does a small dance in his seat while looking at his laptop to celebrate a successful online interview.
[Azura Voice Over]
That's it! Time to celebrate. We’re sure you did well.
[Video footage]
A female cast member sitting on a couch with her laptop celebrates a successful online interview making a fist pump gesture.
[Video footage]
A female cast member sitting behind a desk with her laptop raises her arms in the air to celebrate a successful online interview.
[Video footage]
Azura speaks directly to the camera. An animated clock appears on-screen indicating 20 minutes.
[Azura]
The process will only take 20 minutes
[Azura]
Sound easy? That's because it is! To recap,
[Azura]
First, find a quiet place
[Text displays]
Find a quiet place
[Video footage]
Video footage of someone pressing the Off button on a large electronic speaker.
[Azura]
Ensure you have a strong internet connection
[Text displays]
Have a strong internet connection
[Video footage]
Footage of a LAN cable being plugged into the back of a Wi-Fi router.
[Azura]
When answering the questions, just relax and be engaging
[Text displays]
Relax and be engaging
[Video footage]
Footage of female cast member sitting behind a desk clearly being engaging in an online interview via her laptop.
[Azura]
You'll have 30 seconds to prepare each answer and 3 minutes to record them
[Text displays]
30 seconds to prepare 3 minutes to record
[Video footage]
Footage of someone holding a digital stopwatch with the timer running.
[Azura]
Get comfortable and be yourself.
[Text displays]
Get comfortable and be yourself
[Video footage]
A female cast member sits on a couch comfortably answering the interview questions.
[Video footage]
Close up of Azura speaking directly into the camera
[Azura]
That’s it! I hope this video helps you understand and prepare for the ODVI process. After you complete your ODVI, you will receive instructions for the next steps based on the results of the assessments. Best of luck, we’re rooting for you!
[Music]
Music fades
Shell Pecten
1. Take advantage of being able to set your own time and place
Not having a face-to-face interview means you can complete the video interview when you’re at your sharpest.
"Some people may do their best thinking at 7am, but it's unlikely that they would ever have a 7am interview. They could, however, do their pre-recorded interview at that time.”
This also means that you don’t have to wait to be invited which helps to speed up the process. You have the added benefit of no traveling stress – zero worries about traffic or public transport. So, make the most of the opportunity by doing it where you are most comfortable and at a time that suits you. This means you can be very well-prepared with no surprises along the way.
2. Do your homework on the company and the program
"Definitely learn about the company and the graduate scheme you've applied for. Applying for a graduate scheme and a job are quite different."
Just like in a face-to-face interview, you will fare better if you do some research beforehand. Learn as much as you can about Shell and the role you are applying for so that you can be clear on your motivations when answering the questions. Our recruiters are interested in knowing why you want to work for Shell, how your skills and strengths can make the company better and how we can help you progress in your career.
3. Prepare for competency-based questions
When preparing for your video interview, look back on your achievements and experiences. Write down instances where you explored new opportunities, resolved difficult situations, and successfully worked with others.
“One tip is to draft ‘model answers’ to all the competency-based questions you can think of. You can then refine and update your answers whenever you have new experiences or engage in new activities.”
It is important not to confuse skill-based questions with competency-based questions. Competency-based questions focus on how you handle situations, such as handling conflict, addressing problems and achieving results for example.
Having a collection of real-life stories that demonstrate your role and contribution will be very helpful when responding.
4. Drive your CAR
“We're very consistent in how we assess people using the CAR framework; capacity, achievement and relationships.”
Capacity, Achievement, and Relationships (CAR) is a framework we use to assess candidates whether they are online or face-to-face. Preparing examples of situations where you excelled in any of these three areas will really help you do well in your video interview. Read more about CAR.
5. Treat it like a video call
Try treating the interview like a video call on your phone to get over any feelings of awkwardness.
Interviews— whether in person or by video can be unnerving. Try treating it as though you are on a video call with a friend and you’d be surprised at how comfortable the experience can be!
“Almost everyone has used Facetime, Skype or some other platform for video calling. When you’re speaking to friends or family you can see your face on the screen, but this doesn’t necessarily distract you or impede your ability to communicate and get your ideas across. You probably don’t get especially nervous or awkward when speaking to friends or family. Just try to treat this the same way.”
6. Take advantage of your 30 seconds
Getting 30 seconds to think of an answer in your interview is a big advantage that you wouldn’t necessarily get face-to-face.
You get 30 seconds to think and come up with your answer which is a big advantage that you don’t always allow yourself in a face-to-face interview. Use this time to craft your answers.
“During an On-Demand Video Interview you actually get that time to think of a high-quality answer. It is a real bonus.”
Practice at home using a timer and recording yourself using your own video recordings. The more you do it the better you will become and feel more comfortable with the process and the timings.
7. Answer using STAR
While presentation skills are important, our Shell recruiters value the context and quality of your answers over how comfortable (or uncomfortable) you may be on video. A good way to structure your answers is with the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
“I think the STAR method is always a good one to use. Outline your situation briefly and provide some background. Clearly articulate what your task was or what you had to achieve. A is the action - what did you do as an individual, even if this was contributing to the success of a wider team. I'm very interested in what specific actions you, as an individual, took and the impact of those actions. And I want to know the result - whether it was a good result or a bad result I want to know what the outcome was. If there was a reflection or learning opportunity afterwards then that is even better.”
8. Focus on “me” versus “we”
“Yes, we're very interested in people who can work well in diverse teams and different types of teams, but we also need to be able to assess the individual in front of us. So therefore, make it clear what you have contributed.”
While it’s good to show that you are a team player, don’t forget to highlight your achievements as an individual. Make sure to identify clearly what role YOU specifically played in any example you share.
Keep these tips in mind before heading into your ODVI and you could be well on your way to the next stages of the Shell application process!
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