It's interview time!
So... you're preparing for an interview with Kindred... this is exciting! If you're feeling a little nervous that is completely normal. Many people have no idea know what they're getting into, how to best prepare, or what the interview itself is going to feel like. This article is here to help ease some of those nerves and set you up for success!
Preparing for the interview
Internet connection
- This is very important! Your documentary video quality will depend on the speed of your internet connection. We recommend a minimum of 2 Mbps upload and 2 Mbps download for a quality video. You can use Google's free tool to test your connection speed here.
- If you find that your internet connection doesn't meet those minimum recommendations, we recommend doing your interview at someone else's house, finding a quiet corner in a coffee shop, or another method of finding WIFI.
Background, outfit, and body positioning
- The background of your room will be a part of your documentary. Make sure to decorate it how you would like it to look and have fun with it! We've seen folks stage pictures behind themselves, hang up a fun curtain, or the classic outdoor scene with some trees or a beautiful blue sky.
- What you wear will be part of your documentary as well. We recommend wearing shirts with simple patterns, or no patterns at all, to make sure you look your best in your documentary.
- Your body positioning on the screen is important too. You'll want your face positioned right in the middle of screen. To help with body positioning, here's a great example to reference below.
Questions and interview topics
- You do not need to come prepared with any questions or topics. A Kindred interviewer will guide you through the experience and come prepared with meaningful, thought-provoking questions to ask.
- In the interview scheduling email (Subject = Action Required - Schedule Kindred Documentary Interview & Prepare) you will see a few things that can help you prepare for the topics you can expect in your interview. Make sure to review that email ahead of time.
- If you want more insight into how Kindred approaches asking questions during the interview (as well as some sample questions), we have an Example Questions article to help.
Joining the interview
Using Zoom
- After scheduling your interview, you will receive an email with a calendar invite and instructions on how to join the interview. We host our interviews on Zoom. Please try to join 5 minutes early.
- Note: If it is your first time using Zoom, Zoom will ask you to access your computer's microphone and camera and then you'll need to restart Zoom.
The interview itself
Answering questions
- When answering questions during your interview, we will ask that you repeat the question ahead of your answer. This is very important. When the Kindred team is editing, they will completely remove the interviewer's voice from the recording so you will not hear the question asked. For example, if the interviewer asks you "What is your favorite memory from high school?" then we need you to reply with "Well, my favorite memory from high school is...XYZ."
- Try to stay succinct and focused on the topic. We have limited interview time and virtually unlimited questions we'd love to ask you. There's no need to rush your answer, but try to focus on the topic so we can get as many stories in your video as possible!
Enjoy it!!
- We use big words like legacy and documentary when talking about Kindred videos that can make some folks nervous... but in reality... the interview is the most enjoyable part of the entire process! The more fun we have with it, the better your stories will be told.