I applied on July 26th 2016, and heard back on August 4th for an online interview. I took the 5 days we were allowed and used them to read up as much as I could on forums and on United's website. From there, I took advantage of the practice interview, and then did the official interview today. Not many people have mentioned YouTube as being a helpful resource, but there are plenty of videos on there that may be a helpful visual tool for some as well. I found the video interview to be pretty simple, and somewhat easy do predict since all of the questions have been found on these forums. Additionally, you have 30 seconds to prepare your answer between each question. Because of this, it can be really helpful to have questions and answers or (bullet points) written down to quickly look over before you answer. I was asked 5 questions in total. I loved the concept of the video interview because it comes at no cost or inconvenience! You have time to prepare your answers, and can feel more confident going into a F2F interview because you've already passed the first few steps BEFORE having to fly out or drive hours to a hiring event on your own expense.
A few tips:
SMILE - laugh, be professional, but also be yourself. I think these recruiters want to see personality just as much as they want to see your other qualifications.
HIGHLIGHT information or qualities about you that stand out and make you different from the other candidates. Remember that tons of people applying to be FAs have customer service experience, hospitality experience, and a desire to travel. While these are good, they are not unique.
PREPARE yourself for your online interview by reading up on forums, watching videos, or reading through the company's website. It will help to jot down some facts, the airline's mission statement, and also how to tie this information into your answers.
DRESS the part and remember that the online video interview should still be viewed as an interview (but maybe with sweatpants!) Be sure you're in a quiet, well-lit,professional looking location, and that you're dressed for the interview. Dark, professional clothing, hair up, no visible tattoos, no facial piercings, nice make up, etc. Besides, looking the part will help you act the part.
BE CONFIDENT - don't apologize or mention anything about being nervous or the interview being awkward! I have attended group interviews, and almost inevitably the individuals who come across as nervous or uncomfortable don't make it through to the next step. You got this!
Good luck everyone! :)