Video Interview Tips: Setup, Camera, Body Language and Technical Checks

Prepare for a video interview in two parts: the technology and the conversation. Test your platform, camera, microphone and connection beforehand, set the camera at eye level with light on your face, choose a tidy and quiet space and close other applications. Then prepare answers as for any interview, look at the camera when you speak and keep a phone ready as a backup. For a recorded one-way interview, practise speaking to a lens and keep to the time limits. Small technical problems are normal, and staying calm and communicating clearly is what interviewers remember.

The camera makes everything feel more formal, so a little setup goes a long way.

Technology checklist

If you have not used the platform before, do a test call with a friend.

Camera and framing

• Place the camera at eye level. Stack books under a laptop if needed.
• Frame yourself from the chest up, with a little space above your head.
• Sit about an arm's length from the screen.
• Look at the lens when you speak. The interviewer will feel eye contact. Look at the screen when you listen.
• Position the interview window near the camera to reduce eye drift.

Light and background

• Face a window or place a lamp in front of you, not behind. Backlight makes you a silhouette.
• A neutral, tidy background works best. A plain wall or a simple shelf is fine.
• Blurred or virtual backgrounds can look odd if they glitch; use a real tidy space if you can.
• Remove distractions: clutter, moving pets, screens.

Sound

Poor audio costs more than poor video. Use a headset or earbuds with a microphone if you can, in a quiet room. Let others in your household know. Pause for a moment before answering, because delays can cause overlap. If you are interrupted, wait for the other person to finish before responding.

Dress and presence

Dress as you would for an in-person interview in that company. Avoid busy patterns and bright white. Sit upright, keep your hands visible when you gesture and smile naturally. A little more animation than usual helps on screen.

Notes

You can have notes, as long as they are out of the camera's view or on a second screen: a few bullet points, your top stories, your questions. Do not read from a script. A sticky note near the camera with two or three main points can help you focus.

During the interview

• Join a few minutes early and wait politely.
• Greet the interviewers and thank them for their time.
• Give answers of about a minute or two, starting with the point.
• Use specifics, since there is little else to engage the listener. See the STAR method.
• Check in occasionally: "Would you like more detail on that?"
• Take notes briefly, saying that you will.
• Close by restating your interest and asking about next steps.

If something goes wrong

• Connection drops: rejoin, apologise briefly and continue. If it fails, call the number you have.
• Audio problems: say so, try switching to headphones, or move to phone audio.
• Interruption at home: apologise, mute and carry on.
• Technical failure on their side: stay patient and friendly.

Interviewers usually care more about how you handle glitches than that they happen.

One-way recorded interviews

In this format you record answers to set questions, often with a short thinking time and a limit of one to three minutes each.

• Read the instructions and check how many attempts you have.
• Practise with a phone camera and a timer.
• Aim for the same structure as a live answer: point, example, result.
• Look at the lens and speak as if to a person.
• Have the same setup as for a live call.
• Keep notes brief and out of sight.

Prepare answers to common questions in advance. See tell me about yourself and why do you want this job.

Accessibility and fairness

If you need adjustments, such as extra time or captions, ask in advance. Many employers will agree. If you are the employer, offering options helps; see reasonable adjustments in hiring and interview no-shows for planning around practical problems.

Afterwards

Send a thank-you email within a day. See interview thank-you email. For the wider plan, see the interview preparation guide and phone interview preparation.