A video interview is a normal interview with extra failure points: the camera, the microphone, the lighting, and your own face on screen. Prepare the setup before you prepare the answers — test the technology, frame yourself at eye level, and keep your notes within reach without reading them. Then treat the conversation like an in-person interview: listen, pause, and answer in full sentences.
Key takeaways
- Test camera, microphone, lighting, and internet a day before, then again 15 minutes before the call.
- Put the camera at eye level and look at the lens when you speak.
- Keep a one-page note sheet beside the camera, not in another window.
- Have a backup plan ready: phone number, hotspot, and dial-in details.
- Practice once on camera, and treat automated or pre-recorded interviews as their own format.
How do you set up your tech and location?
Set up a day early, then test again before the call. The goal is to make the technology boring, so that by interview time your only job is the conversation. Run one complete practice session on the same device and platform you will use, in the same room, at the same time of day.
For that practice run, New York State’s Department of Labor offers a free webcam mock-interview program called InterviewStream: you record answers using a computer or mobile device with a camera and a stable connection, then review the video yourself or submit it to an employment counselor for feedback. A recorded practice run shows you what the interviewer will see — your framing, your lighting, and whether you read from notes — before it counts.
Know which format you are walking into. Harvard Business Review’s 2023 article on AI interviews (subscription) notes in its summary that automated video interviews are increasingly used, with some relying on AI to decide who advances, and that pre-recorded video interviews have persisted since the pandemic. If the invitation does not say whether the interview is live or recorded, ask the recruiter. Harvard Business Review’s 2021 article on virtual interviews (subscription) makes the related point in its summary that remote hiring is now common, and candidates still need to prepare for a process that is newer than the in-person version.
| Setup item | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Use a wired connection if you can, or a strong signal with a hotspot ready | A freeze or drop breaks the flow of an answer |
| Device power | Plug in the laptop and charge your phone | Low battery adds a problem you cannot pause |
| Platform account | Install and update the app a day early; check your display name | Last-minute downloads and guest names look unprepared |
| Room | Pick a quiet room with a door, away from traffic and noise | The interviewer hears more than you think |
| Notifications | Silence phone, laptop, and any second screen | A pop-up or ringtone derails the moment |
| Backup | Save the recruiter’s phone number and the dial-in details | You need a second route if the platform fails |
How do you frame the video?
Framing is the part you fix once and forget. Put the camera at eye level — raise the laptop on books if you have to — and look at the lens when you speak, not at your own image. Light your face with a lamp or a window in front of you; a bright window behind you turns you into a silhouette. Choose a plain wall, a door, or a tidy shelf as the background, and skip virtual backgrounds unless the platform requires one.
The operational details are ordinary practice, but they are easy to overlook. A 2024 career-advice checklist from The Muse recommends a quiet, neutral background, a light source facing you rather than behind you, a lens at eye level, and a check for glare on glasses and jewelry before the call. Dress as you would for an in-person interview, including the part of you the camera may not show, because you will stand up or shift at some point. Solid colors read better on camera than busy patterns.
How should you behave on camera?
Look at the lens when you answer, and glance at the screen between sentences to read the interviewer’s reaction. It feels unnatural for the first minute and then disappears. Nod and smile when you are listening, because the small signals that show attention in a room do not carry through a camera unless you make them.
Sit up, keep your hands visible, and avoid rocking or swiveling in a chair. Video calls introduce a small delay, so wait a beat after the interviewer stops talking before you answer; that pause prevents the two of you from talking over each other. If you are long-winded under pressure, the pause is also where you decide which two sentences matter.
Treat it as a conversation, not a performance. The Muse’s checklist makes the same point among its video interview advice: answer the interviewer rather than delivering a monologue, and let follow-up questions shape what you say next. The STAR structure you would use in person still applies; the guide to behavioral interview questions covers how to build those answers.
What changes for a phone interview?
A phone interview removes the visual channel, so you have to carry the conversation with your voice. Stand up — it improves energy and projection — use a quiet room with a door, and wear a headset rather than speakerphone to avoid echo. Signal that you are listening with short verbal cues, because silence that feels thoughtful in person can feel like a dropped call on the phone.
Because the interviewer cannot see you, speak the structure out loud: “There are two parts to that — let me start with the first.” Keep the same one-page note sheet, and keep water nearby. If you tend to speak quickly when nervous, put a single word at the top of your notes — slow — where you will see it.
How do you handle technical failures?
Assume something will fail and decide in advance what you will do. The difference between a small interruption and a ruined interview is usually the backup plan, not the technology. If you drop, reconnect once; if you cannot get back in within a minute or two, call the recruiter or hiring manager using the number in the invitation and send a short email explaining what happened. State it once, then move on — a short apology is enough, and repeated apologies waste the time you have.
| Failure | Immediate response | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi drops | Switch to a hotspot, rejoin once, then call if you cannot reconnect | Wired connection or a tested hotspot at hand |
| Audio does not work | Rejoin with phone audio and call if needed | Test the microphone and headset before the call |
| Video freezes | Turn your camera off and continue on audio | Close other apps and reduce video quality |
| Platform will not load | Use the dial-in number and call the recruiter | Install and update the app a day early |
| Battery or power issue | Plug in and continue on your charged phone | Charge both devices overnight |
How do you use notes without reading?
Use one page and write keywords, not sentences. Put the page right beside the camera so your eyes move as little as possible, and structure it as a few story beats rather than full answers: the first line of each story, two or three key numbers, and your questions for the interviewer. Reading a prepared answer is obvious on video — your eyes track across the page and your voice flattens — so the notes are there to remind you, not to script you. For the questions themselves, see the guide to questions to ask the interviewer.
Do not type during the interview. Typing is audible, and the sound signals that you are writing rather than listening. If you need a reminder of what to cover, put three words in large type at the top of the page and glance at them between questions. With one recorded practice run, you will learn how much of the page you actually need — usually less than you think.
What should you do after the interview?
Follow up the same way you would after an in-person interview: send a short thank-you email within 24 hours, reference one specific thing from the conversation, and restate your interest. The guide to writing a thank-you email after an interview has a template and a follow-up timeline. Write down the questions you were asked while they are fresh; that list is the best preparation for the next round.
If the interview was pre-recorded or automated, you may not have an interviewer to thank. In that case, a brief note to the recruiter confirming that you completed the interview and remain interested is reasonable, and it keeps your name in the process. Then go back to the full preparation sequence in the guide to how to prepare for an interview for the next stage.
What belongs on a video interview checklist?
Run this list the day before and again ten minutes before the call.
- The platform app is installed, updated, and signed in with my full name.
- Camera, microphone, and speakers are tested on the same device I will use.
- The camera is at eye level and my face is lit from the front.
- The background is plain, quiet, and free of clutter.
- My phone, laptop, and any second screen have notifications silenced.
- I have the recruiter’s phone number and the dial-in details saved.
- I have a hotspot or a second connection ready.
- My notes fit on one page and sit beside the camera.
- I have done one recorded practice run and watched it once.
- I know I will send a thank-you note within 24 hours.
The technology should disappear five minutes before the interview starts. Do the setup work early, rehearse once on camera, and spend the call on the conversation rather than on the equipment. For the research and answers side of the call, see the guide to how to prepare for an interview.
How we researched this guide
We build interview guides from official and practitioner sources. This page draws on the New York State Department of Labor’s InterviewStream page for recorded mock-interview practice, Harvard Business Review’s 2021 article on virtual interviews and its 2023 article on AI interviews (both subscription), and a 2024 career-advice checklist from The Muse. We link each source beside the advice it supports.
Setup details and checklists here describe general practice, not a guaranteed format; employers set their own process. We review the page when the underlying guidance changes and show the last-updated date at the top. For how we choose, cite, and correct sources, see our editorial policy.
Frequently asked questions
Where should you look during a video interview?
Look at the camera lens when you speak, because that is the point the interviewer sees as eye contact. Glance at the screen between sentences to read their reaction, then return to the lens. Placing a small sticker next to the lens helps for the first few minutes. Looking at your own image instead of the camera is the most common mistake, and it makes you look distracted even when you are listening closely.
Can you use a script during a video interview?
Not a full script. Reading is obvious on camera: your eyes track across the page and your voice flattens. Use a one-page keyword sheet placed beside the camera, with the first line of each story, a few numbers, and your questions. Practice once on camera so you know how little you actually need. If you must glance down, do it between questions rather than mid-answer, and keep the page out of the camera frame.
What should you do if your technology fails mid-interview?
Reconnect once and keep it brief. If you cannot get back in within a minute or two, call the recruiter or hiring manager using the number in the invitation and send a short email explaining what happened. Have a hotspot, a charged phone, and the dial-in details ready before the call. State the problem once, apologize briefly, and return to the interview rather than spending the remaining time on the tech.
What should you wear to a video interview?
Dress as you would for an in-person interview at that company, and assume the camera may see more than your shirt — you will stand up or shift at some point. Solid colors read better on camera than busy patterns, and avoid anything that reflects light near your face. The standard is the same as in person: clean, professional, and appropriate to the company’s formality, not to working from home.
What should you do if someone walks in during a video interview?
Stay calm and keep the interview moving. Apologize briefly, mute if the interruption is likely to continue, and deal with it with as little disruption as possible — the interviewer is watching how you handle an unexpected moment, not judging the person at the door. If you need a moment, say so, step away, and return quickly. A short recovery usually costs you far less than visible panic.
How do you prepare for a pre-recorded video interview?
Treat it like a live interview with a pause button. Check the format in the invitation, test your setup, and prepare your answers in the same STAR structure you would use live. Look at the camera lens rather than the screen, keep notes beside the lens, and record a practice run so you know how you look and sound. If you can re-record an answer, still aim for one clear, honest take.
Sources and further reading
We link to primary and official sources so you can verify the details yourself.
- New York State Department of Labor — InterviewStream
- Harvard Business Review — 4 Tips to Nail a Virtual Job Interview (2021; subscription)
- Harvard Business Review — Are You Prepared to Be Interviewed by an AI? (2023; subscription)
- The Muse — 20 Best Video Interview Tips That Will Land You the Job (updated Jan. 2024)
How this guide was written. This page is part of Role Handbook, an independent career publication. We research each guide against primary and official sources, use worked examples and scripts instead of vague advice, and update pages when the underlying rules or practices change. Every page lists its sources. See our editorial policy for details and corrections.