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On camera, at home · about 9 minutes
Video interview tips
How to set up your camera, light and sound, what to do before the call begins, how to come across well on screen, and what to do if the connection drops halfway through an answer.
Checked November 10, 2026. Interview habits differ from one employer to the next.
Many employers now hold at least one round of interviews by video, and some run the whole process that way. A video interview saves you the drive and the waiting room, but it adds a new set of things to get right: a camera angle, a light source, a microphone and a connection you do not fully control.
The good news is that almost all of it can be sorted out a day ahead. This guide covers the setup, a practice call, the last fifteen minutes before you join, how to come across well on screen, the different formats you may meet, and what to do when something goes wrong. Everything here works with an ordinary laptop or phone.
Find out the format first
Read the invitation carefully. It should tell you which video platform the employer uses, whether you will speak with one person or a panel, and roughly how long the call will last. If any of that is missing, a short reply asking for it is entirely reasonable.
Some employers use one-way or recorded interviews, where questions appear on screen and you record your answers without anyone watching live. These usually give you a short time to think and a fixed time to answer, and sometimes allow a retake. Knowing which kind you face changes how you practice.
Set up your camera at eye level
The most common video problem is a camera that looks up at you from the desk. Raise your laptop on a stack of books or a box until the camera lens is level with your eyes. Sit about an arm's length away so your head and the top of your shoulders fill the frame, with a little space above your head.
If you use a phone, put it on a stand or lean it securely against something steady, and turn it sideways so the picture is wide rather than tall. Avoid holding it in your hand; even a steady hand makes the picture wobble.
Light your face from the front
Face a window if you can, so daylight falls on your face. A bright window behind you will turn you into a silhouette. If daylight is not an option, place a lamp behind your laptop and slightly to one side, pointing toward you. A small clip-on ring light works too, but it is not essential.
Do a quick test at the same time of day as your interview, because light changes a lot between morning and late afternoon.
Choose a calm background and good sound
A plain wall, a tidy bookshelf or a neat corner of a room all work well. Look at what the camera actually sees and move anything distracting: laundry, a busy poster, a doorway where people walk past. Many platforms offer blurred or virtual backgrounds; a gentle blur is fine, but busy virtual scenes can flicker around your head.
Sound matters more than most people expect. Wired or wireless earbuds with a built-in microphone usually sound clearer than a laptop's own speakers and reduce echo. Close windows, silence your phone, and let the people you live with know the time of your call. A towel or rug on a hard floor helps in an echoey room.
Run a practice call the day before
Install or update the platform the employer uses, then call a friend or record a test meeting. Check that your name appears correctly, that your camera and microphone are selected, and that the employer's link opens. Practice sharing your screen if there is any chance you will need to.
While you are on the practice call, answer two or three interview questions. Watch the recording: notice where your eyes go, how fast you speak, and whether your gestures stay in the frame. Most people find they need to slow down a little on video.
The fifteen minutes before you join
Restart your computer to clear out updates and background programs, then close everything except the video platform and one document with your notes. Plug in your laptop rather than relying on the battery. Turn off notifications so pop-ups do not appear during the call or while you share your screen.
Keep a glass of water, a pen and paper, and a printed copy of your resume nearby. Write the interviewer's phone number on the paper in case the connection fails. Join two or three minutes early; joining much earlier can leave you sitting in a waiting room with your camera on.
How to come across well on screen
Look at the camera when you speak, at least for the start and end of each answer, because that is what feels like eye contact on the other side. It helps to place a small sticky note with an arrow beside the lens. When the interviewer speaks, it is natural to look at their face on screen.
Sit upright, keep your hands visible now and then, and nod to show you are listening, since small reactions are easy to miss on video. Pause for a beat after the interviewer finishes, because there is often a short delay and talking over each other is common. Keep notes brief; reading long passages from the screen is noticeable.
Panel and recorded formats
In a panel interview, several faces share the screen. Address the person who asked the question, but glance at the camera as you finish so the whole panel feels included. Write down names as people introduce themselves so you can use them in your thank-you messages.
For recorded interviews, practice with a timer. If you have thirty seconds to think and two minutes to answer, use the thinking time to pick one of your prepared stories and jot three words. Finish a little early rather than being cut off mid-sentence.
If something goes wrong
Connections drop, dogs bark and children walk in. Interviewers deal with this all the time. If your picture freezes or the call ends, rejoin with the same link straight away. If that fails within a minute or two, call or email the interviewer using the details you wrote down and offer to continue by phone.
If someone interrupts, a brief "Excuse me for a moment" and a quick mute is all it takes. Take a breath, pick up where you left off, and carry on. How calmly you recover often leaves a better impression than a call where nothing happened at all.
Practice run: Tomasz prepares for a panel call from his kitchen
Tomasz Wierzbicki has a forty-five-minute video interview at 9 a.m. for a remote bookkeeping assistant role, with a panel of three. His only quiet room is the kitchen, which faces a bright window.
The day before, he turns the table so the window is in front of him, raises his laptop on four cookbooks, and runs a practice call with his sister. The recording shows a ceiling light reflecting in his glasses, so he switches it off and tilts the laptop screen down slightly. He finds his earbuds sound clearer than the laptop microphone and charges them overnight.
At 8:45 he restarts the laptop, silences notifications and writes the panel lead's phone number on a notepad. Twenty minutes in, his connection freezes. He rejoins within forty seconds, apologizes once and finishes his answer about month-end reconciliation. Afterward he emails each of the three panel members by name, using the notes he took as they introduced themselves.
Tomasz is a made-up person. The employer, times and figures in this practice run were invented to show how the steps fit together.
At a glance
| Item | What to aim for | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Lens at eye level, about an arm's length away | A stack of books under the laptop |
| Light | Soft light on your face from the front | Face a window or put a lamp behind the screen |
| Background | Plain, tidy and still | A blank wall or a gentle blur setting |
| Sound | Clear voice with little echo | Earbuds with a microphone, and a rug or towel |
| Connection | Stable for the whole call | Restart first, close other apps, sit near the router |
| Backup | A way to reach the interviewer | Their phone number written on paper |
Checklist: your video setup
- You know the platform, the format and the length of the call.
- The platform is installed, updated and tested with a practice call.
- Your camera is at eye level and your face is lit from the front.
- The background is tidy and nothing distracting is in view.
- Earbuds are charged and selected as your microphone.
- Your laptop is freshly restarted and plugged in, with notifications off and other programs closed.
- The interviewer's phone number is written on paper beside you.
- You plan to join two or three minutes early.
Key terms
- One-way interview
- A recorded interview where questions appear on screen and you answer without a live interviewer.
- Waiting room
- A holding screen some platforms use before the host lets you into the call.
- Mute
- Turning off your microphone so others cannot hear you.
- Screen sharing
- Showing what is on your screen to everyone in the call.
- Virtual background
- A setting that replaces or blurs what is behind you.
- Latency
- The short delay between when someone speaks and when others hear them.
Questions to ask them
Pick two or three that you genuinely want answered, and drop any the interviewer has already covered.
- Will the next round also be held by video, or in person?
- Which tools does the team use day to day for meetings and messaging?
- How does the team stay connected when people work from different places?
- What hours would I usually be expected to be online?
- Is there anything from today you would like me to follow up on in writing?
- When should I expect to hear about next steps?
Keep reading
This guide shares general interview information. Noticewold has no link to any employer, does not arrange interviews and cannot speak for a hiring decision. Spotted an error? Email support@noticewold.com or call 877-508-2994.
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