How to prepare for a video or online interview

Many interviews now happen over video, and they are not simply a normal interview with a camera added. The medium changes how you come across, and small technical or presentation slips can distract from good answers. A little preparation removes most of the risk.

Sort the technology in advance

Nothing undermines an online interview faster than a technical scramble at the start. Well before the day:

• Test your device, camera, and microphone. Do a trial call with a friend on the same platform.
• Check your internet. Use a wired connection if you can, and close other apps that eat bandwidth.
• Learn the platform. Know how to join, mute, and share your screen if needed.
• Have a backup. Keep a phone number or alternative ready in case the connection fails.

Set up your space

The interviewer sees your background, so make it work for you. Choose a quiet, tidy spot with a plain or uncluttered backdrop. Sit facing a window or a light source so your face is well lit, rather than in shadow with a bright window behind you. Raise your camera to roughly eye level so you are not looking down at it.

Manage eye contact and body language

The strange part of video is that looking at the person on your screen means looking away from the camera. To seem present and engaged, look into the camera when you speak, not at your own image. Sit up, keep your posture open, and let yourself use natural expression. Energy reads as flatter through a screen, so a little more warmth than usual helps.

Handle the rhythm of online talk

Video introduces small delays, which makes interrupting and overlapping easy. Leave a brief pause before you answer to be sure the other person has finished. If the connection lags, it is fine to ask them to repeat a question. These small courtesies keep the conversation smooth rather than stilted.

Prepare the content as you would for any interview

The medium is different, but the substance is the same. Research the role and the organisation, prepare answers to the questions you can expect, and have your own questions ready. You can keep brief notes just off camera, but do not read from them. Glancing at a prompt is fine. Reading a script is obvious and stiff.

Do a full rehearsal

Run a complete practice on the actual platform, ideally with someone asking you questions. It settles the technology, shows you how you look and sound on camera, and turns the format from a distraction into something you barely notice on the day.

Get the setup right, look into the lens, and prepare the substance properly, and a video interview becomes just an interview, one where your answers, not your webcam, are what the interviewer remembers.