Video interview tips: how to make a good impression online

Check the technology the day before

Most problems in a video interview can be avoided with ten minutes of preparation the day before. Open the link you have been sent and check that it works. If you get a Teams link, you can usually join from your browser without an account, but the app is often more stable. Decide what you will use, and test exactly that.

Before you join a meeting, most video programs show a preview of yourself and let you choose your camera and microphone. Use this preview. Check that the right microphone is selected, especially if you have headphones plugged in.

Go through this list as well:

• Update the program and your computer the day before, not an hour before the interview.
• Charge your laptop and keep the charger plugged in.
• Close other programs and tabs, and turn off notifications from email and chat.
• Check that your name is displayed correctly. “User123” or a nickname looks unprofessional.
• Have the phone number of your contact person to hand in case something goes wrong.

Camera, light and sound

Place the camera at eye level. If your laptop sits low on the desk, the interviewers will be looking up at your chin. Put a few books under it until the camera is level with your eyes. Sit about an arm's length away, so that your head and shoulders fill the picture.

Light matters more than the camera. Sit facing a window or a lamp, not with the window behind you, or you will turn into a dark silhouette. If your interview is in the evening, a lamp behind the screen shining on your face makes a big difference.

Bad sound is more tiring for the interviewers than a bad picture. Use headphones with a microphone to avoid echo. Choose a room with soft surfaces such as curtains and a sofa rather than an empty room with hard walls. If you are on wifi, sit close to the router, or use a cable if you can.

Background and clothes

Your background does not need to be beautiful, just tidy. A wall, a bookshelf or a plant works well. Avoid your bed, laundry and people walking past. Tell the people you live with that you have an interview, and close the door.

A blurred background in Teams is fine if the room cannot be tidied, but a real, calm background looks most natural. Virtual backgrounds with beaches or open-plan offices can make your hair and hands flicker, and they draw attention away from you.

Dress as you would for an interview in person, including below the edge of the desk. You might have to stand up to fetch something. Plain colours work best on video, while thin stripes and small checks can shimmer.

Body language on video

On video it is easy to look at the faces on the screen rather than at the camera. That makes it look as though you are looking down. Look into the camera when you speak, especially when you start and finish an answer, and look at the screen when you listen. It feels strange, but it is how you make eye contact on video.

Small signals get lost on screen, so be slightly clearer than usual. Nod when you listen, smile when it fits, and sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Let your hands show when you explain something, but keep them away from the camera.

Many people are distracted by their own image. In Teams you can hide your own video from yourself while the others can still see you. Try it if you notice that you keep looking at yourself.

You can keep a note with a few key words next to the camera, but do not read from it. The interviewers notice straight away when your eyes move from side to side.

Pauses and delays in a job interview on Teams

There is almost always a small delay on video. That makes people interrupt each other without meaning to. Wait half a second after the interviewer has stopped talking before you answer. It feels long to you, but it looks natural on screen.

If you both start talking at once, stop and say: “Sorry, go ahead.” It is polite and solves the situation quickly. If you did not hear the question, say so: “The sound dropped out for a moment, could you repeat the question?” That is much better than guessing.

Keep your answers a little shorter than you would in a meeting room. It is harder for interviewers to slip in a follow-up question on video, so a long answer can quickly turn into a monologue. Answer, give an example and finish. If you have prepared your answer to “tell me about yourself”, it should take one to two minutes, not five.

Silence is fine too. If you need to think, say “Good question, let me think for a moment”, and take the pause.

Recorded one-way video interviews

Some employers use video interviews where you record your answers on your own. The question appears on the screen, you get some time to think, and then the recording starts. There is nobody on the other side, and the recruiter watches the recording later.

Read the instructions carefully before you start. Look for how long you have to think and answer, whether you get another attempt, and whether there is a practice question. Use the practice question if there is one, even if you feel confident about the technology.

The hardest part is talking to a camera that gives no response. Imagine you are explaining something to a colleague on the other side of the lens. Smile before you begin, and use a simple structure: the situation, what you did and what it led to. Do not let the countdown stress you. A short, clear answer is better than a long one that gets cut off.

If the connection fails

It happens, and interviewers know it. What counts is how you handle it. It is a good idea to agree in advance what you will do if the connection drops, for example that you will call your contact person.

This is how to stay calm if it happens:

• If the picture freezes, turn off your camera for a while. Audio alone needs less bandwidth.
• If you drop out, rejoin straight away using the same link.
• If you cannot get back in within a couple of minutes, send a short email or text: “I have lost the connection and am trying to rejoin. I can also call if that suits you better.”
• If the meeting invitation includes a phone number, you can dial in and continue with audio only.
• When you are back, say briefly where you were in your answer, and carry on. Do not spend time apologising.

Practise video interviews before the real one

The best advice is to practise in front of the camera. Record yourself on your phone or laptop while you answer common interview questions, and watch the recording. You will quickly see whether you look away, talk too fast or say “um” between every sentence.

You can also ask a friend for a practice call on Teams. That way you test the technology and the pauses at the same time. Find good questions to practise with in the free Interview questions tool, and read how to prepare for a job interview for the rest of your preparation.

If you want to practise in conditions as close to the real interview as possible, Selja has Interview practice. You practise the interview for the exact job you have applied for, with interviewers you see on screen and a full-screen mode that feels like a real digital interview. You answer by speaking or writing, and you get feedback on every answer and a report at the end. Interview practice is included in Premium, see prices.