How to Ace a Virtual Interview

Video interviews have their own failure modes that have nothing to do with your actual qualifications. Here's what to get right.

Test Your Setup the Day Before, Not Ten Minutes Before

Stable internet, working camera and microphone, the actual video platform installed and tested — do this a day ahead, not right before the call. Last-minute technical scrambling is one of the most common ways candidates start an interview rattled.

Light Your Face, Not Your Background

A window in front of you (not behind you) is the simplest fix for most home lighting problems. Backlighting — a bright window behind you — turns your face into a silhouette, which is more distracting to an interviewer than people realize.

Look at the Camera When You Speak, Not the Screen

This feels unnatural at first because your instinct is to look at the interviewer's face on your screen. Looking at the camera lens instead approximates eye contact for the person on the other end — practice this a few times before the actual interview so it feels less strange.

Have a Backup Plan for Technical Failure

Know the interviewer's phone number or email in advance, and know how you'd switch to a phone call if your video or internet fails mid-interview. Communicating a clear backup plan calmly is far better than panicking silently while your screen freezes.

Keep Notes Visible But Don't Read From Them

A sticky note with 2-3 key points (not a full script) just off-camera is fine and genuinely useful. Reading full sentences off a script is usually obvious to the interviewer and undermines the natural flow of your answers.

Mute Notifications on Every Device in the Room

A phone buzzing on the desk or a laptop notification popping up mid-answer breaks your focus and the interviewer's. Turn on do-not-disturb everywhere, not just on the device you're using for the call.

Pause Before Answering — It Reads as Thoughtful, Not Slow

Video calls have slight lag and no natural conversational overlap, so a brief pause before responding avoids talking over the interviewer and gives you a second to organize your answer. It reads as composed, not hesitant.