Career
Video interviews have their own set of challenges beyond what in-person interviews require. Here's how to optimize for the format.
Video interviews are now the default first and second round format for most professional roles. They offer flexibility but also introduce technical and environmental variables that in-person interviews don't have. Ignoring those variables is a common mistake.
The good news: most of the work is preparation you only have to do once.
Lighting matters more than most people realize. Sitting with a window behind you makes your face dark and distracting. Sit facing a window or set up a lamp in front of you so your face is well-lit. A ring light is inexpensive and effective if you do many video calls.
Background: clean and uncluttered. You don't need a home studio - a blank wall or a tidy bookshelf works fine. Virtual backgrounds can look fake and can glitch in ways that are distracting. The real thing is usually better if you can arrange it.
The built-in camera and microphone on most laptops are adequate if you're in a quiet room. External webcams and headset microphones are an upgrade if you do a lot of video calls and care about quality.
More important than equipment: test everything before the interview. Join a test call, record yourself, and watch it back. Is the audio clear? Are you looking at the camera (which reads as eye contact) or at the screen (which reads as looking away)? Camera at eye level, not looking up or down at you.
Looking at the camera rather than the screen takes practice. When you want to convey engagement and directness, look at the camera dot. When you're listening, it's natural to look at the face on screen. Alternating feels natural on both ends.
Have your notes in front of you - this is one of the genuine advantages of video interviews. Key points you want to make, questions you want to ask, stats you want to reference. You can glance at them briefly without it being obvious. Just don't read from them or look down constantly.
Have a backup plan. Exchange phone numbers with the interviewer before the call. If the connection drops, you can switch to phone. Nothing signals preparedness like handling a technical issue calmly and smoothly.
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