Video Interviews: How to Look and Sound Your Best

Video interviews have been standard for long enough that appearing on camera looking and sounding unprepared is no longer a first-impression problem that gets chalked up to technical inexperience. It reads as lack of preparation. The bar for the technical side of a video interview is now the same as showing up in business casual to an in-person meeting — it's just expected.

The good news is that getting it right is not complicated or expensive. Most of what matters is positioning and environment, not gear.

The single biggest variable in how you look on video is lighting. Face a window or a lamp — light should come from in front of you, not behind. Backlit faces look dark and washed out regardless of camera quality. If your room has a window behind you, close the blinds or move your setup.

Camera placement matters almost as much. Position your camera at eye level, not below. A laptop on a stack of books accomplishes this if you don't have a stand. Looking slightly down at the camera creates an unflattering angle and reduces presence. Eye-level or slightly above is ideal.

Built-in laptop cameras have improved substantially and are sufficient for most interviews. An external webcam in the $50-80 range produces a noticeable improvement if you interview regularly, but it's not required.

Audio quality matters more than video quality. Interviewers can mentally compensate for a slightly blurry image; they can't compensate for struggling to understand what you're saying. A USB microphone or wired earbuds with a microphone produce significantly better audio than a built-in laptop mic.

Test your audio before every interview, not just the first one. Close extra applications that might generate notifications, find a quiet room, and if you're in an open environment, a simple acoustic treatment — like sitting in a room with carpets and soft furnishings — makes a real difference.

A clean, neutral background works. A professional-looking room works. A virtual background can work if it's good quality and doesn't blur when you move. What doesn't work is a messy, visually busy background that distracts from you.

Look at the camera lens when speaking, not at the screen. This creates the impression of eye contact for the interviewer. It takes some adjustment but becomes natural with practice. Record a test call with yourself to see how you actually appear — most people are surprised by what they learn.