Video Interview Tips: How to Ace Any Online Job Interview

It's important to understand which type of video interview you're facing — they require different approaches.

This guide focuses primarily on live video interviews via Teams, Zoom, or Meet. For one-way AI-scored interviews, see our dedicated HireVue interview guide — the technical setup advice below applies equally, but the answer strategy differs significantly.

1. Lighting

This is the single highest-impact technical change most candidates can make. Poor lighting (a window behind you, a dim room, uneven shadows) immediately creates a poor impression — the interviewer subconsciously reads bad visual quality as low professionalism, even if they can't articulate why.

• Natural light from in front of you is ideal — face a window if possible.
• If using artificial lighting, a desk lamp positioned slightly to the side and in front creates a clean, professional image without harsh shadows.
• Avoid windows or bright lights behind you — they create silhouette and obscure your face.
• A ring light is a low-cost option that produces consistently professional lighting regardless of the time of day.

2. Camera Height and Framing

Your camera should be at eye level — not looking up from a laptop on a desk (which shows your nostrils) or down from a monitor (which projects dominance). Stack books or use a laptop stand to bring the camera to eye level. The frame should show your head and shoulders with a small amount of space above your head.

3. Audio Quality

Poor audio is more disruptive than poor video. If your built-in microphone produces echo, background noise, or tinny quality, a wired headset or external USB microphone dramatically improves the experience. Test audio by recording yourself for 30 seconds and listening back.

Eye Contact: Look at the Camera Lens, Not the Screen

This is the most common and most impactful mistake in video interviews. When you watch the interviewer's face on your screen, your eyes point downward — not towards the camera lens above. From the interviewer's perspective, you appear to be looking away. To create genuine eye contact, look directly at your camera lens when speaking. This feels unnatural at first but makes a dramatic difference to how engaged and confident you appear.

A practical hack: place a small sticker or a printed photo next to your camera lens to give yourself something to "look at" rather than staring at a lens cold.

Background

A plain, neutral wall is best. A tidy bookshelf signals intellect and organisation. Avoid: messy rooms, distracting artwork, other people visible, unmade beds. Virtual backgrounds on Teams or Zoom are acceptable if your real background is problematic — choose a plain background, not a beach or space station.

Posture and Energy

Video compresses and flattens your energy. Sit slightly forward, spine upright — this projects engagement. Speak with slightly more energy and slightly slower pace than you would in person; video transmission introduces a fraction of a second of lag that makes over-rapid speech harder to follow. Nod to signal active listening when the interviewer is speaking.

What to Do With Your Hands

Hands slightly visible in frame (resting on the desk or naturally gesturing) reads as more open and confident than hands completely out of frame. Don't fidget visibly. If you tend to gesture when talking, that's perfectly fine on video — it adds energy.

Dress Code

Dress as you would for an in-person interview at the same organisation — waist-up at minimum. Avoid patterns that cause camera moiré (thin stripes, fine checks). Solid, mid-tone colours (navy, charcoal, burgundy) photograph well and read as professional.

The content of strong interview answers doesn't change on video. The STAR method still applies; the same competency frameworks are being assessed. What changes is delivery:

• Slower pace: Speak slightly slower than you would in person. Network lag and compression make rapid speech harder to follow. Deliberate pauses also read as confidence, not hesitation.
• More explicit signposting: In person, you can read whether an interviewer is following you. On video, you can't. Use signpost phrases more deliberately: "So to put this in context…", "The key thing I did was…", "The outcome was…"
• Look at the camera when making key points: During your answer, you can glance at the screen to read the interviewer's reactions — but return to looking at the camera lens for your most important points. This creates the impression of direct, confident eye contact at the moments that matter most.
• Pause before answering: A 2–3 second pause to gather your thoughts before answering reads as considered and calm on video. It also prevents you from talking over the interviewer in the moment when audio lag can cause accidental overlap.

Managing Notes

It's acceptable to have brief notes off-screen (to the side of your monitor, or on paper below camera line). Use them for: key STAR examples you want to remember, 2–3 prepared questions to ask, the company's key competencies. Do not read from notes — if you're visibly looking away repeatedly, it breaks the impression of confident recall. Notes are a safety net, not a script.

Follow-Up Email

A brief thank-you email within 24 hours is professional and appropriate at most firms. Keep it short: thank them for their time, reference one specific topic from the conversation, and confirm your continued interest. Don't restate your entire application. In banking and consulting, this is increasingly expected; in tech and public sector, it's less common but never harmful.

Debrief Yourself

Immediately after the interview, write down: which questions felt strong, which felt weak, and what you'd answer differently. This is both useful for learning and for preparing if you're called for a second round. Your recall is most accurate within the first hour — capture it while it's fresh.

Timeline and Next Steps

If the interviewer didn't specify a timeline, it's reasonable to ask: "Do you have a sense of when I might hear back?" Most firms aim to give feedback within 1–2 weeks of a first-round interview. See our guide on how long SHL take to notify for more context on typical timelines in graduate hiring.