Key Takeaways

  • Look at the camera lens, not the person's face on screen, to simulate eye contact.
  • Raise your camera to eye level and light your face from the front.
  • Test your setup on the actual platform a day early, not five minutes before.
  • Keep short notes just off-camera, but never read from them.

Setup Is Half the Battle

Before content, get the mechanics right, because a bad connection or a dark room distracts from everything you say.

  • Camera at eye level. Stack books under your laptop. A camera looking up your nose reads as unflattering and unprofessional.
  • Light from the front. Face a window or a lamp. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
  • Neutral background. Tidy and plain beats a distracting or fake-blur background that flickers around your head.
  • Wired or strong Wi-Fi. Close bandwidth-hungry apps and, if possible, use ethernet.

The Eye-Contact Trick

The instinct is to look at the interviewer's face on your screen — but that makes you appear to look down. Instead, look into the camera lens when you speak. It feels unnatural at first, but to the interviewer it reads as direct, confident eye contact. Move the video window to the top of your screen, near the lens, to make this easier.

Test on the Real Platform

Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and platform-specific tools each behave differently. A day before, do a two-minute test call on the exact tool they will use. Check your mic, camera, screen-share, and that the browser or app is updated. "Sorry, can you hear me?" in the first minute costs you momentum.

The Note Trick

You can keep a small sticky note or a short doc just off-camera with your three key stories and any questions to ask. The rule: glance, do not read. Reading verbatim is obvious on video — your eyes track across text and your voice flattens. Use notes as a safety net, not a script.

Handling Lag and Glitches

  • If the connection stutters, pause and let it catch up rather than talking over the freeze.
  • If you get cut off, briefly acknowledge it: "I think we lost a second there — should I pick up from [point]?"
  • Keep your phone nearby as a backup to dial in if video fails entirely.

Practice Out Loud

Answers that feel clear in your head often ramble out loud. Run a few mock interview reps on camera so you hear your own pacing and see your own body language before it counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I dress fully professionally even from home?

Yes, top and bottom — both because it affects how you carry yourself and in case you need to stand up. Dress as you would for an in-person interview.

Is it okay to look at notes during a video interview?

Brief glances at bullet points are fine and normal. Reading full answers word-for-word is not — it is visible and it flattens your delivery.

What if my kid or pet interrupts?

Handle it with brief good humor and move on. Interviewers are human; a calm recovery can actually work in your favor.