Video Interview Tips: How to Nail a Zoom or Teams Interview
A video interview is still an interview. The content of your answers matters far more than your webcam. But video adds a thin layer of friction, eye contact through a lens, audio that can drop, a background that's now part of your presentation, and that friction is where good candidates quietly lose points. The fix is almost entirely preparation: test the tech, control your environment, and practice looking at the camera. Do those three things and you'll come across as calm and competent, which is most of the battle.
Below is the practical playbook, what to set up before, how to come across well during, and exactly what to do when something breaks.
Set up your tech before the day, not five minutes before
The single most common video-interview failure is technical, and almost all of it is preventable. Test everything the day before, then again 20 minutes before.
- Install and update the app. If they sent a Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet link, open it ahead of time. Browser versions sometimes glitch; the desktop app is usually more stable. Run any pending updates so an update prompt doesn't ambush you at start time.
- Test camera, mic, and speakers. Most apps have a built-in "test audio/video" screen. Use it. If your laptop mic sounds tinny, plain wired earbuds with a mic almost always sound better and prevent echo.
- Check your internet. Sit close to the router or plug in with an ethernet cable. Ask others in your home to stay off streaming and big downloads during your slot.
- Have a backup ready. Keep the recruiter's phone number and email open in another window, and have your phone charged with the meeting app installed. If your laptop dies, you can rejoin from the phone in seconds.
- Close everything else. Quit Slack, email, and any app that pings. Silence your phone. Turn off notifications so a message banner doesn't slide across your screen while you're sharing.
Get your camera, lighting, and background right
You don't need a studio. You need to be clearly visible, well-lit, and not distracting.
| Element | Do this | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Camera height | Raise the laptop on books so the lens is at eye level | Camera below your chin (the up-the-nose angle) |
| Lighting | Face a window or put a lamp behind the screen, pointing at you | A bright window behind you (turns you into a silhouette) |
| Background | Plain wall, tidy shelf, or a subtle blur | A messy bed, clutter, or a busy fake background that glitches |
| Framing | Head and shoulders, small gap above your head | Too close (just a face) or too far (tiny in the frame) |
A quick test: turn your camera on 20 minutes early and look at your own preview as if you were the interviewer. Can they see your eyes clearly? Is anything behind you embarrassing or distracting? Adjust until it looks like a calm, professional person in a clean space.
Nail the eye contact and body language
This is the part that feels unnatural and matters most. On video, your instinct is to watch the other person's face, but that means you're looking down at your screen, not at them.
- Look at the lens when you speak. Especially for your opening line and your key points, talk to the little camera dot, not the face on screen. It feels weird; it looks like genuine eye contact to them.
- Shrink the gap. Drag the video window to the top of your screen, right under the webcam, so glancing between the lens and their face is a tiny movement instead of an obvious downward look.
- Sit up and lean in slightly. Good posture reads as engaged. Don't slouch back into the couch.
- Use your hands and nod. Some natural gesturing within the frame and a nod while they talk replaces all the in-person body language that video flattens. Silence with a frozen face can read as a frozen screen.
- Smile when you greet them. First impressions form in seconds, and a warm hello does a lot of work on a small screen.
Handle the rhythm of a video conversation
Video has a half-second lag and no shared room, so the natural back-and-forth of conversation breaks down if you're not deliberate.
- Pause before you answer. Wait a full beat after they finish to avoid talking over them on the lag. A short pause also makes you look thoughtful rather than rushed.
- Watch for the unmute fumble. If you're on mute and start talking, you'll see their puzzled face. Get in the habit of a quick glance at the mute icon before your first word.
- Keep answers a touch tighter. Long monologues are harder to follow on video. Make your point, give an example, and stop, then let them follow up.
- Have notes, used sparingly. One advantage of video: you can keep a sticky note or a small doc with a few bullet points (key achievements, questions to ask) near the camera. Glance, don't read. A candidate clearly reading a script is obvious and off-putting.
If you want the structure for the answers themselves, the STAR method keeps behavioral responses tight, and these questions to ask the interviewer work just as well over video.
What to do when the tech fails anyway
It will sometimes fail despite everything. How you handle it is itself a small test of composure, and interviewers know the tech isn't your fault.
- If you freeze or lag, say plainly: "Sorry, I think my connection glitched, could you repeat the last part?" No drama.
- If video keeps dropping, offer to switch to audio-only or a phone call: "My video's struggling, would it be easier to continue by phone?" This is why you saved their number.
- If you get fully disconnected, rejoin from the same link immediately. If that fails, jump to your phone. If all else fails, email the recruiter right away: "I lost connection, I'm trying to rejoin now, here's my number if it's easier to call."
- If they have the problem, be patient and reassuring. Don't fill the silence with nervous chatter; just wait kindly.
A calm "no problem at all, take your time" when their screen freezes tells the interviewer more about your temperament than a dozen polished answers.
After the interview
Treat the close like any interview: confirm next steps and follow up. Send a thank-you email within 24 hours referencing something specific you discussed. If your nerves spiked on camera, the techniques in how to calm interview nerves carry straight over to video.
The bottom line
A video interview rewards preparation more than charisma. Test your tech twice, control your light and background, raise the camera to eye level, and talk to the lens. Then have a one-line plan for when the connection drops so a glitch becomes a non-event instead of a meltdown.
Everything else is the same interview you'd have in a room. The webcam is just a thinner pane of glass between you and a real conversation, set it up well, and the person on the other side will barely notice it's there.
FAQ
Should I look at the camera or at the interviewer's face?
Look at the camera lens when you're speaking, especially during important points, so the interviewer feels you're making eye contact. It's fine to glance at their face when they're talking. The trick is to move the video window up near your webcam so the gap between the two is small.
What should I do if my internet cuts out during a video interview?
Stay calm and reconnect quickly. If video won't hold, ask to switch to audio-only or a phone call. Having the recruiter's number and a backup device ready beforehand turns a disaster into a 30-second blip, and handling it gracefully actually shows composure.
Do I need to dress up for a video interview if they only see my top half?
Dress fully, top and bottom. You might need to stand up unexpectedly, and dressing completely also puts you in a more professional mindset. For the visible half, wear what you would to an in-person interview at that company, usually one notch above the team's daily dress code.
How early should I log on to a video interview?
Join the meeting two to three minutes early, not ten. Logging on too early can look awkward if they're not ready, and joining late reads as disorganized. Test your camera, mic, and the meeting link 15 to 30 minutes ahead so the only thing left at start time is clicking join.