Your interview is on video. You're at home, in comfortable clothes below the waist, with your living room a few inches behind the screen. The temptation is to treat it like an ordinary chat. But video changes three things: you're seen poorly, heard poorly, and the other person's energy is harder to read. You have to compensate.

Before: the technical basics

1. Test the day before, not ten minutes before. Microphone, camera, connection, and the exact software they use (Zoom, Teams, Meet: each has its settings). Install updates early. They always arrive at the worst moment.

2. Have a plan B. The recruiter's phone number, your phone's hotspot if the Wi-Fi drops. A calmly handled disconnect isn't a problem; one without a fallback is.

3. Frame at eye level. Raise your laptop with books: a low camera films you from below, which has never flattered anyone.

4. Light in front of you, not behind. A window at your back turns you into a silhouette. Facing a window or a lamp, you're readable.

5. A neutral, tidy background. No studio needed: a plain wall, a simple shelf. Avoid virtual backgrounds that clip your shoulders.

During: compensate for what the screen removes

6. Look at the camera, not the screen, when you speak. It's counterintuitive, but it's what gives the other person the sense of eye contact. Look at the screen when you listen.

7. Speak slightly slower and louder. The small audio delay makes people talk over each other. Leave half a second of silence before answering.

8. Exaggerate your listening cues a little. A nod, a smile. On video, a neutral face reads as disinterest.

9. Keep notes, discreetly. A sticky note next to the screen with your five stories and three questions. Never read: the eyes dropping gives it away.

10. Close everything else. Notifications, email, tabs: turn them off beforehand. An alert popping up or a sound ringing is noticed immediately.

Common video mistakes

  • Joining at the exact minute. Connect two or three minutes early: it leaves room for a technical hiccup.
  • A half-finished outfit. You think of the shirt, but if you have to stand up, the rest counts too.
  • Monologuing. On screen, answers longer than two minutes drag: pause so the other person can react.
  • Forgetting the finish. A video interview ends with a click: thank them before, then send a thank-you email.
Key takeaway: video doesn't ask you to be better, but more legible: lighting, eye contact with the camera, a slightly slower pace.

The content is the same as in person: same questions, same preparation. Lean on common interview questions and the STAR method. One video-specific tip: keep the application's file open on a second screen or printed. In Prepint, it gathers the posting, your notes and your prep in one place.