I'm going through some job selection processes and it's becoming increasingly common for companies to call me for video interviews. I've never done this properly and I get really nervous in front of the camera. What's the best way to prepare and avoid looking unprofessional? Do you have tips on lighting, background, clothes?
One thing nobody mentions is the audio - if you have a headset with a microphone, use it instead of relying just on your computer's microphone, because it makes a huge difference in quality and prevents annoying feedback. Also test your internet speed half an hour before, because nothing's worse than the connection starting to lag in the middle of the interview and you getting pixelated or freezing up. And beyond what people have already said about the lighting and background (even if it's just a clean wall), the most important thing is to practice once or twice with a friend or by recording yourself, because once you see yourself on screen a couple of times the nervousness goes away pretty fast.
I get really nervous on camera too, but I've learned that the essentials are simple: find a spot with natural light (a window behind the camera is gold, not in front of you) or a small white lamp pointing upward, wear something smooth without a loud pattern, and keep the background clean without clutter or anything too colorful that distracts. Test everything beforehand - camera, audio, internet - because nothing's worse than discovering mid-interview that your camera is crooked or street noise is blaring.
The rest is just practice: record yourself answering common questions, watch it back without mercy, and you'll start noticing your quirks. Seriously, after you do one or two interviews it gets way less scary.
Your phone or computer camera is normally calibrated to frame faces at about 30-40 cm away, so position yourself at that distance and test it beforehand - lots of people end up too close or too far, which distorts the image. The thing nobody mentions: your background matters a lot, but it doesn't need to be perfect; just avoid things that move (a fan, curtains blowing) or are too distracting, a simple pattern is enough. As for clothes, anything neat above the collar will do (trousers or a tidier shirt), since the camera only frames you from the torso up; if you have natural light from a window, make use of it and position it a bit to the side relative to you, never directly behind.
What nobody really talks about is that you need to test your internet connection about 15 minutes beforehand, because nothing ruins a video interview more than freezing up or losing audio in the middle of an important answer. Also, pay attention to what's behind you on camera - a clean, simple background is way better than a bunch of random stuff, and it keeps the interviewer from getting distracted. Clothes: wear something you'd wear to an office, but remember that everything looks a bit more claustrophobic on camera, so solid colors work better than busy patterns. The tip that actually makes the biggest difference is keeping the camera at eye level, because looking down or up changes completely how you come across.
Log into answer.
