Video interviews: how to prepare

Online job interviews: live and recorded formats, eye contact, using notes, STAR answers, interviewing in English and handling technical problems.

Today many employers, especially banks, IT firms and international organisations, hold the first meeting with a candidate over video. That lets a candidate in Nukus or Termez talk to an employer in Tashkent without travelling anywhere. But a conversation through a screen has its own difficulties: eye contact works differently, pauses feel longer, and a single dropped connection can upset every plan. In this article we look at what is specific to video interviews: the types of interview, how to behave in front of the camera, clothing and background, using notes properly, short answers with the STAR method, answering the key questions on video, interviewing in English, technical problems and the thank-you letter afterwards. General preparation (researching the employer, managing nerves, test tasks) is covered in detail in our article on preparing for a job interview, so we do not repeat it here.

Types of video interview

When you receive an invitation, first find out what format the interview will take. Each one calls for different preparation.

Live video interview

The most common type: you and one or more interviewers meet at the same time on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Telegram. This is the format closest to an ordinary job interview: questions and answers, follow-up questions and your own questions at the end. The difference is that the interviewer sees you only within the frame and hears you through a microphone, so your picture and sound quality become part of the first impression.

Recorded interview

This is known as a “one-way video interview”. There is no live interviewer: you are sent a link to a dedicated platform, a question appears on screen and you record your answer to the camera. The employer or HR department watches the recordings later. Depending on the platform, the usual rules are:

after reading the question you get a short time to think;
the time for your answer is limited and a timer is shown on screen;
you may or may not be allowed to re-record, which is stated at the start;
the link is valid until a certain deadline.

Many platforms offer a practice question before you begin. Always use it: it does not count towards the result, but it shows how the camera, sound and timer work.

Interview with a test task

In some interviews you are asked to share your screen and complete a task live: build a table in Excel, write a short letter, write code or role-play a conversation with a customer. Here your way of thinking is assessed as well as your skill, so explain out loud what you are doing as you work: “First I’ll sort the data by date, then I’ll remove the duplicates.” If you work in silence, the interviewer cannot tell what is happening.

Technical preparation in brief

A detailed guide to the app, internet connection, microphone, camera, lighting and screen sharing is in our article on online meeting etiquette. For a video interview, the essentials are:

Test the day before. Make a short call with a friend on the same platform and record yourself to check how you look and sound.
Profile. Your name should read “First name Surname” and your profile photo should look professional.
Headphones. They reduce echo and noise, and your voice comes through more clearly.
Charge and backup. The laptop is plugged in, and mobile data is ready on your phone.
Be ready 10 minutes early. Join the link 3–5 minutes before the start, not earlier: the interviewer may still be busy with the previous candidate.

Behaving in front of the camera

Things that come naturally face to face work differently on screen. Practise these habits in advance.

Looking at the camera

If you look at the interviewer on your screen, it seems to them that you are looking down or to the side. When you speak, look into the camera lens, and the interviewer will feel eye contact. While listening, you can look at the screen: seeing their reactions matters too. What helps:

move the interviewer’s window to the top of the screen, as close to the camera as possible;
stick a small sticker or mark next to the camera as a reminder;
hide your own picture (in Zoom, “Hide Self View”), otherwise your eyes keep drifting to your own face.

Pace and pauses

Nerves make people talk fast, and the microphone and internet make fast speech even harder to follow. Speak a little more slowly and clearly than usual. Because of the slight audio delay, wait a second after the interviewer finishes before you answer, otherwise you will both start talking at once. It is fine to pause and think, but say so out loud: “Good question, let me think for a second.” A silent pause on screen looks like a dropped connection.

Gestures and posture

Sit up straight, relax your shoulders and lean forward slightly, which signals interest. Keep gestures natural but within the frame, at chest level: a hand too close to the camera looks huge and blurred. Do not swivel in your chair, touch your hair or face, or play with a pen: the frame is small, so every little movement stands out. While listening, nod and smile. It is the simplest way to show you are paying attention, because saying “yes” or “I see” through the microphone can cut across the interviewer’s speech.

Clothing, background and notes

Clothing and background

Dress to suit the role, exactly as you would for the office. Wear a complete outfit, not just the top half: sometimes you have to stand up to fetch something. Choose plain, calm colours; fine stripes “shimmer” on screen. The background should be simple and tidy, such as a wall or a neat bookshelf. If you use a virtual background, pick a plain, neutral image, because it can sometimes “eat” the edges of your hands and hair. Blurring the background is usually the safer choice.

Using notes properly

A video interview has one small advantage: you can keep short notes beside the screen. Used badly, though, they become a real weakness.

Keywords only. Not full sentences, just 3–4 words per question: “till — 3 years — daily report — customer complaint”.
Next to the camera. Stick the note to the edge of the monitor, close to the camera, so glancing at it is barely noticeable.
Do not read aloud. Read-out text is obvious at once: the tone goes flat and your eyes move from left to right. The interviewer wants to see how you think, not a prepared script.
Numbers and names. Write down the names of previous employers, the years and your main results; these are exactly what nerves make you forget.
Keyboard noise. If you need to take notes during the conversation, use pen and paper and mention it: “If you don’t mind, I’ll make a note of that.”

The STAR method and key questions

How the STAR method works (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is explained in our article on preparing for a job interview. On video it comes with one extra requirement: brevity. A long story is harder to follow through a screen, and in a recorded interview the timer will stop you. Aim for 1.5–2 minutes per answer: a sentence or two for the situation and task, most of the time on the action, and a clear result at the end.

The examples below are hypothetical and the names are made up.

Nilufar, a bank call centre. Nilufar lives in Samarkand and is preparing for a live video interview for a contact centre operator role at a bank. She is very likely to be asked, “How have you dealt with an unhappy customer?” She builds her answer like this:

Situation: When I worked as a sales assistant in an electronics shop, a customer came in very angry because a phone that had come back from warranty repair had broken again.
Task: I had to calm the customer down and solve the problem within one day.
Action: First I listened without interrupting and repeated the main point back to him, then I contacted the service centre straight away, found out whether a replacement was possible and gave the customer a clear deadline.
Result: The phone was replaced the next day, and the customer later bought from our shop again. Since then I have made it a rule to hear an unhappy customer out first.

In a call centre your voice is the main working tool, so Nilufar records the answer on her phone and also checks how clear and how fast her speech is.

The next three questions come up in almost every interview. Their content is the same as in a face-to-face interview, but on video it is important to answer more briefly and with a clear structure.

”Tell me about yourself”

Structure: now, before, and why this job. 60–90 seconds. In a video interview this is usually the first question, so your picture and sound are judged here too. Take a breath before you start and speak looking at the camera.

”Why do you want to work for us?”

Structure: one specific fact about the company, what appeals to you about it, and what you will contribute. Not general praise (“a big, good company”) but something concrete: a new branch, product or service.

”What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

Structure: one strength with brief evidence, one genuine weakness and how you are working on it. Thirty to forty seconds for each is enough. In recorded interviews these are often asked as separate questions, so plan each answer around its own timer.

Recorded interviews and interviews in English

Mukhabbat and the recorded interview

Mukhabbat, from Fergana, applied for an administrative role with a large retail chain. She received a link to a recorded interview: five questions, each with a short time to think and up to two minutes to answer, with no re-recording (a hypothetical example). This is how Mukhabbat prepared:

She did not open the link straight away but waited for a calm moment, since she could choose when to start within the deadline.
Using the timer on her phone, she practised two-minute answers to typical questions and recorded them as a trial.
On the practice question she checked the camera angle and lighting.
During the thinking time she wrote 3–4 keywords on paper, then spoke looking at the camera.
She wrapped up each answer with a short conclusion before the time ran out, rather than letting the timer cut her off.

In this format nobody smiles or nods back, and it can feel like talking to an empty room. Look at the camera as if you were speaking to someone you know, and start with a smile. Even if an answer is not perfect, move calmly on to the next question.

Sanjar and the interview in English

Sanjar lives in Tashkent and has applied for a developer role at an IT company that works with clients abroad. The interview will be in English, with two interviewers. His preparation:

Professional vocabulary. He practised describing his projects in English in 1–2 minutes and checked how to pronounce the names of the technologies he has used.
Helpful phrases. These buy time and sort out misunderstandings: “Could you repeat the question, please?”, “Let me think for a moment”, “If I understood correctly, you are asking about…”, “Sorry, you cut out for a second”.
Slow and clear. Short, clear sentences work better than complicated ones. What matters is not a small grammar slip but whether your point is understood.
Practice. He held two mock interviews over video with an English-speaking acquaintance and watched the recordings back.

For ways to improve your English before an interview, see our article on learning English.

Your own questions

At the end of a video interview, ask 2–3 questions. You can include questions about the format too: “Does the team work mainly remotely or in the office?”, “Will the next stage also be online?”, “Which tools does a new team member use to stay in touch with colleagues?” Write the questions on your note sheet.

If something goes wrong technically

A dropped connection or lost sound is familiar to interviewers as well. How you handle it is a small test of your composure.

Give your phone number in advance. When the interview is confirmed, reply briefly: “In case the connection drops, my number is …” That way the interviewer can call you.
Reconnect calmly. If you drop out, wait a few seconds for the app to reconnect by itself; if it does not, rejoin or switch to your phone’s mobile data.
A short message. Once you are back, or if you cannot reconnect, write in the chat or a messenger: “Sorry, my internet dropped, I’m reconnecting now.”
Say where you left off. When you return: “I was talking about working with customers, let me briefly repeat my last point.”
If the sound is poor, offer to turn off your camera, since audio needs less bandwidth.

If something fails during a recorded interview, take a screenshot of the screen or the error message and write to the HR department straight away; the link is usually sent again.

After the interview and common mistakes

Thank-you letter

On the same day or the next, send a short letter. After a video interview it helps to mention one specific topic from the conversation, which shows you were listening carefully. For the rules of business correspondence, see our article on email etiquette. A sample (hypothetical):

Subject: Thank you for the interview for the operator role
Dear Gulnora,
Thank you for today’s video interview. I found what you said about the training system for new contact centre staff especially interesting.
If you need any further information or documents, I will be glad to send them.
Kind regards, Nilufar Abdullayeva

Common mistakes

Talking to the face on the screen. Eye contact is lost; look at the camera when you speak.
Reading from notes. A flat tone and darting eyes are noticed at once.
Talking over the interviewer. Not waiting a second to allow for the delay.
Ignoring the timer. In a recorded interview your answer is cut off mid-sentence.
Skipping the practice question. A camera or sound problem turns up in your first real answer.
Silent pauses. Thinking without saying so looks like a dropped connection.
Not giving a phone number. If the connection drops, the interviewer has no way to reach you.
Panicking after a glitch. Instead of long apologies, send a short message and carry on.

Practice exercise and checklist

Practice exercise

Record yourself on a phone or laptop answering “Tell me about yourself” in 90 seconds.
Watch the recording with the sound off: where are you looking, where are your hands, what does the background look like?
Now only listen: pace, pauses and filler words such as “um” or “so”.
Fit one STAR story into 2 minutes and record it with a timer.
Stick a keyword note next to the camera and record the answer again. Can you tell when you glance at it?
Hold a live mock interview with a friend, and switch off the Wi-Fi halfway through to practise reconnecting.
Write a thank-you letter template and save it.

Checklist before a video interview

The format is clear: live, recorded or with a test task.
The platform has been tested; name and profile photo are in order.
Headphones, charge and mobile data are ready.
Camera at eye level, light in front, tidy background, a complete and suitable outfit.
A keyword note next to the camera; self view hidden.
Answers to the key questions rehearsed aloud and against a timer.
Phone number given to the interviewer in advance.
2–3 questions for the employer written down.

A video interview is a skill of communicating through a camera, and like any skill it develops with practice. Record and watch yourself two or three times, and you will feel far more at ease in the real interview.

If you would like to learn a new profession, computer skills or English with a teacher to help you find work, take a look at our association’s free training programmes. When you are ready, submit an application and our specialists will get in touch.