How to Prepare for a Virtual Interview and Avoid Common Mistakes
A virtual interview is an ordinary interview with extra ways to go wrong, so prepare for it deliberately. Do a full technology check the day before, set up a quiet and well-lit room, look at the camera lens when you speak, and have a plan for a dropped connection. Nearly every common mistake is caught by a ten-minute run-through.
At a glance
- Test the platform, camera, microphone and connection the day before.
- Use a quiet room, light on your face, camera at eye level.
- Join a few minutes early and look at the camera lens, not the screen.
- Keep answers to about a minute and a half and have notes just outside the frame.
- Know what you will do if the call drops.
What you need for a LiveRec video interview
If the interview is held inside LiveRec, it runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install. Use a recent version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari. Open Interviews in the left menu; Join unlocks 15 minutes before the start, and only after you confirm you can attend. If the employer chose Zoom or Google Meet instead, Join opens that link in a new tab.
In the lobby you pick your microphone, speaker and camera, and you can choose a background effect. If your browser asks for permission, choose Allow. If the camera will not start, the steps in fix camera or microphone problems cover it, and you can join with the camera off and fix it from the devices option once you are in. Full steps are in how to join an interview.
Some interviews turn on captions; if they are available, there is a Captions control in the call. Before you join, a notice lists any AI the interview uses and whether it is recorded. Read it, because recording needs everyone's agreement. See is my interview recorded.
How to prepare for a virtual interview: the day-before technology check
- Open the platform and click through to the lobby, using the same laptop, browser and room you will use.
- Test camera, microphone and speakers. Headphones with a built-in microphone usually give clearer audio than a laptop microphone.
- Check your connection. A wired connection is the most stable; otherwise sit close to the router. Ask others in the house not to stream during the interview.
- Charge everything and keep the charger plugged in.
- Close other apps and browser tabs, and turn off notifications and do-not-disturb mode on your phone and computer.
- Confirm the link and time, including the time zone. If you are in India interviewing with a US team, write the time in both zones.
- Check your on-screen name and account picture are professional.
- Keep a backup: a phone with the meeting link ready, and the interviewer's or recruiter's contact method.
Set up the room
- Light: face a window or a lamp. Light behind you turns you into a silhouette.
- Camera: eye level or slightly above, with your head and shoulders in the frame. Stack books under a laptop if needed.
- Background: plain and tidy. If you use a background effect, test it first, because effects can flicker on slower machines.
- Sound: a quiet room with the door closed. Tell the people you live with when the interview is.
- Dress as you would for an in-person interview.
During the call
- Join a few minutes early so you are settled when the interviewer arrives.
- Look at the camera lens when you speak. It feels odd, and it is what creates eye contact on the other side.
- Give a moment before answering; small audio delays make people talk over each other.
- Keep answers short and structured. The STAR method works well on video.
- Keep notes beside the screen, not on it, and do not read from them.
- If you share your screen or a document, close everything else first.
The most common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Joining late or flustered | Run the check the day before; join early |
| Looking at your own video or the screen | Look at the lens; hide your self-view if it distracts you |
| Cluttered or noisy background | Tidy the frame; close the door; test any effect |
| Light behind you | Put the light source in front |
| Notifications pinging | Silence phone and computer |
| Talking over the interviewer | Pause a beat before answering |
| No plan if the call drops | Have the link on your phone and a contact method |
If the connection drops
Rejoin straight away through the same link. If you cannot, message the interviewer or your recruiter from your phone with a one-line note and ask to continue or reschedule. For interviews held inside LiveRec, you can also confirm, decline or reschedule from the Interviews page. If the interviewer does not join, wait for the company to rearrange and message them.
After the call
Send a short, specific thank-you within 24 hours using our thank-you email templates, and read what to do before, during and after any interview.
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