What It Takes to Ace a Video Interview

Some people are naturally great at job interviews. They pull out their most confident smiles, ensure they’ve got the firm handshake down and practice their best answers to the trickiest of questions.

If it’s a phone interview, they make sure they’ve nailed their most professional yet conversational tone. But if it’s a video interview, things get a bit more complicated. Even the best interviewees among us get a little queasy at the thought of Skyping their way to their next job.

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But hey—we’ve got you covered.

Read on for our experts’ best tips for acing the ultimate interview test.

Set yourself up for success.

Sometimes interview opportunities crop up unexpectedly and you’re scrambling to be as prepared as possible for that next-day chat. Still, it pays to set aside the time to research the company and the person you’ll be interviewing with, and to run through your responses—more so, when you’ve got ample notice of an appointment.

And when it comes to interviewing with the help of technology, it’s essential to test the audio and video as far in advance as you can to avoid any glitches that might interrupt the actual interview.

Most of the time, you don’t need any special equipment, as long as your computer has a functional microphone and webcam. However, do consider wearing headphones to cut out on background noise, and test the clarity, volume and connection strength of your equipment by video calling a friend or two beforehand.

To set the scene appropriately, pick a backdrop that isn’t cluttered or busy, advises Daniel Waas, director of marketing for GoToMeeting. If you’re interviewing from your bedroom, for example, make darn sure your bed is made (if it’s in view) and hide your teddy bears or framed pictures of you on spring break for the duration of the call.

Dress as if you were interviewing in person, from head to toe. Trust us, it will help you feel more professional if you swap your sweatpants for slacks. And check the lighting. If you sit with a lamp or a window behind you, it’ll cast an unflattering shadow over your face.

Cut out distractions.

Want to make it onto an interviewer’s worst-ever list? Easy: Keep the door to distraction wide open, says career coach Kolby Goodman, founder of The Job Huntr, whose most awkward interview moment is one for the dogs. “The interviewee had an unruly dog that kept barking and coming into the room,” he shares. “The individual kept having to pause the conversation and take the dog back outside.”

To prevent such intrusions, pick a spot you can control. You want a small room (to eliminate echoes) that you can close off. During a test call with a friend, observe how loud your A.C. unit or overhead fan is, and adjust accordingly. And ask anyone you share your space with to avoid disturbing you and keep the volume down during your interview timeslot.

Of course, no matter how much effort you put into making your side of the interview totally zen, stuff happens. When it does, the best thing you can do it laugh, apologize and quickly move on. Waas says he’s had his own embarrassing moment while hiring for a role.

“I have three framed art posters in my office and I had used double-sided tape to hang them,” he recalls. “In one of my last interviews [of the day], one of the pictures came crashing down right behind me.” Both he and the candidate shook it off, and, he adds, “It even ended up having a positive impact on the interview. The candidate was more at ease afterwards and the conversation benefitted from that.” Phew!

Troubleshoot like a pro.

Having technical difficulties? First, ditch WiFi in favor of an ethernet connection, suggests Josh Tolan, CEO of Spark Hire, a video-interviewing platform. Then, close out of any programs that are using the Internet—this means shutting them down completely.

Also be aware of any other people who might be using your connection. For example, if your roommate is on a Netflix binge, Tolan says, it’ll slow down your Internet, making it difficult for your interviewer to see and hear you. When you have an awesome job opportunity on the line, you’ll want to avoid at all costs a “Can you hear me now?” situation.

If the worst happens, and the video call is a no-go, advises Goodman: “Make sure you have a direct phone number of the person you are interviewing with. That way you can immediately reach out and try to remedy the situation.” Resist the urge to hit “reply” on your email chain and pick up your phone instead.

“Treat the technical issue as if your car broke down on the way to the interview,” adds Goodman. “Explain the situation and see when you can reschedule.” Finally, he says, “make sure, above all else, the second interview goes smoothly. Many employers can understand one issue, but two in a row is hard to swallow.”

Treat this like an in-person interview.

During a phone interview, you have the luxury of checking your notes and having your interviewer be none the wiser. For a video interview, though, you need to be just as prepared as you would be for an in-person interview. That way, you can take advantage of visual cues, says Robert Hosking, executive director of staffing service OfficeTeam.

Use the opportunity to maximize your body language, expressing your enthusiasm and passion for past projects and future possibilities rather than shifting your eyes to reference materials or hunching over your desk, which are both less-than-confident moves.

To truly hit it out of the park, you want to make a connection. “While it’s tempting to look at the screen [when answering questions], you should actually look at the camera, so it appears you’re speaking directly to the employer,” says Hosking.

And focus on the screen, rather than the inset image of yourself, while your interviewer is speaking. Be sure to smile, gesture with your hands and loosen up. This is an interview, not The Inquisition.

So open up your laptop, answer the call and repeat after us: “Yes I can.”

Looking to hone those skills to perfection? Consider getting the help of a pro. Mediabistro’s Career Services offer everything from a mock interview to several sessions of career counseling to tackle interview and networking skills, career transition and more.