How to prepare for a video interview on Zoom, Teams or Google Meet
A practical checklist for video interviews: setup, lighting and sound, where to look, screen sharing, what to have open, and how to handle the awkward moments.
Video interviews are decided by the same things as in-person ones, plus three that are new: whether they can see and hear you properly, whether you look at them, and whether you are prepared for the parts that only happen on a screen, like sharing it. This is a checklist you can run the day before and the hour before.
Quick checklist
Pulled from the steps and lists in this guide — work through it as you read.
- Install or update the app they named (Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex). Join a test meeting and check that your camera and microphone work in that app, no…
- Pick the spot: a plain background, light in front of you (a window or a lamp behind the laptop), not behind you.
- Raise the camera to eye level with books or a stand. Looking down into a laptop on a desk is unflattering and reads as disengaged.
- Test sound with headphones and without. Wired earbuds with a microphone are usually better than the laptop mic.
- Check the invitation for a dial-in number and keep it handy in case the internet drops.
- Prepare your STAR stories and three questions for them.
The day before
- Install or update the app they named (Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex). Join a test meeting and check that your camera and microphone work in that app, not just in general.
- Pick the spot: a plain background, light in front of you (a window or a lamp behind the laptop), not behind you.
- Raise the camera to eye level with books or a stand. Looking down into a laptop on a desk is unflattering and reads as disengaged.
- Test sound with headphones and without. Wired earbuds with a microphone are usually better than the laptop mic.
- Check the invitation for a dial-in number and keep it handy in case the internet drops.
- Prepare your STAR stories and three questions for them.
The hour before
- Close everything you do not need. Turn off notifications (Do Not Disturb on the computer and the phone).
- Have open, in one window: your resume, the job posting, your notes, their names and titles. Keep it on the side, not behind the video.
- Water within reach. Charger plugged in. Phone silent and out of view.
- Join two to three minutes early. Earlier than that and you may be let into an empty room for ten minutes.
Watch it explained
During the interview
- Look at the camera when you speak, at least for the opening and closing of each answer. Looking at their face on screen reads as looking slightly down.
- Pause a beat after they finish. Audio lag causes talk-over; a short pause avoids it and looks thoughtful.
- If the connection drops, rejoin calmly and say 'sorry, the connection dropped, you were asking about…'. It happens to interviewers too.
- If they ask you to share your screen, share only the window they need, not your whole desktop.
Screen sharing and what is visible
When you share your screen, everything in that window or on that desktop is visible to them, including notifications. Share a single window where possible. Anything you want to keep for yourself, such as notes or an interview assistant, must be a separate app that stays off the shared surface.
Break-In Bad's interview assistant is built for exactly this: it listens to the question and shows the answer on your screen, and it stays invisible to the other side even when you share your screen or the call is recorded.
The awkward moments
- Someone walks in: a quick 'excuse me one second', mute, deal with it, unmute, apologise once, continue.
- You lose your train of thought: 'Let me come at that from a different angle' and restart the answer. Nobody minds.
- They are late: wait ten minutes, then email the recruiter. Stay in the room.
- Their camera is off: keep yours on. Talk to the camera as if they were there.
Sources & references
General references for this topic area (official and primary sources), checked in October 2026:
- O*NET Online (US Department of Labor) — The tasks and skills interviewers are hiring for, by occupation.
- SHRM — HR Answers — Employer-side guidance from the Society for Human Resource Management.
An assistant that only you can see on the call
Install it once, open it when the interview starts. It listens to each question and shows you the answer, invisible to the interviewer even on a shared screen.
See the interview assistantQuestions people also ask
What should I wear for a video interview?
What you would wear in person for that company, top and bottom. Solid colours look better on camera than fine patterns, and avoid anything the same colour as your background.
Is it OK to have notes during a video interview?
Yes. Keep them brief and glance, do not read. A short list of your stories and your questions for them is normal and expected.
Should I use a virtual background?
A plain real background is better. If you must use a virtual one, choose a plain blurred option and test that your edges do not flicker.
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