Most of the things that go wrong in video interviews are preventable. Unlike an in-person interview where the environment is out of your control, everything about your video setup is yours to manage. These issues don't just cause inconvenience, they affect how the interviewer perceives you before you've said a word.

Technical setup checklist

Run through this the day before, not 5 minutes before the interview:

Pre-Interview Technical Checklist
  • Test your internet connection, ideally wired, not Wi-Fi
  • Open Google Meet and test your camera and microphone in the settings
  • Have the meeting link saved and ready, don't rely on finding it in your email
  • Close all unnecessary tabs and applications, reduce CPU load and notifications
  • Silence your phone and turn off desktop notifications
  • Have a backup plan: phone hotspot, phone call fallback
  • Join 2-3 minutes early to resolve any last-minute issues

Lighting and background

Lighting is the single biggest visual difference between a professional-looking video call and an unprofessional one. The rule is simple: your main light source should be in front of you, not behind you. A window behind you makes you a silhouette. A window or lamp in front of you gives you a clean, well-lit face.

You don't need a ring light. A desk lamp positioned slightly to one side and in front of you works fine. Natural light from a window in front of you is better than most artificial setups.

For background: neutral is best. A plain wall, a tidy bookshelf, or a simple room. Avoid virtual backgrounds, they sometimes glitch, and they can look artificial in a way that distracts. If your background is messy, tidy up or position your camera to show only a wall.

Video presence and eye contact

The biggest presence issue in video interviews is where people look. Eye contact on video means looking at the camera lens, not at the interviewer's face on your screen. If you're looking at their face, your eyes appear to be looking down or to the side to them. It's a subtle thing but it makes a real difference over a 45-minute call.

Position your camera at eye level. Laptops on desks are usually too low. Put your laptop on a stand or a stack of books so the camera sits approximately at eye level. This changes how you're perceived significantly.

Framing: your face should fill roughly the top half to two-thirds of the frame. Too far away and you look small. Too close and it feels intense. Head and shoulders visible, with some space above your head.

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Handling technical issues mid-interview

If your audio cuts out: stop talking immediately and type in the chat "I think my audio cut out, can you still hear me?" Don't keep talking into a broken connection.

If the interviewer's video freezes: wait 10-15 seconds for it to recover. If it doesn't, say "Your video has frozen, I'm still here, just waiting for it to clear." Don't pretend to be listening to someone you can't hear or see.

If you get disconnected: rejoin immediately using the same link. If that fails, call the interviewer or the recruiter directly. Having the recruiter's number saved before the interview is worth doing for exactly this reason.

The composure you show when something goes wrong is itself a signal to the interviewer. Staying calm and professional in a technical problem reflects well on you.

Tools that help

A few things worth knowing about if you interview via Google Meet regularly:

Turn Google Meet into your best interview setting
Live Interview Help listens to your live Google Meet interview and shows personalised answers based on your CV, only you can see the overlay. Free trial included.
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Frequently asked questions

Should I use headphones or my laptop's built-in microphone?
Headphones with a microphone are almost always better than a laptop's built-in mic. Built-in mics pick up keyboard sounds, echo, and room noise. Even basic earphone headphones improve audio quality significantly. If you have a dedicated USB or XLR microphone, that's better still.
Is it okay to glance at notes during a video interview?
Yes, within reason. Having notes on screen (next to your camera window) or on paper nearby is acceptable. What you want to avoid is visibly looking down and away from the camera for extended periods. If you need to check notes, do it briefly and transparently, "let me just check one detail" is fine.
Does a virtual background look professional?
It depends on the quality of your setup. With a good webcam and consistent lighting, virtual backgrounds can look fine. With a low-quality webcam or variable lighting, they glitch and look distracting. When in doubt, a tidy real background is safer.
What if the interviewer can hear background noise in my space?
Apologise briefly, mute yourself when you're not speaking if the noise is ongoing, and offer to reschedule if it's severe. A barking dog occasionally is human and forgivable. Sustained construction noise that makes it hard to hear each other is worth acknowledging directly.