Video interview tips: live and one-way interviews (2026)

Video interviews are now a normal part of hiring, often for the first rounds and sometimes for every round. They save you a commute, but they add things that can go wrong: a weak connection, a muted microphone, a window behind you that turns your face into a silhouette. Most of those problems can be fixed the day before.

This guide covers the two kinds of video interview, the setup that matters, how to come across well on camera, what to do if the connection drops, how one-way recorded interviews work, what the rules say when software scores your recording, and the follow-up. For the questions themselves and how to answer them, see our job interview preparation guide.

Live or one-way: two different interviews

The UK’s National Careers Service separates the two clearly. A live video interview, on a service such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, “is like a face-to-face interview”: a real conversation with an interviewer or a panel. A pre-recorded interview, often called one-way or asynchronous, is one you record on your own for someone to watch later; these usually open at a set time and stay open for a few days (National Careers Service).

Your invitation usually says which one it is. If it doesn’t, ask the recruiter: it changes how you prepare.

The tech setup

Do this the day before, not ten minutes before.

• Device. A laptop or desktop is better than a phone or tablet. The National Careers Service recommends a computer and placing it so the camera is at eye level (National Careers Service). A stack of books under the laptop does the job.
• Connection. Sit close to the router or use a cable if you can. Pause big downloads and cloud backups, and ask others at home not to stream during your slot. Keep the laptop plugged in.
• Audio. Sound matters more than picture. Headphones with a microphone cut echo and background noise. Test that the interviewer will hear you, not just that you can hear them.
• Light. Face a window or put a lamp in front of you, slightly above eye level. Light behind you leaves your face in shadow.
• The platform. Install the app or open the link in advance, sign in, and check your display name. Learn how to mute, turn the camera on and off and share your screen. Be set up and online with time to spare: the National Careers Service suggests at least half an hour.
• Notifications. Silence your phone and turn off desktop notifications. Close every tab and app you don’t need.

The room

Choose a quiet room where you won’t be interrupted, with a plain background: a wall, a tidy shelf, a closed door. Tell the people you live with when the interview is. If you use a blurred or virtual background, test it first: some cut off your hands or hair when you move, which is more distracting than a real bookshelf.

On camera: eye contact and body language

The single most useful habit: when you speak, look at the camera, not at the screen. To the interviewer, that is eye contact. When they speak, you can look at their face on screen and nod, as you would in a room.

• Framing. Head and shoulders in the frame, a little space above your head, camera at eye level so nobody is looking up your nose.
• Posture. Sit up, lean slightly forward, keep your hands visible now and then. Small gestures help; constant movement looks jumpy on video.
• Pace. Speak a touch slower than usual and leave a short pause before answering. A slight delay is normal on calls, and talking over each other is the most common awkward moment.
• Clothes. Dress as you would for an in-person interview. The National Careers Service suggests smart, plain clothing and avoiding jewellery that makes noise.

Notes: allowed, if you use them well

Video gives you one advantage over a room: you can keep notes in view. The National Careers Service suggests prompt cards or notes placed where you can see them. Keep them short: a few keywords for your two or three key examples, your questions for the interviewer, and the names of the people you’re meeting. Put them near the camera so your eyes don’t drift down, and don’t read answers word for word; it shows.

What isn’t fine is outside help the employer hasn’t agreed to. Some employers state their rules plainly. Anthropic’s guidance for candidates, for instance, says live interviews are “all you–no AI assistance unless we indicate otherwise” (Anthropic). Employers also have reasons to check that the person on camera is really you: in 2022 the FBI warned of applicants using deepfakes and stolen personal data in interviews for remote technology jobs (FBI IC3). If you’re asked to keep your camera on or show ID, that is why.

If the connection drops

It happens to everyone, and how you handle it is what people remember.

• Before the interview, have the interviewer’s or recruiter’s email address and, if possible, a phone number.
• If it freezes or drops, rejoin the same link straight away. If you can’t, send a two-line email: you lost the connection, you’re trying to rejoin, and you can switch to a phone call if that’s easier.
• If the sound or picture keeps breaking up, say so. The National Careers Service advises telling the interviewer about any technical problem and, if needed, stopping and restarting.
• When you’re back, sum up in one sentence where you were and carry on. No long apologies.

In a one-way interview, if the platform crashes mid-recording, take a screenshot, note the time and contact the employer or the platform’s support right away, before the window closes.

One-way interviews: how to do them well

One-way interviews feel strange because nobody reacts. A few things make them easier:

• Use the practice question. Many platforms offer one. Use it to check sound, light and framing, and to find out whether you can re-record an answer. The National Careers Service suggests checking this during practice.
• Know the clock. Each answer has a set recording time, and some platforms give thinking time before recording starts. Aim to finish a little early; being cut off mid-sentence is worse than a short answer.
• Read the question carefully before you start, and answer that question, not the one you prepared.
• Talk to a person. Imagine you’re explaining to someone across the table. Practise in front of a mirror or a friend first.
• Structure your answers. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) keeps recorded answers tight; our interview guide explains it.
• Retakes, if allowed, are for real mistakes. Recording the same answer five times rarely makes it better and eats the time window.
• Don’t leave it to the last day. If something goes wrong on the final evening, there’s no time to fix it.

When software scores your recording: your rights

Some employers use software to screen or score recorded interviews. Rules depend on where the job is.

• New York City. Local Law 144 covers automated employment decision tools. An employer can’t use one unless it has had a bias audit within the past year, a summary of the results must be public, and candidates must get notice 10 business days before the tool is used. Enforcement began on July 5, 2023 (NYC DCWP).
• Illinois. The Artificial Intelligence Video Interview Act requires employers that use AI to analyze recorded video interviews to tell applicants beforehand, explain how the AI works and what general types of characteristics it evaluates, and get their consent. Without consent, the employer may not use AI to evaluate the applicant (820 ILCS 42/5).
• United Kingdom. UK data protection law on automated decisions was updated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, now fully in force according to the ICO (ICO). In March 2026 the ICO told employers using automated decisions in recruitment to tell candidates when they are used and how they work, and to explain how to challenge a decision and ask for a human review (ICO).
• Ireland and the rest of the EU. The EU AI Act lists AI systems used to recruit or select people, including those that filter applications and evaluate candidates, as high-risk (AI Act, Annex III). Those rules apply from 2 December 2027 (AI Act, Article 113).

Wherever you are, you can ask the recruiter whether recordings are reviewed by a person and how. And if you have a disability, you can ask for changes to the process. In the US, the EEOC says employers must provide reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants during the application process, interviews included (EEOC). In the UK, GOV.UK notes employers may ask about health or disability to decide whether to make reasonable adjustments in a selection process (GOV.UK).

After the interview

Send a short thank-you message the same day or the next, by email, to the recruiter or the people you met. For a one-way interview, check you got a confirmation that your recording was submitted; if not, ask. Then expect to wait: there may be more rounds. If you hear nothing by the date they gave you, a polite check-in is fine.

Jobra can help on both sides of the interview. On every plan, when you land an interview you get an interview card: what you sent, the company in brief, likely questions, questions to ask and a thank-you note. On Pro and Max, the interview simulator asks 8 questions; you type your answers and get feedback after each one, with a STAR analysis, a tip and a score out of 10, then a final assessment. It trains what you say, not how you look on camera, so do the camera rehearsal with the steps above. Plans are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions