Phone and video interviews

An interview from your own room feels easier, but it has its own ways of going wrong. Most of them can be prevented the day before.

The telephone interview

A phone round is usually a first screening of ten to twenty minutes. The interviewer cannot see you, so your voice carries everything.

• Take the call in a quiet place with good signal. If the call comes when you are on a bus or in a market, it is perfectly acceptable to say, "Thank you for calling. I am travelling just now. May I call you back in fifteen minutes?"
• Keep your resume and the job description in front of you, with a pen and paper.
• Stand up or sit straight, and smile as you speak. Both can be heard in the voice.
• Speak a little slower than usual and finish your words.
• Do not interrupt. Without eye contact, leave a short pause after the interviewer stops before you begin.
• Keep answers to about a minute. Long answers are harder to follow on the phone.
• Note the caller's name and use it once. At the end, ask about the next step.
• Keep the phone charged and answer unknown numbers politely while you are job hunting.

The video interview: set up the day before

1. Device. A laptop or computer is steadier than a phone. If you must use a phone, stand it at eye level against something solid, in landscape position.
2. Software. Install the application named in the invitation, sign in, and test the link. Check that your displayed name is your own full name.
3. Internet. Sit near the router or test mobile data in that spot. Keep a second connection ready, such as a phone hotspot.
4. Sound. Earphones with a microphone cut echo and background noise. Test by recording yourself.
5. Light. Face a window or a lamp. Light from behind turns you into a shadow.
6. Background. A plain wall or tidy shelf. Remove laundry, posters and anything distracting.
7. Camera. At eye level, an arm's length away, so that your head and shoulders are in the frame.
8. Power. Charger plugged in.
9. People. Tell your family the time and ask not to be disturbed. Close the door.

On the day

• Dress as for an interview in person, fully, not only the top half.
• Close other applications and switch off notifications on the device.
• Join five minutes early. Keep water, resume, notes and pen within reach.
• Keep your phone on silent beside you in case they call it.

During the video interview

• Look at the camera when you speak, not at your own picture. It is how eye contact works on screen.
• Sit still and upright. Small movements look large on camera.
• Pause before answering. There is often a short delay; leave a second so that you do not speak over the interviewer.
• Speak clearly and a little slower.
• Do not read from notes or the screen. Interviewers can tell from your eyes. A few key words on a sticky note near the camera are the most you should use.
• Nod and react so that they know you are following.
• Never have someone prompting you off-camera or use another device to look up answers. It is dishonest and is usually noticed.

If something goes wrong

Technical trouble is common and forgiven if you handle it calmly.

• You cannot hear: say so at once. "I am sorry, the sound broke up. Could you repeat the question?"
• Video freezes: switch off your camera for a moment to save bandwidth, tell them, and switch it on again when stable.
• The call drops: rejoin with the same link. If you cannot, call or email the contact person immediately, explain, and ask to continue or reschedule.
• Power cut: continue on your phone with mobile data.
• Someone enters the room: excuse yourself briefly, deal with it, apologise and continue.

Recorded (one-way) video interviews

Some employers ask you to record answers to questions shown on screen, with a time limit and no interviewer. Read the instructions carefully: how many attempts, how long to prepare, how long to answer. Practise with your phone camera first. Look at the lens, keep each answer within the time, and finish with a clear last sentence.

Online tests with monitoring

Where a test is monitored through your camera, follow the rules exactly: stay in the frame, keep the desk clear, do not switch windows, and keep your phone away. Software flags such things automatically, and a flagged test may be cancelled.

Afterwards

Send a short thank-you message the same day. See after the interview.

Questions people ask

Practise aloud with a timer

More guides

Common questions

Model answers are examples. They show the shape of a good answer, reviewed in November 2026. Use your own facts: an answer copied word for word will not survive a follow-up question. Employers differ, and nothing here promises selection. Names in the examples are invented.