How to do well in an online video interview

Many Kenyan employers now run first-round and even final interviews online. A video interview tests the same things as a face-to-face one, but small technical problems can distract both you and the panel. Most of them can be prevented.

Prepare the technology the day before

• Install and test the platform the employer uses, whether Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. Use the same device you will use on the day.
• Test your connection. If your home internet is unreliable, have a mobile data backup with enough bundles. A video call can use a lot of data per hour.
• Charge everything and keep the charger plugged in. Plan for a power cut: know where you can go if the electricity goes off.
• Check your name on the platform. It should be your real name, not a nickname or a family member's account.

Set up your space

• Light: face a window or a lamp. Avoid sitting with a bright window behind you.
• Camera height: at eye level. Stack books under a laptop if needed, so the panel is not looking up at you.
• Background: plain and tidy, or a simple blurred background if the platform offers one.
• Sound: a quiet room, the door closed and household members told in advance. Earphones with a microphone usually sound better than a laptop speaker.

On the day

• Dress as you would for an in-person interview, top to bottom.
• Join five minutes early. Waiting rooms are normal.
• Look at the camera when you speak, not at your own image. It feels odd but reads as eye contact.
• Pause slightly before answering, because of the small delay on calls, so you do not talk over the panel.
• Keep notes nearby with your key examples and questions, but do not read from them.
• Mute notifications on your device and close other programs.

Answering well on video

Keep answers a little shorter than in person, because long answers lose attention faster on a screen. Use the STAR method for behavioural questions and show energy in your voice and expression, as the camera flattens both.

If something goes wrong

Technical problems happen, and panels judge how you handle them. If you lose the connection, rejoin immediately. If you cannot, email or call the contact person straight away, explain briefly and offer to continue by phone. Have their phone number written down before the interview starts.

Recorded video interviews

Some employers send a link where you record answers to set questions with a time limit. Practise with a timer, use any practice question offered, and treat it as seriously as a live interview. You usually cannot retake answers.

After the call

Send a short thank-you email the same day, as you would after any interview. Our guide to following up has a template.