Skip to content
ChecklistCareers3 min read

Your first online interview: what freshers forget

Camera, sound, light, a quiet room and a backup plan. The small things that go wrong in online interviews, and how to check them the day before.

Start reading
Two adults use a practical guide, checklist cards and a recorded workshop to support their learning

Conceptual image · created with AI

Explore this page3 sections

Overview

Many first-round interviews, and some later ones, now happen on a video call. A fresher who has prepared the answers can still lose marks to a dark room, a weak connection or a barking dog.

Most of these problems can be removed the day before. This is a short checklist.

At a glance

Key takeaways

  • Test the link, camera, microphone and sound the day before
  • Sit facing a light, with a plain background and the camera at eye level
  • Use earphones; they cut echo and background noise
  • Have a second way to connect, such as a mobile hotspot
  • Keep your resume, a pen and water in reach, and close other apps
  • If the connection drops, rejoin quickly and message the interviewer

Read the article

The day before, open the meeting link if you have it, or install the app the company named, and sign in. Check that your name appears correctly, that the camera works and that you can hear and be heard. Many freshers discover on the interview morning that an app wants an update.

Choose the room. Pick somewhere quiet, with a door you can close if possible. Tell the people at home when the interview is, so nobody walks in, and put your phone on silent, not just vibrate. Sit at a table, not on a bed, and keep the background plain and tidy.

Light comes next. Face the light source, a window or a lamp, so your face is lit. A bright window behind you turns you into a shadow. Raise the laptop on a few books so the camera is at eye level. Looking down at the interviewer, or up at them, feels odd to both sides.

Sound matters more than picture. Use earphones with a microphone if you have them. They reduce echo and let the interviewer hear you clearly, even if the room is not silent. Speak a little slower than usual, and pause so the connection can keep up.

Prepare a backup. Keep a mobile hotspot ready in case your internet fails, and charge your laptop and phone. Know the interviewer's or the coordinator's contact details so you can message them if the call drops.

On the day, sign in five to ten minutes early. Close other apps and notifications. Keep your resume open or printed, a pen, paper and a glass of water within reach. Look at the camera when you speak, not only at the screen. Dress as you would for an in-person interview, from the waist up at least, and from the waist down too in case you have to stand.

If something goes wrong, stay calm. If the connection drops, rejoin quickly and send a short message: 'My connection dropped. I have rejoined.' Interviewers have seen this many times. If you cannot hear a question, say so politely. Staying composed leaves a better impression than a perfect connection.

TopicsCommunicationTechnologyInterviews

Come to the session it came from

Reading it is useful. Being in the room and asking your own question is better.