Top Tips For A Successful Video Interview

Virtual interviews have become the new normal during the pandemic. They come with their share of unique issues (many of us have dealt with someone stuck on mute, for instance). Fortunately, with the right preparation you can avoid most of those problems.

Our candidates have completed hundreds of virtual interviews over the last nine months, securing offers, and even joining their new employers without in-person meetings. We have learned some valuable lessons from their experiences.

Here are our top tips so that you can make the most out of your virtual interview:

Tech Considerations:

1. Use headphones, if possible, preferably with a built-in microphone. Using computer speakers without headphones can cause an echo, which is an awkward and irritating experience for everyone involved.Wired earphones help reduce the risk of audio lag and connectivity problems associated with Bluetooth. We advise against using Apple Airpods and Airpod Pros with Windows computers, as we have had several reports that Airpods can be unreliable within applications like Zoom.
2. Familiarize yourself with the video conferencing platform that you will use for your interview. If you’re already familiar with the platform, be sure to open the application ahead of time and check for software updates so you don’t run into any problems the day of the interview.
3. While most video conferencing platforms offer mobile apps, we recommend using your laptop/desktop for video interviews if possible. This ensures you have access to all video conferencing features, such as screen sharing, which are sometimes limited in mobile apps.
4. Set aside 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time to test your microphone and video. Most video conferencing applications (like Zoom) offer microphone tests. For video tests, consider using your laptop’s camera application to check the lighting and your appearance before joining the interview call.
5. Keep your computer plugged in during the interview to avoid any interruptions if your battery starts running low.
6. If you run into audio issues, you can use your phone to call the interviewer and continue the conversation by phone while on camera.  You can also use the chat function to communicate with the interviewer.
7. Optional: prepare a back-up plan in case of wifi disruptions. While outages are rare, preparing ahead of time can reduce last-minute scrambling on the off chance that you encounter any issues with home internet connectivity. Consider setting up your phone’s personal hotspot as an alternative in case you lose your regular wifi connection.

Preparing Your Interview Space:

1. Choose a quiet, private space with a strong internet signal.
2. Remember to lock the door to reduce the risk of interruption by family, roommates, or pets. Consider placing a sign on the door as a reminder for other members of your household.
3. Be mindful of the background. Your interview background is an excellent opportunity to communicate who you are. At a minimum, it should appear clean, tidy, and work appropriate. If possible, avoid a view of your kitchen or bedroom, as this can be distracting. Bookshelves, educational degrees, family photos, plants, and natural lighting in your background can all help to convey a positive first impression.
4. If you’re interviewing for a position that encourages work from home (“WFH”), consider what your background communicates about your ability to work from home effectively. Be prepared to discuss your WFH setup. Do you have a dedicated work space at home? If not, how have you adapted your space to work from home?
5. Virtual backgrounds on Zoom can be fun — and necessary in some cases — but use good judgment in determining whether your choice in background could be distracting for your interviewers. If you decide to use a virtual background, choose a professional image, like bookshelves or a solid color, and consider draping fabric in your background to create a functional green screen.

Making a Strong First Impression:

1. Choose an outfit that you feel confident in, and dress exactly how you would during an in-person interview. Wearing a strong professional outfit can help shift your mindset into focus mode, and feeling confident is a critical psychological factor in interview success. Wear a full outfit. Some of our candidates have had to stand up to grab dropped items, and it is easy to imagine a camera accidentally tilting and showing more than the shoulders up.
2. Minimize distractions. Turn off notifications on your computer, and place your phone in airplane mode to avoid an email or missed call notification interrupting your train of thought during the interview. Just this week, a candidate lost an opportunity because he was sending emails and texts during the interview, and the firm read that as a lack of serious interest.
3. Bring a glass of water into your interview space. If you’re feeling nervous, take a sip of water.
4. Raise your camera. Consider using a laptop stand or setting your laptop on top of some empty boxes (or books) to create a more flattering camera angle. Ideally, your body should be positioned in the center of frame, with the top of your head at the top of the frame and the middle of your chest at the bottom.For those who wear makeup, be sure you check your appearance using your laptop camera before the interview, as makeup can appear differently on video than it does in real life.
5. If you have time, also consider room lighting. Facing natural light sources is ideal, while sitting with your back towards a window can create a dark silhouette. You can also adjust the brightness of your laptop screen and play around with different combinations of lighting/angles ahead of time to figure out what helps you feel most confident.
6. Maintain eye contact, and practice looking into your video camera when you speak. Be mindful of appearing distracted when your gaze shifts outside the interviewer’s frame of view (e.g., writing notes might be mistaken for checking your phone).

Virtual Interview Day Checklist:

• Microphone/audio test completed
• Computer plugged in
• Door locked
• Phone silenced and computer notifications turned off
• Personal appearance and background checked using laptop camera

Whether you are interviewing in person or virtually, preparation is the key to your success. Invest an hour or two following the tips above to make the most of your interview.

Here at Lateral Link, we work closely with our candidates to help prepare them for their interviews and maximize their chances of success. If you’re a Biglaw associate or partner considering a lateral move to another firm, please feel free to contact me to learn about the state of the market and new opportunities.

Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts from Lateral Link’s team of expert contributors. This post is by Amy Savage, a Principal based in Washington, D.C., where she leads the Government Transitions Group. For 15 years she has focused on attorney hiring in the D.C. market, and her inside knowledge gives her candidates clear advantages when it comes to joining the best firms. That expertise has been instrumental in her successful placements of partners, counsel, associates, and in-house attorneys with the highest-rated practices in the D.C. region.

Amy is also a recognized expert on legal career issues. She has presented lectures at Yale Law School, serves as a D.C. market expert for Harvard Law School, and has written articles for The Legal Times and other publications. She has also testified as an expert on attorney compensation. Amy earned her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2000.

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Lateral Link is one of the top-rated international legal recruiting firms. With over 14 offices worldwide, Lateral Link specializes in placing attorneys at the most prestigious law firms and companies in the world. Managed by former practicing attorneys from top law schools, Lateral Link has a tradition of hiring lawyers to execute the lateral leaps of practicing attorneys. Click here to find out more about us.