Online Interview Prep Checklist: Checking Audio, Camera and Connection in Advance

What to finish by the day before

Try to do everything on the day and something will get missed. Get out of the way whatever you can finish by the day before.

1. 1

   Set up the app you've been told to use

   Install the meeting app named in the invitation email and bring it fully up to date. An automatic update delaying your start on the day is the most common accident. If it needs an account, check that your display name is your real name.

2. 2

   Note the join URL and passcode

   Paste the URL into something like a notes app so you don't waste time hunting for the email. Note the contact person's phone number in the same place so you can call right away if you can't connect.

3. 3

   Decide on your equipment and test it

   Decide whether to use your computer's mic or a headset, then actually record yourself and listen back. Changing equipment on the day changes your settings and puts your checks back at square one.

4. 4

   Decide where to sit and your background

   Check what the camera actually shows. Look for laundry or other signs of daily life, and whether a door is in view where someone might walk past.

5. 5

   Check your connection speed

   Connect from that spot with video on for a few minutes and see whether it drops. If you're worried, prepare a wired connection or phone tethering as a backup.

Checking audio (30 minutes before)

Audio trouble is the most damaging problem in an interview. A conversation still works if the video is a bit rough, but if your voice can't be heard, the questions and answers themselves fall apart. Use a browser mic test to check three things in order: detection, level and how you sound.

1. 1

   See whether the device is selected

   Turn on the mic in the mic test and check that the name of the device you want to use appears. This is where you catch the mix-up of having a headset connected but the computer's built-in mic selected.

2. 2

   Look at the input level

   Speak at the same volume as in the real interview and watch the level meter. As a guide, peaks should fall between -30 dB and -6 dB. If they don't reach -30 dB, you're too quiet; if they stick above -6 dB, the sound will distort. Adjust your distance from the mic.

3. 3

   Record and listen back

   You can record up to 15 seconds, so record the start of your self-introduction and play it back. The level meter can't tell you how you'll come across. This is where you notice muffling, background noise and keyboard clicks.

4. 4

   Toggle the processing switches and compare

   Toggle echo cancellation, noise suppression and auto gain control, and record the same sentence each way. Noise suppression reduces background noise but also changes the texture of your voice, so decide by ear which sounds better in your environment.

Camera, lighting and background

What's being judged on video is how visible your face is and how composed you are when you speak. Adjusting position and light does more than expensive equipment.

• Set the camera at eye level or slightly above. A laptop left flat on a desk looks up at you from below, so raise it on a stand or a stack of books.
• The basic framing is your face slightly above center, with a little space above your head. If your face is too small, your expressions won't come across.
• Light from the front. With a window behind you, backlight darkens your face, so sit facing the window or put a desk lamp in front of your face.
• A plain wall is the safest background. If that's difficult, tidy just what's in the shot. Virtual backgrounds can distort your outline, so if you use one, check it while moving beforehand.
• If you might be asked to share your screen, tidy your desktop and turn off unrelated notifications.
• Avoid clothes in a similar color to your background so your outline stays clear. Fine stripes can produce moiré patterns on video.

Running order on the day and handling trouble

Even with preparation, connection and equipment problems happen. Decide in advance how you'll act when they do, and you won't panic.

1. 1

   30 minutes before: check equipment

   Check audio with the mic test and adjust how you look and the brightness. If you find a problem now, there's still time to swap something.

2. 2

   10 minutes before: quiet your environment

   Turn off notifications and close unneeded apps. Videos and heavy syncing take up both bandwidth and processing power. Have a drink, something to write with and a copy of your résumé at hand.

3. 3

   5 minutes before: join

   Unless told otherwise, join about 5 minutes early and wait. Joining too early may overlap with the interviewer's own preparation, so follow any instructions you've been given.

4. 4

   After starting: check audio first

   After the greeting, a quick "Can you hear me clearly?" prevents misunderstandings later. If their voice is quiet, it's easier for both of you to say so at this point.

Preparing what to say

Once your setup is ready, the last step is adjusting how much you say. Online, reactions are harder to read, and people tend to talk longer than they would face to face.

• A guide to speaking speed in Japanese is around 300 characters a minute (roughly 150 words a minute in English). That makes about 300 characters the upper limit for a 1-minute self-introduction, and about 900 for 3 minutes.
• Once you've written a script, count its length and cut to about 90% of the guide. Nerves make you speak faster, but you also need time for pauses.
• Aim to keep each answer within 60 seconds. If it looks like running long, give your conclusion first and offer the details with "I can add more if you'd like". It comes across better.
• Put a note with only keywords at the side of your screen. Full sentences lead to reading aloud, and your lowered gaze gives it away.
• Prepare three questions to ask them. Rather than things you could look up, choose things you can only ask there, such as how people work and how they're evaluated.
• Recording and listening back reveals verbal habits and drawn-out sentence endings. Hearing only your voice brings out habits you don't notice in person.

When you have several interviews in a row, writing out how much of your day goes to preparation shows where it's unbalanced. A common pattern is using up all your time on company research and leaving no 30 minutes for checking your setup. Viewing the breakdown of your preparation as a pie chart shows what to cut.

FAQ

How many minutes before an online interview should I join?

Unless the invitation says otherwise, aim for 5 minutes before. Joining too early can make the interviewer feel rushed if they're still preparing. If you finish your pre-join tasks first, checking equipment 30 minutes before and turning off notifications and tidying your desk 10 minutes before, joining 5 minutes early leaves plenty of time.

Is my computer's built-in mic good enough?

It's workable in a quiet room, but an earphone mic or headset is safer. If your mic picks up the other person's voice from your speakers, an echo returns to them. Earphones remove this path. Record with a mic test beforehand and listen back to check that muffling and background noise aren't a problem.

What's the right mic volume?

At your real speaking volume, peaks in the input level should fall between -30 dB and -6 dB. If they don't reach -30 dB, your voice is too quiet or the mic is too far away. If they stick above -6 dB, the sound will distort, so move back a little. About 15–20 cm from your mouth is a good guide.

What should I do if I get disconnected during the interview?

First try rejoining with the same URL. If that doesn't work, call the contact person's number you noted and briefly explain the situation and when you expect to be back. Connection trouble can happen to anyone, so if you recover and get in touch quickly, the effect on your evaluation is limited. Keeping the contact details somewhere you can open on your phone is the best preparation.