How to Ace Video and Phone Interviews: A Graduate's Guide

How to Ace Video and Phone Interviews: A Graduate's Guide

Video interviews are not a temporary measure. They are the new default. 81% of recruiters now use video interviews as a standard part of their hiring process, and 93% plan to continue using them permanently. For remote roles, 90% of employers no longer require any in-person interaction at all - the entire process happens through a screen.

If you are a graduate entering the job market in 2026, the odds are high that your first interaction with an employer will be a phone screen, a video call, or a one-way recorded interview. Getting comfortable with these formats is not optional.

But here is the problem: most graduates prepare for video interviews the same way they prepare for in-person ones. That is a mistake. The dynamics are different, the pitfalls are different, and the strategies that work are different. 70% of candidates have lost a job opportunity due to technical issues alone - problems that do not exist in a meeting room.

This guide covers all three formats (phone, live video, one-way recorded), with specific advice for each.

Phone Interviews: The First Filter

Phone interviews - or phone screens - are typically the first human interaction in the hiring process. They last 15 to 30 minutes, and their purpose is simple: confirm that you are a credible candidate worth investing more time in.

What they are testing

Phone screens are not deep interviews. They are checking:

• Can you communicate clearly and professionally?
• Do you understand what the role involves?
• Are your expectations (salary, location, start date) aligned?
• Is there anything on your CV that needs clarification?

How to prepare

• Have your CV in front of you. Phone interviews are one of the few formats where having notes is completely acceptable - they cannot see you.
• Research the company. Even though this is a screening call, being unable to answer "What do you know about us?" is an instant red flag.
• Prepare your "Tell me about yourself" answer. This will almost certainly be the opening question. Keep it to 60 to 90 seconds using the Present-Past-Future structure.
• Find a quiet space. Background noise, housemates, and traffic are all distractions that work against you.

The underrated advantage

Phone interviews strip away visual cues, which means your voice carries everything. Speak slightly more slowly than normal, vary your tone to show engagement, and smile while you talk - it genuinely affects how you sound, even though they cannot see you.

Live Video Interviews: The New Normal

Live video interviews (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) are now the standard for first and second-round interviews at most graduate employers. They follow the same question formats as in-person interviews but require a different set of preparation.

Setup matters more than you think

• Camera at eye level. Stack your laptop on books if necessary. Looking down at a camera makes you appear disengaged.
• Natural light facing you. A window behind you turns your face into a silhouette. Light should come from in front of or beside you.
• Clean, neutral background. A plain wall or tidy bookshelf. Blur features are fine but occasionally glitch.
• Wired internet if possible. Wi-fi drops are the most common technical failure. A cable eliminates that risk.
• Close all other applications. Notifications, pop-ups, and system sounds are unprofessional and distracting.

The eye contact problem

On video, looking at the other person's face on screen means you are not looking at the camera - which means you are not making eye contact from their perspective. The trick: look at the camera lens when you are speaking, and at the screen when you are listening. This creates the impression of natural eye contact.

It feels awkward at first. Practise with a friend on a video call until it becomes natural.

Energy compensation

Video flattens your energy. What feels like normal enthusiasm in person can come across as flat or disengaged on screen. Increase your expressiveness by about 20% - more vocal variation, more hand gestures, more facial animation. You are not being theatrical; you are compensating for the medium.

One-Way Video Interviews: The Quiet Gatekeeper

One-way (asynchronous) video interviews are the format most graduates find uncomfortable - and the one they are most likely to encounter. Platforms like HireVue, Spark Hire, and myInterview are used by most Big Four firms, major banks, FMCG companies, and Civil Service Fast Stream.

How they work

You receive a link to a platform. Questions appear on screen one at a time. You have a preparation window (typically 30 seconds to 2 minutes) and a recording window (usually 1 to 3 minutes per question). You record your answer, and it is submitted for review - either by a human, by AI, or both.

The dropout advantage

Here is a data point that should encourage you: 33% of candidates quit applications that require one-way video interviews. That means simply completing the exercise puts you ahead of a third of the competition. The format feels impersonal and uncomfortable, but the candidates who persist face a meaningfully smaller field.

How to prepare

• Practise on camera. Record yourself answering common interview questions and watch the playback. Most people are surprised by how they look and sound - fixing small things (fidgeting, speaking too fast, not looking at the camera) is much easier once you have seen yourself do them.
• Use the preparation time wisely. Write down 3 to 4 bullet points for your answer, not a script. Reading from a script is the number one red flag - 42% of rejected video interviewees were flagged for visibly reading notes.
• Treat the camera as a person. Imagine the recruiter is sitting on the other side. Speak to them, not at the screen.
• Do a test run first. Most platforms offer a practice question before the real ones begin. Use it.

What AI is scoring

At firms using AI-scored video interviews (HireVue processes up to 25,000 data points per interview), the AI analyses:

• What you say: keywords, response structure, relevance to the question
• How you say it: pace, clarity, vocal confidence
• Communication patterns: coherence, response length, completeness

The AI is not judging your appearance, your background, or your clothing. It is analysing the content and delivery of your answers. This means preparation - knowing your STAR examples cold and delivering them clearly - is the best strategy for both human and AI reviewers.

The Common Mistakes (And the Data Behind Them)

Technical failures

70% of candidates have lost a job opportunity due to technical issues during a video interview. Test your setup the day before every interview: camera, microphone, internet, lighting. Have a backup plan (phone hotspot, alternative device).

Reading from notes

Acceptable in phone interviews. Unacceptable in video interviews. Interviewers notice immediately - your eyes move to the side, your delivery becomes stilted, and you lose the natural flow of conversation. Use bullet points as memory prompts, not scripts.

Low energy

The most common feedback for rejected video candidates is "lacked enthusiasm." Video flattens emotion. What feels normal to you looks flat to them. Consciously increase your energy - sit up straight, use your hands, vary your tone.

Poor lighting and framing

A dark, cluttered background signals that you did not take the interview seriously. Spend 5 minutes setting up your space properly. The visual impression matters - and it is entirely within your control.

Talking too long

Without the social cues of an in-person conversation (nodding, shifting, looking at a clock), candidates tend to ramble on video. Set a mental limit of 2 minutes per answer. If you have been talking for longer than that, wrap up.

Your Video Interview Checklist

The day before:

• Test your camera, microphone, and internet connection
• Set up your interview space: good lighting, clean background, camera at eye level
• Prepare 5 to 6 STAR answers for common competency questions
• Research the company: recent news, values, key projects
• Prepare your "Tell me about yourself" answer (60 to 90 seconds)

30 minutes before:

• Close all unnecessary applications and browser tabs
• Put your phone on silent and face down
• Have a glass of water nearby
• Open any notes or bullet points you want to reference (phone interviews only)

During:

• Look at the camera when speaking, screen when listening
• Keep answers under 2 minutes
• Smile, use your hands, vary your tone
• Take a beat before answering - a 2-second pause to gather your thoughts sounds composed, not slow

After:

• Send a thank-you email within 24 hours (see our thank-you email guide)

Video interviews reward the prepared. The technology is the same for every candidate - what separates the ones who advance from the ones who do not is the work done before the camera turns on.

Do that work. The rest follows.