Looking for remote interview tips to face your next virtual call with a potential employer? Well, you’re in good company. As a freelance content writer, I almost always prefer a remote interview: I love getting to wear comfy tracksuit bottoms, I love being in the comfort of my own space, and I love sipping on a cup of my favourite tea as I answer questions designed to judge my very being.

But if I’m honest, there are times that I really miss in-person interviews.

Remote video interviews are somehow even more intimidating than an in-person meeting. Maybe it’s the awkward waiting beforehand without having to travel to a particular place, or maybe it’s the staring at the digital ‘waiting room’ with no idea whose face will pop up on the other side.

And that’s without even touching on the technical mishaps.

The truth is that job interviews (remote or not) are always going to kind of suck at least a little bit. But there are things you can do to feel more prepared for your online video interview and set yourself up for the best chance of success.

Here are my 12 top tips for remote interview success.

• Technical Tips for Remote Interviews
• How to Prepare for a Remote Interview
• How to Be Confident in a Remote Interview
• Digital Nomad Interviews Tips
• Tired of interviewing?

Technical Tips for Remote Interviews

1. Do a Rech Run Through the Day Of

Doing a practice interview is nothing new, but have you considered a technical run-through? With remote interviews, there are so many more potential problems than just making sure you arrive on time: the Wi-Fi might go out, your camera might be dirty, or your AirPods might not properly connect.

Ask a friend to hop on Zoom with you for 2 minutes the morning of your interview to test the connection/quality/sound/etc. Not only will this ensure a smooth interview, it will be one less thing for you to worry about.

2. Invest in a Ring Light

I know ring lights sound like something for influencers but trust me, they make a world of difference for virtual video interviews. Lighting your space will help you appear clearer on the screen and present an all-around more professional first impression.

Don’t worry about buying the fanciest or most expensive piece of tech, any $10 laptop ring light attachment will do the job! Plus, you can use it for all future video conference calls to level up your remote work setup.

3. Use a Second Screen

This might be a monitor, phone, or iPad. One of the major perks of remote interviews is that your interviewer can’t see what’s happening off-screen, aka you can have a cheat sheet. I prep my second screen by having my notes and resumé right in front of me to refer back to as I talk. It can also be useful to have the job posting easily available as well as reminders for questions to ask your interviewer.

Of course, make sure you’re looking at the camera as much as possible with only the occasional glance to the side…to be honest I think knowing I have the information there is more useful to quell my nerves than the information itself!

How to Prepare for a Remote Interview

4. Double, Triple Check the Time and Place

For an in-person interview, you’ll likely check the location and make a travel plan days ahead of the actual meeting. Remote interviews should be no different. Check the invite for the following information:

• Date and time for your time zone
• What video conference software will host the virtual interview
• Any notes in the meeting invitation

It’s all too easy to overlook this information on the day of your remote interview and end up unprepared. Make sure you know exactly what’s happening and that you have a plan for how and when you’re turning up for your virtual video call the same way you would an in-person meeting.

5. Research the Company

This shouldn’t be groundbreaking to anyone. It’s obviously so important that you know a good deal about the company you’re interviewing with before the interview, particularly when it comes to their market niche and business methodologies. This will also give you some great questions to ask the interviewer during the meeting.

What might be easily overlooked, however, are some of the logistic details missing when you interview remotely. Take a look to see where the company is physically based and any public remote work policies ahead of time to understand what their recruiting expectations might be. Just because the interview is remote doesn’t mean you’ll be able to work remotely in the future.

6. Choose the Right Remote Interview Location

Okay, sure you can take the interview from anywhere, but that doesn’t mean that you should! You need to find a space that is quiet, private, and with a consistent internet connection. Take my word for it, you do not want to interview from a room you’ve never been to before…let’s just say there isn’t always a plug socket when you need one. Test out the space before the day of your remote interview to avoid unwanted surprises or day-of hiccups.

If you’re using a home space, make sure to let anyone you live with know to not bother you during the interview time. You might also want to consider using noise-cancelling headphones for the least distraction possible.

How to Be Confident in a Remote Interview

7. Take Your Time

One of the common mishaps of digital interviews is speaking over your interviewer. Even a microsecond of lag can throw the timing off on a conversation leaving you unsure when to reply or coming in too early. This can really mess up your confidence to speak.

Instead of projecting a frantic and nervous energy, try to bring a sense of calm to the video interview. Listen and take a beat before responding – not because they might not be done speaking, but because you are gathering your thoughts. For you, this gives you a chance to consider each answer and give the best response. To the interviewer, you will come across as cool, calm, and collected.

Who doesn’t want to hire the calmest person in the (digital) room?

8. Know Your Achievements

Any interview guide will mention the importance of knowing your strengths and finding ways to weave them into conversation. This includes remote interviews. Right before joining the meeting room, I’ll take 5 minutes to list out three personal achievements that make me feel hirable, knowledgable, and worth this interviewer’s time.

These achievements will sit in front of me in my notebook (or iPad good notes app in my case) for me to notice whenever I glance down. In lots of cases I won’t be able to touch on these things during the interview itself, however, starting the call with a sense of worth really transforms my interview performance.

If you don’t believe you are hirable, neither will the interviewer.

9. Look the Part

We’ve all heard the phrase “Dress for the job you want”, well, with interviewing you can take it literally. You’re presenting the version of yourself that you believe is the most hirable for a very specific position…part of that is the way you look.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to change out of your pyjama bottoms, however, you should have on a professional shirt with jewellery and makeup if it makes you feel your most confident. This is really the key, you want to feel your best so that you present your best self to the interviewer.

And while we’re on the subject of appearance, I do recommend turning off or reducing any appearance filters. These can distort your image and distract the interviewer, as well as relying on tech to fill your confidence gaps. At the end of the day, you want to feel confident in yourself, not the filter.

Digital Nomad Interviews Tips

10. Interview Them Back

Let’s be so real, hiring digital nomads is not for every company. If they are not experienced with (or very open to) async communication, flexible schedules, and changing time zones then they might not be the company for you.

Ask the interviewer very specifically about their experience working with digital nomads and how they handle some of the topics previously mentioned. Finding a remote job might be tough but I promise it’s better to wait for the right company than struggle through joining one unfit for digital nomad employees.

11. Find Examples of Your Remote Work Success

Part of interviewing as a digital nomad is going to be proving your ability to work on the go. Not everyone is cut out for the challenge of working and travelling at the same time, and you need to convince an interviewer that it won’t be a problem for you.

Try framing your successes as a direct result of the freedom that remote work has allowed: what specifically about life as a digital nomad helps you to perform at your best? Conveying your successes in this light will help a company to see your lifestyle as an asset as well as that your achievements are unattainable from someone working locally.

12. Be Honest

Set yourself up for success from the start by being intentionally clear about your remote work situation. What’s your time zone, how often do you expect that to change, and what can you commit to in good faith?

The worst-case scenario is being offered a job with expectations that you cannot realistically meet. If they need you at the same standing meeting every week but it’s going to be at 4 am at your next destination, you’re going to wish you’d been honest from the get-go. Who knows, you might even be surprised by the accommodations a company is willing to make for you when requested at the start of the hiring process.

Tired of interviewing?

I’m under no illusion that remote interviews are fun. They’re not. They’re never going to be. But there might be another option. As a freelancer, I rarely interview for specific positions and instead conduct consultations. They might sound like interviews but there’s one huge difference…I’m in control.

Being in the driving seat of a consultation, selling services I already perform to someone actively interested in my work is an entirely different experience from the stress of interviewing. Interested? Check out my guide on how to land your first client as a freelance writer in 2025: