Video & Phone Interviews

Beginner · 8 min read · Behavioral Playbook, Behavioral Playbook

Set-up, presence and notes for remote rounds, and what changes on a phone screen.

Most first rounds, and many full loops, now happen over video or phone. The content of your answers doesn't change, but the medium removes the cues a room gives you: eye contact, the interviewer's body language, the ability to sketch on a whiteboard.

Set-up checklist

Presence on video

Phone screens

Without video, your voice carries everything:

Online collaboration for design and deep dives

When you need to sketch an architecture or a timeline:

Further reading

Key takeaways

• Test the platform, the connection, the camera and the sound before the day, and have a backup.
• Look at the camera for key points, pause for lag, and check in after long answers.
• On the phone, signpost clearly and keep answers a little shorter.
• Narrate while you draw, in a tool you've practised.

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