First Time Doing an Online Interview? Here's What Reddit Actually Says

So you've landed an interview - congrats. But it's online, and you've never done one before. Now you're spiralling: Do I look at the camera or the screen? What if my background looks messy? What if the audio glitches?

A recent thread on r/interviews asked exactly this, and the responses were surprisingly practical. No fluff, no generic career-coach speak - just people sharing what actually works. Here's what they said, organized so you don't have to dig through the comments yourself.

The Big Question: Camera or Screen?

This is the one that trips almost everyone up. The short answer: look at the camera when you're speaking, glance at the screen when you're listening.

One commenter put it well - treat it like a normal conversation. When it's your turn to talk, look into the camera lens. That's what creates the feeling of eye contact for the person on the other end. When the interviewer is speaking, it's fine to watch their face on screen to pick up on body language and nod where appropriate.

Another trick that came up: resize the video window and drag it as close to your webcam as possible. That way, looking at your interviewer on screen and looking at the camera are nearly the same thing. It's a small adjustment that makes a big difference in how natural you come across.

And if you use an Nvidia GPU, there's a feature in Nvidia Broadcast called "Eye Contact" that digitally corrects your gaze to always appear to be looking at the camera - no matter where you're actually looking. Worth knowing about, though not essential.

The bigger point: don't overthink it. If the company is running online interviews, they're used to the format. No one's going to disqualify you because you glanced at the wrong spot.

Set Up Before the Interview, Not During

Testing your setup in advance is the single most underrated piece of advice in the thread. Do it with a friend or family member the day before - not five minutes before the call starts.

Here's a quick checklist drawn from what people recommended:

Audio: Most people find their computer's built-in mic works fine. Just make sure it's selected as the default in your audio settings before the call.

Lighting: Natural light from a window in front of you (not behind) works best. If you're in a dim room, a cheap desk lamp pointed at your face makes a big difference.

Camera height: Laptop cameras positioned flat on a desk point slightly upward - not a flattering angle. Prop your laptop up on a few books so the camera is roughly at eye level.

Background: Use the blur feature if your room is cluttered, or pick a neutral virtual background from settings. A blurred background or a clean home office look keeps the focus on you.

A Few Things That Actually Help on the Day

Keep notes on half your screen. One commenter mentioned keeping talking points and notes visible alongside the video window. If the interviewer notices, it actually signals you came prepared - not that you're cheating. Just don't stare at your notes the whole time.

Have a glass of water nearby. It sounds minor, but having something to sip on can help you pace yourself, buy a beat before answering, and generally feel more settled.

Don't install new software you've never used before. If the interview is on Teams or Zoom, open the app a day early, poke around, and figure out where the mute button is. The worst time to discover you don't know how to turn off your camera is mid-interview.

What Actually Matters

The format is different, but the fundamentals are the same as any interview: be prepared, be present, and treat it like a conversation with a person - because that's exactly what it is.

The camera, the background, the lighting - those things matter, but they're support structure. What carries you through is knowing what you want to say and being ready to say it clearly.

If you want to practice before the big day, there are AI-powered tools that can simulate interview questions and give you feedback on your answers. A dry run or two can take the edge off, especially if this is your first time.

Good luck. You've got this.