Many firms are transitioning to a virtual process for one or more rounds of interviews. While the skills are largely the same, there are a few nuances to consider when speaking into a camera.
Pre-Interview
Have a plan before the interview. Know which link you’ll be using and where you’ll be taking the call from. Check what your background will look like and if there will be any background noise.
Double check time zones when you’re setting up the interview.
Check your laptop battery before the interview and have a charger already plugged in if you think you might need it.
Don’t forget that when you’re looking at the person on the screen you’re not actually looking in the camera.
Tip: draw some eyes and paste them next to your camera so you look into the camera instead of at the screen. It’s an easier way of making sure you are making “eye contact”
Have paper available to do normal case math. If you do math, make sure you write a little larger than normal and that your pen ink will be visible in the camera.
Practice
Try to practice cases with a friend via video chat. It might be more tempting or comfortable to practice over the phone if you can’t practice in person, but getting in the habit of using video if you know your interview will be that way might help.
Research the firm with which you’re interviewing - they often have case resources (live & virtual).
Practice walking through your frameworks potentially without visual aids just in case they can’t see what you have on the screen.
Practice walking through your math out-loud. Your interviewer will not have immediate access to your notes, so you might be asked to verbalize your scribbles. If not, you’ll definitely be asked to show your work to the camera.
Try to get as much time working over video as possible - goal is to feel comfortable talking to the camera and keeping your eye-level on the camera, not the screen.