So, you’ve perfected your “professional blur” background, found the one corner of the house KPLC hasn’t declared war on, and you’re staring down the clock. That little video window is your portal to the next chapter of your career, and the recruiter on the other side? They’re just humans, often dealing with their own tech drama (we are not immune to Internet Service Providers failing, trust us).

We’ve seen the good, the bad and the candidate interviewing from a matatu. To ensure you land firmly in the “Perfect Candidate” category, here are five non-negotiable tips from the recruiter’s desk that will help you nail that virtual interview.

1. Know Your CV (Don’t Be a CV-Stranger)

You paid a professional writer to polish that CV. Fantastic. But if you can’t defend the stories behind the bullet points, you’ve just bought yourself an expensive piece of fiction.

If your CV claims you “spearheaded digital transformation,” you better have the numbers to back it up, not just a vague story about sharing memes on Slack. Your CV is the script; you are the lead actor.

The Golden Rule: Go through your CV line-by-line, especially the responsibilities section. Be ready to give a specific, measurable example (use the STAR method!) for every major achievement. Don’t let us find out that the “Senior Strategist” role was actually just being the one who remembered the office chai order.

2. Be On Time (But Communicate Like a Pro)

We all know the concept of “African time,” but virtual interviews operate strictly on GMT—Global Meeting Time. Punctuality is non-negotiable; it’s the most basic sign of professional respect.

However, life happens. Your Wi-Fi might die, your laptop might stage a coup, or a boda boda might block your driveway. If you are going to be late, even by two minutes, a quick, professional message before the interview starts is your lifeline.

The Golden Rule: Log in five minutes early. If disaster strikes, send an immediate text or email: “Apologies, having unexpected connectivity issues. I will be joining in 5 minutes.” This shows accountability and composure, not panic.

3. Prepare Your Environment

A successful interview requires a conducive environment. This means quiet, distraction-free, and stable. We have, regrettably, heard it all: the Echo Chamber (no headphones, pure feedback), the sudden rush of the blender and the neighbor or kids shouting in the background.

The Golden Rule: Find a quiet space, invest in a decent headset and make sure your family knows that for the next 30 or so minutes they have to be dead silent for you to ace your interview. Check your lighting (we need to see your face, not your silhouette) and ensure your background is tidy. Tidy desk, tidy mind, impressive candidate.

4. Listen to the Question (Don’t Be a Scripted Star)

The moment a recruiter deviates from a standard question, many candidates rush to twist it back into the answer they memorized last night. This is how you end up talking about your “team leadership skills” when we asked about your “conflict resolution process.”

The Scripted Star fails to hear the specific nuance of the question. You want to showcase your agility—the ability to process real-time information and provide a relevant, customized response.

The Golden Rule: Take a one-second pause after the question. Process the keywords. If we ask about failure, don’t give us a disguised success story. Listen, process and provide a relevant answer, it shows intelligence and genuine engagement.

5. Just Breathe (The Strategic Sip)

Interviews are just conversations designed to see if your skills and personality are a good fit for the company culture. They shouldn’t feel like a high-stakes exam with a Matiang’i-level invigilator watching you.

If you feel the nerves creeping in (if your mind goes blank and you feel the pressure of the moment) use the Strategic Water Sip.

The Golden Rule: Keep a glass of water nearby. If a tough question comes, take a slow, deliberate sip. This buys you 3-5 seconds to organize your thoughts, slow your heart rate, and articulate a clear answer. Remember, we are rooting for you, silently cheering when your camera finally focuses, and secretly wishing for a smooth session free of power outages.

Go crush that interview, because if we can survive KPLC, you can definitely survive a 30-minute chat with us!

What’s the funniest or most relatable virtual interview disaster you’ve ever witnessed or experienced? Share your story below!