How to interview for a remote position: Tips to prepare, perform and get hired

Many internships, co‑ops and entry‑level jobs include at least one video interview, and some roles are entirely remote from day one.

Knowing how to interview for a remote position can help you access opportunities far beyond your city or time zone as a college student.

As a University of Cincinnati student you can use tools like BigInterview, Handshake, UC’s career and co-op support and the Bearcat Promise Career Studio to practice and get feedback before you ever join a live video call.

This guide walks through:

• What makes remote job interviews different
• How to set up your tech and space
• How to prepare for common remote interview questions
• How to show you can thrive in a remote work environment
• How to follow up after the interview the right way

A remote job interview is any interview conducted over a video call or phone for a role where you’ll be working remotely at least part of the time, rather than in an office. Interviewers still care about the basics:

• Can you do the job?
• Will you communicate effectively with the team?
• Do you seem reliable and engaged?

In a remote job interview, they’re also evaluating your ability to:

• Handle the tech smoothly
• Work independently and manage your time
• Stay organized when no one is physically nearby
• Fit into a remote team and company culture

Your answers matter, but so do the ways you show up on screen: your body language, energy and professionalism through a camera.

Before you focus on what to say, make sure your setup won’t distract from your strengths.

Test your tools.

• Use the same laptop or device you’ll use for the real interview.
• Test your camera and microphone with a friend or through BigInterview.
• Make sure Zoom, Teams, Google Meet or other platforms are updated.

Choose a good location.

• Find a quiet, well‑lit space where you can close a door.
• Face a window or light source so your face is clearly visible.
• Check your background on camera — simple and tidy is best.

Have a backup plan.

• Keep your phone nearby and charged.
• Have the interviewer’s email or phone number ready in case your connection drops.

Doing this a day or two before the interview can prevent most tech‑related stress.

Most remote roles use the same core interview questions as in‑person roles, plus a few about working remotely.

Expect questions such as:

• “Tell me about yourself.”
• “Why are you interested in this remote position and our company?”
• “How do you stay organized and manage your time when you’re working independently?”
• “Describe a time you collaborated with team members online.”
• “How do you stay connected with a supervisor or remote team?”
• “What challenges do you think you might face working remotely, and how would you handle them?”

Use the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result — to structure your answers. Pull examples from:

• Class projects or labs
• Co‑ops and internships
• Part‑time jobs or campus roles
• Student organizations and volunteer work

In BigInterview, you can choose question sets for internships, co‑ops or full‑time roles and practice answering them out loud before the real thing.

On a screen, small details in your body language and delivery matter more.

Check how you come across.

• Look at the camera when you speak; glance at the screen when you listen.
• Sit up straight, relax your shoulders and keep your movements calm.
• Nod, smile and react naturally so you don’t seem “frozen.”

Use mock interviews.

• Record practice answers in BigInterview and play them back.
• Pay attention to your pace, eye contact, filler words and posture.
• Bring one recording to the Bearcat Promise Career Studio and ask for feedback on both your content and non‑verbal communication skills.

This may feel awkward at first, but it’s one of the fastest ways to improve your virtual presence. Remember, in addition to answering questions and showcasing your experience, you’re also demonstrating your ability to work remotely in real time.

Employers want to know: “Can this person actually work well when we’re not in the same office?”

Use your stories to show you can:

• Work independently. Talk about long‑term projects, online courses or jobs where you had to motivate yourself without constant supervision.
• Stay organized. Explain how you track assignments, meetings and deadlines— planners, apps, calendars, checklists.
• Manage your time. Share how you balance classes, work and other responsibilities, and how you adjust when priorities shift.
• Collaborate online. Give examples of group projects or roles where you coordinated across different locations or time zones.

If you’ve had a remote or hybrid co‑op or internship, describe how you checked in with your supervisor, shared progress and handled questions. If not, use experiences from online classes, student orgs or research.

Remote or not, interviewers expect you to understand the basics of the role and the organization.

Before the video interview:

• Re‑read the job description and highlight the top three to five skills or responsibilities.
• Visit the company’s website and review “about” and “careers” pages.
• Look up the organization and some team members on LinkedIn.

Notice:

• How they describe their company culture
• Whether their team includes remote employees
• What tools and technologies they mention

If the posting is on Handshake, read any notes about the remote work environment or expectations around hours and time zones.

Thoughtful questions show that you’re engaged and that you understand the realities of working remotely.

Examples:

• “How does your team stay connected day‑to‑day when everyone is working remotely or in different time zones?”
• “What does onboarding look like for remote interns or new employees?”
• “How often do you check in with remote team members?”
• “What does success in this remote role look like in the first three months?”

Avoid questions you could easily answer by reading the website; focus instead on team norms, expectations and support.

Learn more: 20 unique interview questions to impress your employer

Treat the remote interview like a professional meeting.

• Join early. Aim for five to ten minutes before the start time to handle any last‑minute tech issues.
• Limit distractions. Close unrelated tabs, silence notifications and ask roommates not to interrupt.
• Use active listening. Let the interviewer finish, paraphrase questions if needed and avoid talking over them.
• Use notes sparingly. A few bullet points are fine, but don’t read full paragraphs.

If something goes wrong — your connection stutters, someone walks behind you — acknowledge it briefly, fix what you can and keep going. Staying calm is part of showing you can handle remote work.

Watch out for:

• “Winging it.” Joining without practicing or researching the company.
• Poor framing. Sitting with bright light behind you so your face is in shadow.
• Weak audio. Using a noisy space or relying on a bad microphone.
• Rambling answers. Aim for about 60-90 seconds per question unless the interviewer asks you to go deeper.
• No questions. Saying “I don’t have any questions” suggests you’re not curious about the role or team.

Being just a bit more prepared than the average candidate can help you stand out.

Follow‑up is especially important when you’re interviewing remotely, since you may never meet your interviewer in person.

Within 24 hours:

• Send a brief thank‑you email to each person you spoke with.
• Thank them for their time, mention something specific you discussed and restate your interest.

Example structure:

1. Thank them for the conversation.
2. Name one topic you found interesting.
3. Connect that topic to your skills or goals.
4. Express that you look forward to hearing from them.

A few days later:

• If they gave you a timeline, wait until that date passes before checking in.
• If not, a short, polite follow‑up after about a week is reasonable.

You want to respect the interview process, without getting forgotten in the mix. You’re reminding them of your interest — not demanding an immediate answer. 

As the global founder of cooperative education and a top‑ranked co‑op and internship university, UC offers these tools so you can practice remote interviews and step confidently into modern, flexible roles. 

UC students in Cincinnati, Ohio, can get targeted help for remote roles:

• BigInterview: Practice interviews by role or industry, record yourself, get instant feedback and build comfort with remote formats.
• Bearcat Promise Career Studio: Meet with career coaches to practice interviewing, review your answers and refine your virtual presence.
• UC co-op and career support: Prepare for co-op and job success with resume tips, interview strategies and negotiation know-how.
• Handshake: Search for remote internships, co‑ops and entry‑level jobs, then apply your new skills in real interviews.

Search for these resources on uc.edu to get started.