Pre-interview setup checklist for an AI copilot

Two days before

1. Check the rules. Read the invite and any candidate guide. If AI help is banned, stop here and use the tool for practice only. If unsure, ask the recruiter.
2. Pick the setup. Desktop app, browser or phone, based on the computer and the call. See desktop vs browser vs phone.
3. Install and update on the computer you will actually use, and sign in.
4. Grant permissions: microphone, and screen or audio capture if the app asks. Restart if your computer says to.
5. Check your plan and credits, so a session does not stop on the day for lack of credits.
6. Load your material: the resume you sent, the full job description and the company name.

The day before: run a full test

This is the step people skip, and it is the one that catches problems.

1. Read the prep brief or your own notes. Cross out anything you cannot back up.
2. Start a test call with a friend on the same meeting app, on the same computer, in the same room.
3. Share your screen exactly as you plan to, and ask your friend what they see.
4. Have them ask four questions: one about you, one behavioral, one technical, one follow-up.
5. Check the transcript is accurate and the suggestion arrives in time to help.
6. If you have a coding round, practice the snapshot or screenshot step until it is automatic.
7. Write down anything that failed and fix it tonight.

One hour before

• Restart the computer. Close every app and tab you do not need.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb, and mute chat and email notifications.
• Plug in the charger. If you use a phone app, charge the phone and silence it.
• Check your internet. Sit close to the router or use a cable if you can.
• Get water, a pen and a short paper list of your three best stories.

Ten minutes before

1. Open the meeting link and check the camera and microphone in the app.
2. Start the copilot session and confirm it shows it is listening.
3. Set answers to short and simple.
4. Place the answer window at the top of the screen, under the camera. If you use a phone, set it next to the laptop speakers.
5. Take three slow breaths. The setup is done.

During the interview

• Listen to the whole question first. Then glance at the suggestion.
• Start with a natural opener while it loads.
• Use the structure and one or two facts. Say them your way.
• Ask a clarifying question when you need time. It is honest and it helps.
• If the copilot misfires or freezes, ignore it and keep going. Do not fiddle with settings mid-answer.

Right after

• End the session in the app so it stops listening.
• Read the transcript or review while the call is fresh. Note questions you struggled with.
• Send a short thank-you email the same day.
• Practice your weak answers before the next round.

If something goes wrong

• No transcript: the tool cannot hear the call. Check permissions, the audio source, and whether headphones are blocking a microphone setup.
• Wrong question: it misheard. Answer what you heard and let it catch up on the next question.
• Slow suggestions: set answers shorter and close other apps.
• Window shows on your share: stop sharing and share a single window or tab instead.
• Echo on the call: your speakers are feeding back into your microphone. Lower the volume, move the microphone, or switch to a setup that listens to system audio so you can wear headphones.
• The interviewer switches apps: if they send a new link at the last minute, join it, then check that the copilot transcript still shows the interviewer's words before the first question.

This checklist with OphyAI

With OphyAI, create the session with the job title, company, job description and your resume, and read the prep brief it builds. Eligible new users get their first Interview Copilot session free for up to 15 minutes, with no card, which is enough for the day-before test. After that, Pro is $29 a month with 300 credits, and a Standard session uses 15 credits and runs up to 2 hours. In the phone app, tap Start listening when the interviewer starts a question, tap again when they finish, check the captured question, then tap Send. When the session ends you can review its questions and answers.

Monthly plans have no money-back guarantee, so test before you pay. See the OphyAI profile, OphyAI downloads and copilot for Zoom, Meet and Teams.