If you are applying for a position abroad, a face-to-face meeting may not always be possible. Instead, you may be invited to an online interview. Your online appearance is a reflection of your offline (real-life) appearance. Hosting organisations often use a selection process with several steps to understand a candidate's real motivation. Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you; using Match requires an account on the site, and signing up with Google is available but not required. The tips below are for an online interview for the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is explains the programme itself, and how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are published.
Last updated: October 2026.
How do organisations select candidates?
Host organisations select volunteers mainly by the volunteer profile the project needs and by the CV and motivation letter; the motivation letter should clearly state your personal qualities, what volunteering means to you, why you want to join that project and what it will give you. A demanding application also filters out candidates who are not really motivated. Two friends can technically go to the same ESC project, but host organisations usually prefer volunteers from different countries for intercultural diversity rather than two young people from the same country. Our guide on how to write a motivation letter covers the letter, and application tips for Erasmus+ and ESC covers the rest of the application.
What do organisations want to find out about you?
Hosting organisations often use a selection process with several steps to understand a candidate's real motivation:
🎯 Whether you care about the topic
🧳 Whether you mainly want to leave your country or job
✈️ Whether you see volunteering as travel
Our guide on what makes an ideal volunteer describes the qualities organisations look for.
What will the organisation tell you, and what can you ask?
Selected volunteers should be told every detail honestly, for example that they may live in a small rural area, that transport may be only a bicycle, or that housing may be mixed-gender; these points are often repeated in an online call. After selection, some organisations connect new volunteers with previous or current volunteers by video call so they can ask questions and feel ready. Our guide on your first steps as an ESC volunteer covers what comes after selection, and what to do when a project goes wrong covers the problems that can come up.
How do you prepare for an online interview?
Prepare how you look and behave, where and how you set up, and what you do if something goes wrong.
How should you look and behave?
🧥 Do not be too relaxed: Approach the online interview as if you were there in person. Dress well from head to toe, since you may need to stand up.
😊 Be social: Behave as socially as you can; do not be tight-lipped; try to be likeable. Even if shaking hands is not possible, you can respond with smiles and make eye contact with your interviewers. Do not forget to look at the camera. Also, sit up straight.
📏 Keep your distance: Even if you cannot hear properly, do not move close to the speakers; try to find a different solution. The interviewer should see your whole face.
🎭 Know this before the live call: Do not start a video call unless you are ready and will properly hang up after the interview ends. Interviewers neither want to hear you sigh nor are interested in your thoughts about how the interview went.
Where and how should you set up?
🏡 Choose a good place: If you do not live alone, let your roommates or family members know that an interview will take place. After giving your warning, lock your room as a precaution (if needed) and put the key in your pocket. The chance of being disturbed will then drop to 1%.
🪑 Move to a quiet place: Avoid doing the interview in a noisy coffee area or using your phone while walking; you can move to a quiet place and sit down.
🔕 Close unnecessary programs: Do not forget to close all unnecessary programs. So that your attention is not distracted and for uninterrupted communication, we recommend that you put your phone into a mode such as "Do not disturb".
🥤 Prepare your desk: Be sure to put a glass of water, a pen and a piece of paper you can take notes on at your desk.
🎥 Take care of the technical side: Be sure to check your camera before the interview. Test your microphone. Look at what your camera shows of your surroundings. Make sure there is no light source that will spoil the video. For example, never do the video by a window, as it will affect the lighting.
🛋️ Be comfortable: Move to a place where you really feel very good; there is no need for an office. Just find a place you like and know. Of course, do not choose your bed.
What if something goes wrong?
📶 Have a backup: The internet connection can drop at any time. What you need to do is tell the interviewer that you did not hang up; but you cannot do this if you do not have their number. So save their number on your phone. If you face such a situation, tell them what really happened. Telling the truth can build trust.
🔁 Say it at the start if the connection is bad: If your connection is bad, say so clearly at the start and do not forget that this problem may happen again, do not be afraid. Finding an answer to an imaginary question is more annoying than asking what the question really is.
What happens after the interview?
When an organisation replies, it is usually talking to several candidates; a candidate who answers two days later is often eliminated. During your application period, check your email every day, including the spam folder; if a week passes without a reply, send a short, polite reminder. Our guide on what to do if you applied and heard nothing goes through the waiting period, and what to do if you are rejected covers the next steps.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the interview take place?
You may be invited to an online interview, because a face-to-face meeting may not always be possible. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are published.
What should you wear?
Dress well from head to toe, since you may need to stand up. Our guide on your first steps as an ESC volunteer covers what comes after selection.
Where should you take the call?
Avoid doing the interview in a noisy coffee area or using your phone while walking; you can move to a quiet place and sit down. Our guide on application tips for Erasmus+ and ESC covers the rest of the application.
What if the connection drops?
Tell the interviewer that you did not hang up; you cannot do this if you do not have their number, so save their number on your phone. Our guide on ESC application mistakes covers more mistakes to avoid.
Should you look at the camera?
Yes: do not forget to look at the camera. Our guide on what makes an ideal volunteer describes the qualities organisations look for.
How fast should you answer the organisation?
A candidate who answers two days later is often eliminated. Our guide on what to do if you applied and heard nothing covers the waiting period.
Can two friends go to the same project?
Two friends can technically go to the same ESC project, but host organisations usually prefer volunteers from different countries for intercultural diversity. Our guide on how to write a motivation letter covers the letter.
Prepare, then relax
A calm interview starts with a quiet place, a working camera and an organisation you know. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where to look first, and Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: how to write a motivation letter · application tips for Erasmus+ and ESC · ESC application mistakes · how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects · what makes an ideal volunteer
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
