How to Look GOOD on VIDEO CALLS (2020) for interview
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Ever since the pandemic hit most businesses asked their employees to stay at home, new hires are being hired virtually and also on board from home. So, no need to dress well, your hair, or move out from bed for many of us. But, what if you get an important meeting invite where you have to actually show your face, or worse what if you get a live video interview soon, and you want to look professional. Either way, even if you’re at home, you can’t miss a chance at standing out, and giving the best first impression possible because it will influence how you’re being perceived by the interviewer but, also by your boss, and colleagues, and we all know it. Right, a good first impression will help you land a job, and will even help you to be staffed in important projects and get promoted in the long-term because everyone will have that perception of you that you’re professional that you’re the best. So, in this article, you’ll learn how to look good in video calls. Nail your future video interviews or look like a boss in front of your team whether you’re using Zoom, Microsoft team, Skype, or any other video call software.
Step 1 Background
Your background first gets off from your bed and go somewhere that is either professional like a home office, or neutral like your kitchen, or in front of a plain wall. So, I know many of you guys will try to have it in your bedroom but, it’s my least favorite place just because, it’s too comfortable for you to just be in the mood to become professional right. So, try moving out from your bedroom but, either way, the location you’ll be choosing here are a few indications you need to follow. For our visitor here let’s choose the home office, by the way before I move on I think I don’t have to mention that you have to dress properly right. So, business casual or just something that is presentable let’s say try calling a friend to check that everything looks good before you have that actual call. Make sure there is nothing that stands out in your background because believe me people are going to obsess about what’s behind you. So, be very careful, you want people to focus on your face or on your words, not anything else here are a few tricks to help you out.
Remove any random objects first then try to have a significant distance between you, and your background. It will help your webcam drop the focus from what’s behind you and focus on your face solely if; you’re in front of a plain wall. It will help remove that awful shadow your light will create. If it’s impossible for you to do the above then, you can use the virtual background that Zoom users, and other software. It’s not my favorite option but, it’s always better than a crappy real background I think, I don’t have to mention to choose a professional background right it’s no time to have fun with the doom background when your career is at stake.
Step 2 Camera angle
Number two, your camera angle to look at your best, and to have that connection with the other person you have to replicate the setting of a real interview or a real meeting in real life. So, let’s not do this at home either, put your computer tablet, or phone at eye level. Use a stack of books, or anything you can find to do this, and now it looks way better, also remember to look at the webcam, or the camera right not at your own image. A little trick I just discovered is minimizing your call and put it high on your screen so, that even if you look at your own image it looks like you’re looking at the webcam. But, my favorite trick, and I shared it already in another video is to put a sticker with a smiley on it. It’s way easier to focus on awesome.
Step 3 Lighting
You look better but, I notice shadows below your eyes because of lights in your room that don’t look that good so let’s work on that on step number three lighting. So, I just discovered like last week a trick that will help you have good lighting without moving from your desk or your location. If, you have a TV nearly, or a screen, Go on YouTube and type widescreen and you’ll have videos of just white screen put in full-screen mode, and you have now a giant lamp in front of you. If you don’t have any TV, or screens nearby then, I would absolutely recommend you to buy one of the video conference lights from Lume Cube that is portable. It’s a portable light Lume Cube that you can install on any laptop or tablet you might have this little cube is simply awesome because you can adjust the light intensity. It’s portable, and you can even use it whenever you want.
Step 4 Appearance
If your face looks a little too harsh in the camera angle, and light is that it shows too many details on your skin. So, I have the perfect solution If, you’re using Zoom, and FaceTime you know you can go on settings video, video settings then check the touch up my appearance. So, it works just like an Instagram filter it simply adds a filter to soften your skin, and this is the same principle, I used in my video interviews.
Step 5 Audio
Before your interviewer or colleagues mute you because, I wanted to mute myself so let’s move on step number five audios, make sure you test your audio before starting any of your calls. If you have a recent computer, you can use the built-in mic even. If, it’s not my favorite one but, let’s try using a cheap earphone. So, try them all and then choose the best one you have available, but here’s a bonus tip. If, you want to look cool, and have the best audio possible in Zoom. I would recommend you mute yourself, and use the space bar every time you want to speak, and this way the other person will always have a clear sound without too much background noise or mic problems.
You’re now set you’re ready to look good in any video calls, or video interviews you might receive. So, go in their land that job, and make that good first impression in front of your boss, your colleagues, or whomever you’re meeting. But, whatever you do we all know you’ll probably go back to your bed camera off for most of your meetings, and that’s totally okay.