- Arrange Background Appearance. “When you set up for your interview, look around at what the interviewer will be seeing in the background. Keep your background businesslike, clean and preferably neutral. If your desk will be showing, organize the top neatly and get rid of any clutter.” This tip comes from “How to Prepare for a Remote Job Interview.” And we leave you to judge whether this is in fact the worst background ever, but the article does flag some background problems.
- Minimize Background Noise. In the COVID-19 era, this guy is about to get a lot more company. To the best extent you can, arrange a quiet, private place to conduct your meeting. Be sure to silence nearby phones/devices, too. If you set your phone to vibrate, keep it several feet away from your microphone. If the phone is sitting on a hard surface, the vibration can still be audible.
- Adjust Lighting. A slight shift in lighting can significantly change your webcam visibility. Indirect, natural light can be very helpful because it softly brightens your environs. Overhead lighting and lamps are fine, too, but avoid glare which can come from direct, artificial (or natural) lighting.
- Install a webcam cover. You’ll likely be videoconferencing more in the coming weeks. You may start leaving videoconference apps open on your computer. You may even forget the apps are open. For your own safety and security, find a way to cover your webcam. You can buy an inexpensive cover at an office supply store or online, or simply use a piece of cardboard.
- A final piece of advice in three parts:
- Test before you meet.
- Test before you meet.
- Test before you meet.
Open up Zoom (or whatever app you are using), and confirm that your video and audio are working a few minutes before the meeting start time.
