6 Ways To Look Great On A Video Call
Video conferences bring a unique set of considerations–from lighting to room decor–here’s what you need to check out before hitting “call.”
Face to face meetings are the most natural way to communicate. But if that’s inconvenient, then video conferencing has a lot going for it over phone calls. People pay more attention when they can see the people they’re talking to.
Unfortunately, for all the benefits, video conferencing is incredibly easy to screw up. “Everyone thinks they know what they’re doing but they’ve never been trained to do it,” says Paul J. Bailo, author of The Essential Digital Interview Handbook. Here are some tips for looking like a pro:
1. GET THE RIGHT LIGHTS.
Overhead lighting is the worst kind of lighting for video conferences because it makes shadows under your eyes. Unfortunately, that’s what most people have by default. You may not care about the lighting if you’re doing a quick snow-day check-in with the team you’ve worked with for four years. But for high-stakes situations (like job interviews) when you need to look your best, Bailo recommends using three natural, soft light sources: two behind your web cam (one on the left, one on the right) and one right behind you.
2. WATCH YOUR ANGLE.
Are you using a web cam clipped to the top of your monitor? Chances are it’s not capturing you from the ideal perspective. If it’s angled down too much, you’ll put your fellow meeting-goers in the position of towering over you. You want the lens to be right at eye level. A tripod can get you there and hold the camera steady.
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