Tips for Video Ettique
It's hard to believe that we are nearing our 1 year anniversary of the "2 week shut down to flatten curve"!
For some of us, we live on Zoom, WebEx, Ring Central, while others have been able to avoid the plethora of tiny heads floating on their screen. Maybe they are the lucky ones?!
As time goes on, expectations to be web camera savvy have heightened. The "cute" mistakes are now annoying and HR professionals no longer want to be tutors of camera-based communications.
Here is a quick checklist of things to review once you land that interview you have been waiting for....and for the love of God, wear pants!
Use and know where the mute button is located! (Pro-tip: Pressing and holding the spacebar while on mute will temporarily unmute you)
Look into the camera while speaking. I like to put a smiley face on a Post-It note and place it on the backside of my laptop to look at.
Choose a professional background. Please, put all "personal" items away! You would be amazed at what I've seen in backgrounds. 🤔
Find a brightly lit room that illuminates your whole face. Check for shadows. It's ok to put lamps in weird spots to create the lighting you need, they can't see that!
Consider the angle, the camera should be just above eye level. I don't want to see up your nose!
Pick a quiet space. I even put a note on my door for the Amazon driver, requesting he not knock, so my dogs remain quiet and I give them a bone.
Silence your phone. Consider airplane mode.
Turn off notifications on your computer to eliminate chiming.
Use a laptop or computer. Please don't try to hold your phone steady for 45 min, it's impossible. If you must use a phone, place it somewhere and stand or sit in front of it.
Charge your laptop. Important but easy to overlook!
Update your computer. You know it will want to update 3 min prior to your interview.
Find a good internet connection. Here is a link to test your speed: https://www.speedtest.net/
Communicate with your household.
Wear professional attire, yes, pants too!
Keep your screen clear. Closeout all other tabs, except your resume and LinkedIn for reference.
Practice with a friend beforehand!
Ask your interviewer questions. People who don't ask questions aren't engaged and immediately eliminated from consideration.