#Zoom interview virtual background full#

Here is how your I Love Me wall can help you give a great Zoom interview and increase your chances of getting hired:ġ. The neutral background focuses the interviewer's attention on you and what you are saying. Yet, as 's transition master coach, I think that when it comes to the job interview itself, nothing beats a neutral background during a Zoom interview. 'Those are the things that are never on your resume, but they are part of your history, which is why they should be on the wall behind you,' she said. One civilian hiring manager I know told me that she thinks it is a good thing to see the I Love Me on the wall behind the interviewee. I can see how that would serve them well. They claim it is frequently a conversation starter on a call, especially among other veterans.

#Zoom interview virtual background full#

I've also had veteran colleagues say they make sure they hang their I Love Me wall in full view of the camera. 'You don't need that,' someone tells them, implying it is a crutch. I've had senior military clients who were told they ought to take down their I Love Me wall to nails and wires, Grinch style. When it comes to the job hunt, though, is it time to take the I Love Me wall down? Is it hurting or helping you? Is Your “I Love Me” Wall Hurting or Helping You? Those items on the I Love Me wall served not as bragging rights, but as identity markers - an anchor to the past, a mast toward the future, a physical manifestation of our abilities and belonging.

(But really, he did.)Īs a military sociologist, I have always thought that was the point of the I Love Me wall for active-duty members, veterans and their families. My dad claimed that he never looked like that in real life. Despite whatever well-intentioned reasons they may be chosen for, virtual backgrounds inevitably feel like a little bit of an evasion and a closure, rather than an invitation to engage with you and your world.My Air Force dad's I Love Me wall featured a picture of a handsome young Vietnam-era pilot in front of his jet. If there’s a knickknack or two showing ( within reason), it will endear you to your viewer because they’ll feel like they get to know you better. My personal choice is a really nice painting.ĭon’t feel like you need to empty the space of personal quirks, either. Bookcases are really popular backgrounds because they’re colorful, and they make you look smart. Instead, choose a (real) background in your space that has a little something going on. They won’t be able to focus on your beautiful face during the interview. If the background is obviously fake, that’s going to be a distraction. Remember, our intention is to create a great experience for the viewer. The human eye can still detect the subtle differences in lighting between your living room and the great outdoors. But no matter how hard you try, a virtual background is going to look fake. You can change your background to anything you like - a video, a gif, a still image. Zoom has a lot of interesting options when it comes to backgrounds. So practice with loved ones until you can strike the right balance between looking at the camera (you don’t want to get into a dead stare looking into the camera) and watching the live image of your counterpart. If you’re always looking at the camera, you won’t have a good awareness of their body language and reactions. The final trick to this is that their live video image is not where the camera is. When you direct your eyes this way, the person you’re talking to knows that you aren’t distracted by web browsing or anything else. Then you can make eye contact with that (instead of a green light) and also feel like you’re looking at the person you’re talking to. If that also feels funny, put a smiley-face Post-it note or a small photo of someone you love right near the camera. So instead of looking at the image of yourself, I recommend that you look at the camera.

This can be really unsettling and even unhealthy.

BUT, now comes the inevitable Zoom predicament: Where should you look? The worst thing about this whole new video-chat world that we live in is that you’re constantly looking at video images of yourself. You’re well framed and your camera is well positioned.