Until 2020, many of us had never even heard of Zoom. But when COVID-19 hit, millions of people turned to video conferencing, both for work and social interaction.
Many companies have since moved towards home working on a long term or permanent basis. So it’s important your Zoom skills reach beyond making sure the camera is working and the audio is on!
Patrick & Menzies has five top tips to help you make sure your video conferences are remembered for all the right reasons.
Tip one – Look your best
Whether you are calling your granny or presenting a new strategy to the boss, make sure you look your best for video calls. Particularly for work calls, the more professional you look, the more confident you will feel. If you wear glasses you have a definite advantage here – a recent study found that needing to wear glasses might be associated with higher than average intelligence, so pop on those specs!
Tip 2 – Get the right angle
As anyone who has ever tried to take the perfect selfie knows, you need to keep the camera angle at eye height or above to avoid looking like you have a double chin or showing everyone a view up your nostrils. If you are using a laptop place it on a stack of books making sure you are well framed on the screen.
Tip 3 – Check your lighting
Good lighting is key if you want to avoid appearing in silhouette, or looking ill or tired. Where possible take your call from a position where you can face natural light. Alternatively place a lamp behind your laptop angling it so the light bounces off a wall or ceiling. This will help to avoid glare on your glasses. Anti-reflective lenses are definitely worth considering if you video call a lot as they block out any additional light, helping you see better and look better.
Tip 4 – What’s in the background?
Before your call check out your background. Move anything that’s distracting or unprofessional – dirty dishes, kids toys, the airer full of washing. For professional calls give virtual backgrounds provided by some conferencing apps a miss and go with your genuine background. Save that view of a tropical island or a scene from Star Wars for your next social call.
Tip 5 – Avoid digital eye strain
Keep video conferencing calls to the point to help avoid digital eye strain. The past few months has seen screen-use rocket, and it’s important to protect your eyes where possible. According to the College of Optometrists, one in five adults in the country say they think their vision became worse during lock down, with one in three blaming it on too much screen time.
If you are concerned about your vision, or would like to explore options for anti-reflective lenses give us a call today.
*Get 10% off your specs, and 20% off an extra pair when you sign up to VisionPlan.