Presenting yourself on-line is completely different to being face to face with your audience.
Everything is concentrated in to one square screen, so, there are lots of things to take in to consideration.
Make sure what your audience sees, creates great impact for the best impression. First impressions really do count!
Setting up
- Trial the I.T with friends and family first.
- Practice using the platform because you may need to share something on your screen, contribute to a ‘white board’ or use unfamiliar functions. Play with it first!
- Make sure your internet connection is strong. If not, switch all other devices off to increase your internet band with. Plug your laptop in to your internet directly if need be. Finally, have a back up option in case all else fails
- Wear headphones with a built-in microphone to avoid feedback and interference. It’s also a great way to keep focused and hone your active listening skills.
- Ensure you won’t get interrupted by notifying others who might be at home and consider asking for help if you have small children who might want your attention.
- Gather everything you need from pens, paper, your diary in case they want to arrange another interview along with all the details about the job, including your CV or application form in case you need to refer to back to it. Top Tip: consider creating a visual mind-map of your success and achievements and pop it on the wall in front of you as a great reminder of what you can offer.
Set the Scene
- Get the lighting right. Make sure you are evenly lit from the front. If the light is behind you, you will appear very dark. If it’s just on one side, it will look odd and cast a shadow over half your face. If you can’t position yourself in front of a window, consider adding additional lighting in front of you, behind or to the side of your screen.
- Raise your laptop so the camera is at eye level. No one wants to be looking up your nose!
- Sit back so they can see your body language. Don’t fill the screen with your whole face as that will appear quite intimidating and won’t be a good look.
- Avoid caffeine and sugar and have plenty of water to hand.
- Have all the information you need in front of you. A top tip is to put post-it notes with prompts on the wall in front of you or around the back of your screen. Don’t have everything open on your screen as your eyes will be going everywhere which is disconcerting for your audience and will be confusing for you!
- Consider your background and test it on screen. Your back ground will say a lot about you. Do you have a ceiling lamp coming out of your head? Are your clothes airing in the corner? Rearrange it if necessary (it’s only temporary).
- If you need to use a background filter, try to use the ‘blur background’ rather than a full online filter/picture as they can convey you have something to hide and can also become a distraction as they don’t always look great, especially when you move and parts of your background come in and out of view.
What should you wear?
- It’s an interview, so to give the right impression make sure you’re wearing something appropriate. However, a full suit with a jacket may look over the top. It’s important you feel comfortable so consider a good colour top, tie or scarf to create impact.
- Avoid wearing spots, heavy patterns and stripes as they can look pixelated and are difficult to view online.
Top Tip
- Always look and talk to the camera rather than the person on your screen. This will ensure you are creating great eye contact with your audience. Yes, it will feel super-weird because you’ll be talking to the little white light and the interviewer(s) will be out of focus. However, it will not feel weird for them at all and will help the feel more engaged with you. When they are talking, you can look at their faces on the screen. It will take practice, so practice with someone else first.
