If you do have a visible background, choose one or two interesting details that show you’re not a drone and in a pinch, can act as a conversation starter. In fact, for video interviews, Rose recommends “having the camera focus on your mid-torso up to just above your head, which does not leave a lot of room to see the background.”

That’s not such a great idea according to Will Rose, Chief Communications Officer at Harqen.AI – an on-demand remote interviewing platform. I’ve noticed a lot of people set up their cameras so the rest of us can see the entire room- if not house. We gathered some tips on how to make your home office (or couch area) look better before your next video call. Related: 37 tips from design experts to make your small space seem bigger Don’t believe me? Have a look at on Twitter where they rate everything from background décor to how many of your own books you have displayed. And they judge us not only on the way we present ourselves but on what our background view tells them about us as well. Here’s the thing, most of us are still working at home and that means that whether or not we choose to, we’re inviting total strangers into our homes on a daily basis. A few items on a shelf, a plant or flower arrangement, a family photo or two - keep it simple and tasteful. It’s important to pay attention to your setting and background to make sure it’s as professional as possible.” Biesenbach offered a really easy approach “Since everyone is broadcasting from home these days, from TV correspondents to late-night hosts, take a look at what they’re doing.

“I’ve heard nightmare stories of people doing important meetings, including interviews, from bed!” shared presentation coach and speaker Rob Biesenbach, “So, yes. I was then was further distracted wondering if I should tell him that the blotch behind him looked like black mold, just in case it was black mold or to help him avoid a future meeting in which someone zones out and focuses on his wall instead of his words. Was it abstract art, a la Jackson Pollock or my colleague’s two-year-old daughter? Or maybe it was black mold? Whatever it was, it was extremely distracting. Instead, I kept squinting behind him to try and figure out what the splotch was on the wall behind him. I was on a video call with someone I admire tremendously a few weeks back but found myself unable to focus on the subject matter at hand.

The office interview zoom background