ReadyHarbor

Video interview

A video interview in the morning and your setup is a mess

What you actually need for video interview — 5 things to cover, each with a pick.

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A light in front of you

This is the biggest single difference and almost nobody does it. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette; a light in front of you makes you look present.

What to check
  • Look for adjustable brightness and a warmer setting - full cold white is unflattering
  • A clip or small stand beats holding it

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A microphone or a wired headset

Bad audio makes people work to listen, and that reads as effort rather than interest. It is the fastest way to lose a room you cannot see.

What to check
  • A wired connection avoids the Bluetooth dropout that happens exactly once, at the worst time
  • Check it is recognised as a microphone, not only as headphones

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A webcam if the laptop camera is old

Built-in cameras on older laptops are genuinely poor in anything but daylight, and they sit low, which is an unflattering angle.

What to check
  • Look for 1080p as a floor
  • Check the clip works with your screen thickness, especially if you use a monitor rather than a laptop

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

Something plain behind you

Virtual backgrounds glitch around your head and it is distracting. A plain wall or a simple backdrop is more reliable and looks better.

What to check
  • If you buy a backdrop, check it can be ironed or steamed - creases show badly on camera
  • Mid-grey and mid-blue photograph best

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

A laptop riser so the camera is at eye level

A camera below your chin looks up your nose. Getting it level is free if you have books, and better if you have a stand.

What to check
  • Check the height gets the camera to roughly your eye line when you sit up straight
  • A separate keyboard makes this workable

3 options — pick the one that fits, then tap through for the current price on Amazon.

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