
your bare walls, makeshift office spa, and so on. There's some added pressure, though: If you want to show your face on camera, then you also let people in on your surroundings a.k.a. Zooming - yes, it's a verb - lets you stay connected with loved ones and colleagues near and far while still practicing social distancing. Birthday parties, game nights, happy hours, work meetings, and everything else that would typically fill your calendar are happening over Zoom, FaceTime, or other popular videoconferencing apps. Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash.It probably comes as no surprise, but we're all going virtual for the unforeseeable future.

So during your next job interview, try using one of these awesome free virtual backgrounds! Simple All White Office with Clock (Unless it’s Happy Hour, in which case, refer to “A Sea of Yellow Balls”, provided below.) This will distract the interviewer, and ultimately take the attention away from you and what you have to say.

Make sure not to choose virtual backgrounds that are too busy, or whose colors clash strongly with your hair, skin, and clothing. You can read the instructions on Zoom’s website. They also open up new opportunities to creatively showcase your personality in the interview process.Ĭhanging your virtual background in Zoom is easy. While the ideal solution is probably to set up a dedicated space in your home to take video calls, using a virtual background is a quick alternative that can be applied anywhere. Virtual backgrounds are a great way to mask the current chaos of daily life. You wouldn’t walk into an office with dirty laundry trailing behind you, or invite a future employer into your home with dishes on the counter. When on a video call, your background is important.

This means, if you’re on the job hunt, virtual communication skills have become a necessity. With the current covid-19 crisis, many companies are only conducting interviews remotely, through apps like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams. Whether it’s your company’s office or the Oval Office that you’re putting in the picture, virtual backgrounds are a great way to lighten the mood. By now you’ve likely seen co-workers, friends, or family members testing out virtual backgrounds in Zoom meetings.
