Best Zoom Backgrounds For Interview

What Types Of Backgrounds Are Available On The App

A few different backgrounds are available on the Zoom app, but they all have one thing in common: they always look great because the images are designed for the purpose.

The app also has some fun features that allow you to customize your background even more. For example, you can choose from different digital stickers and backgrounds. You can also choose to add text over your background. For a wider variety of professional options, you can use third-party sources of background images like PikWizard.

Prepare A Presentation And Keep Notes

As our bonus Zoom interview tip, we highly recommend preparing a presentation beforehand with your primary suggestions and strategy. Zoom offers a feature why not use it to your advantage to showcase expertise and display your points efficiently? We guarantee that the interviewer will set you apart from the crowds for your thought leadership and effort.

But even if the circumstances are not suitable for sharing a presentation, you can always keep notes, either on your computer or your notebook. You dont need to write down every little detail about your interview.

Instead, write the main points you could later use for studying and planning. Such a tactic will showcase that youre serious about your intentions and work hard to advance the company. It also demonstrates that youre not reactional, but you analyze data and put in the thought before acting.

How To Add A Zoom Virtual Background For Mac

Use these steps to add a virtual background in Zoom for Mac:

Unless you go back to the virtual background menu and select the “None” option, your virtual background will remain in place for future meetings.

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What Is A Zoom Interview And How To Make The Most Of It

What is a Zoom interview? Zoom is a platform for video meetings, conferences, chats, interviews and content sharing that runs across all types of devices. As in-person interviews have become less convenient, employers are increasingly turning to Zoom video job interviews to recruit and select staff.

As Zoom job interviews become more and more popular it is essential that you are fully prepared and ready to make the right impression in a video job interview by effectively using the Zoom functions available to you.

Bonus Get More From Your Zoom Interview With Notta

Not every interview is going to go 100% perfect. You may not get every job you interview. The best you can do is be prepared and learn from your mistakes.

You can transcribe your meetings to text to read over your interview and learn from it. Software such as Notta will be able to attend your Zoom interview and record everything you said.

Just make sure to notify the interviewer why there seems to be an extra person in your interview. They will be pleased to know that you are taking the initiative and doing everything you can to be at your best.

Hereâs how you can send a Notta robot to attend your Zoom interview with you:

Step 1: About 5 minutes before your interview starts, find the invite link for the interview and copy it.

Step 2: Paste the invite link into the âMeeting URLâ box.

Step 3: Enter the password and a name for your robot. Try to name it something that will make sense to the interviewer. I called mine âNote Taking Robot.â Iâm telling my interviewer that I have a robot joining that will take notes for me.

Step 4: Wait for your Zoom meeting to start. When your meeting starts, inform the interviewer about the robot. Then press âTranscribe Now.â

Step 5: You will see a real-time transcription on your Notta Dashboard. Click on the transcription to watch the robot take notes in real-time.

Step 6: You will also see your robot appear as a participant in your Zoom meeting.

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Evaluate Whats In View

Once you find a good setup for your lighting, turn on your computers camera and check out whats behind you on the screen. Reynolds offers:

If theres artwork, make sure its professionally appropriate and not too flashy, shiny, or busy. If its a blank wall, is it clean? Removing scuff marks with a handy Mr. Clean magic eraser pad is an easy way to clean things up. Is the paint chipped or otherwise damaged? If possible, patch up that paintwork for a fresh background. If its furniture or household items, are they clean and organized? Are they professionally appropriate?

Think about the type of company youre interviewing with. Is it traditional, buttoned-up, and conservative? Or is it more casual or creative? Style your video background in a way that is appropriate for each companys version of professionalism. You can find clues about this on a companys social media, its website, and even in the job listing itself.

Congratulations Zoom Background Templates

With so many folks working remotely, some feel the loss of the conference room huddles for birthdays and baby showers, where we ate cupcakes and celebrated our coworkers personal milestones.

Im not insinuating these video congratulations background templates from Canva are a satisfying replacement for cupcakes. But they are an easy way to be thoughtful while working remotely. Calendlys first value is to Start with human, so small acts of kindness like these really matter to our team.

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Get More Out Of Your Zoom Calls

As with all forms of communication, you can make Zoom calls better or worse depending on the effort you put in. With backgrounds, the trick is to pick imagery most people in your meeting will recognize so you can start conversations. Match the tone of both your companys culture and the meeting topic, i.e. dont bring cartoons to your performance review.

Keep the IT department happy: Always make sure youre downloading from a legit and secure website that starts with https.

And consider how using Calendly+Zoom can save you time and hassle. Scheduling meetings and coordinating the details between everyone is hard enough! With Calendlys Zoom integration, you can automatically generate unique Zoom video conference details for every meeting you schedule.

You Make The Best Impression By Using Zoom Backgrounds Of Your Choosing

In the modern age, it has become increasingly difficult to make a good impression with just words. Visual content has become an essential part of marketing and branding. Knowing how to use the right kind of background can help you grab attention and communicate your message more effectively. Rather than pointing at a blank wall, take a moment to create better background images using Zoom and PikWizard tools so that your interviewer never feels like they are conducting a meeting in your bedroom again.

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Candidates Are Judging Your Video Background: Heres What Theyre Thinking And What You Can Do About It

Journalist/Content Writer/Storyteller

Plants. Animals. Weird art. Family members. These are just a few things that may show up in your videoconferencing background when youre interviewing a candidate, and they can make as strong an impression as what youre saying.

Dont kid yourself: Candidates are judging your background. While theyre touting their accomplishments, theyre also searching whats behind you for clues to your personality. They want to see if youre professional, organized, authentic, and intellectually engaged.

And job seekers arent the only ones doing this. Theres a account, Room Rater, thats dedicated to rating bookcases, backsplashes, and hostage videos since April 2020. It has 406,000 followers.

Like it or not, virtual interviews are here to stay. According to LinkedIns Future of Recruiting report, 81% of talent professionals around the world say that virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID and 70% say it will become the new standard. That means your first encounter with a candidate will most likely be on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, or for the foreseeable future.

Many companies now require employees to use a standardized virtual background, which is often a simple field with a logo. But if you have leeway to create your own environment, what does your Zoom background say about you? Read on to find out.

How To Add A Virtual Zoom Interview Background

These are several ways that you can use to change your Zoom background on PC, Mac and mobile devices. If you are preparing for a job interview, it’s advisable to add and save your virtual background prior to your scheduled meeting, as this allows you plenty of time to fulfill the steps. Here’s how to add a virtual Zoom interview background using different devices:

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Get Rid Of Distractions

Obviously you dont want a child crawling on your lap or a dog barking during your interview, but smaller distractions like a text message or even a neighborhood child falling from his bike outside your window can throw you off.

In a face-to-face meeting, distractions are shared, and so both the interviewer and the candidate break from the conversation at the same time. But in a Zoom interview, the hiring manager wont know that theres a knock at your door or an email notification on your screen. You could miss an important detail, a question or an opportunity to display your knowledge. Turn off those notifications and set up in a quiet, distraction-free area.

White And Black Calculator

Image from Katie Harp via Unsplash

This is another Zoom background you should add to your interview catalog especially if youre an accountant or in any profession where you constantly have to deal with numbers.

The image shows a calculator, a computer, and the number sign. Youll be needing all these in your next accounting job. So, its safe to let your prospective employer know that youre ready for the job.

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Avoid Distractions At All Costs

Probably one of our top Zoom interview tips. Distractions could kill an interview before it begins. In contrast with physical interviews where distractions are shared with the interviewer, in Zoom, the person on the other side of the screen doesnt know when something unexpected distracts you from the conversation.

You want to avoid kids crawling on your lap, animals making sounds, or even neighbors making loud noises. Phone notifications or emails popping on your screen could equally worsen the situation. So, you want to seclude yourself in a quiet environment, preferably without phones or people around. Make sure to let everyone know beforehand the time youll be having the interview, and, as a general rule of thumb, do your best to eliminate distractions.

How To Add A Virtual Background To Your Zoom Meeting

Youve landed a virtual video interview for an exciting new job opportunity, checked off all the important steps to nail your interview, and youre ready to rock it. But now that most of us are spending our days social distancing at home, how can you make sure your interviewer is focused on you and not the room around you? Maybe your laundry still needs to be put away, or youd like to show a little more personality than a blank wall behind you… whatever the case, Zoom, the video conferencing service we use for our virtual interviews, makes it easy to set a custom background to minimize distractions!

Follow our step-by-step guide to set a custom Zoom background for your interview . Looking for some background inspiration? Weve pulled together some of our associates’ favorite spots across our Capital One campuses to share at the bottom of this article!

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Zoom Inspirational Quote Background Templates

Sometimes you need an inspirational quote to get through a tough day. Or you sense your teams morale needs a boost. If you want to add inspirational quotes to your Zoom backdrop, check out Canvas inspirational quote template. Replace template language with quotes from your favorite authors and heroes. Remember to always double check the quote and source, since so many quotes floating around the internet are misattributed.

Preparing For A Virtual Interview: Visual Background Distractions

There are two options for backgrounds when using Zoom your actual background or a photo background. It seems evident that the background matters, but youd be surprised how often little thought goes into a zoom background choice!

There is a simple solution for solving the background problem. Choose the zoom background you want to use for a virtual interview. As a recruiter, Im self-conscious of my background. Ive changed the art on my walls at least four times in the three years that Ive been in my current home office. The artwork is hung based on how it looks in the background on Zoom, rather than how it looks in the room. Behind me is a credenza where I prominently display three of the Year awards that Ive received from Goodwin, along with a laser-carved wood penholder that I received when I became a Pinnacle Billers Gold Member. There is also a small collection of crystal and blown glass paperweights and a tent card that features the Goodwin Recruiting Core Focus and Core Values.

The point is that I give careful thought to the background that I use. Not everyone has the luxury of an established home office with a controlled background. If thats the case, Zoom provides the option of using virtual backgrounds.

There are many reasons to use Zoom virtual backgrounds. A realistic Zoom background can add professionalism to your meetings. They can be entertaining, professional, aesthetic, or cartoonish. They can be as simple or complex as you want.

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Pay Attention To Lighting

Overhead fluorescent or incandescent lighting is not the most flattering. You dont need a professional light kit but you do need to think about how you can use natural light from windows to project a clear and detailed image of your face. Try sitting in front of a window, allowing the light to hit you directly. At most times of the day, this will provide perfect, even lighting. However, if the sun is low, it may be too bright. In that case, move around until the light is diffused on your face. With computer cameras, backlighting never woks, so always avoid putting the light source behind you.

Ask The Interviewer Questions

Job interviews should feel like a conversation with both parties asking and answering questions. Just because you are the one being interviewed, doesnt mean you cannot ask questions. After all, an interview is a two-way street and you should also see if the company is a good fit for your values and skills.

In fact, if you do ask relevant questions, the interviewer will get an idea that you did your pre-interview research and are seriously interested in the job.

Your opportunity to ask these questions typically comes at the end of the interview when the interviewer asks if there are any questions that youd like to ask.

Some of the questions that you can ask your interviewer include:

• What skills or previous experience are most important for the person that is selected for this position?
• What does success look like in this position? How do you measure it?
• Who will I be working most closely with? How do they measure success?
• What other departments will have some ownership over my work? How do I ensure my collaboration with them is successful.

For more examples of questions to ask your interviewer, check out my comprehensive list here.

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Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds

Free stock image websites have jumped on the Zoom virtual background bandwagon and you can browse their selection of virtual backgrounds to use in your future meetings.

Pexels and Unsplash both feature a variety of beautiful images and illustrations ready to download but if you feel creative, Canva also offers a customisable Zoom background template that you can modify to your specific needs.

Makes You Look Professional

Additionally, using a background can also help create a more professional atmosphere. A professional-looking environment can make a big impression on potential employers. It shows that you’re taking the interview seriously, organized and detail-oriented. Plus, it can help you stand out from the competition.

Recommended Reading: What Are Questions To Ask The Interviewer

General Zoom Setup Recommendations

The best effect will be created using a solid color screen. Green is the most highly recommended color. You can find green screens on Amazon or from other online merchants.

There is one important thing to remember about your solid color background: donât wear any clothes of the same color. That would create an awkward sight for Zoom meeting attendeesâ¦

If you want your background to appear with the highest quality possible, youâll need a higher-quality camera. The higher quality your camera is, the better your Zoom background will appear.

The more consistent the lighting is in the space you use for Zoom meetings, the better. Uniform lighting will create the best possible effect.

You must enable âvirtual backgroundâ for your background to appear in your next Zoom meeting. This must be done outside of the Zoom client while it is inactive.

How To Use A Custom Background In Zoom

Many people want to use a custom background but dont know how to prepare one. The first step is to create the background. You can do this by following the instructions in PikWizard or designing your own.

After you have created your custom background, upload it into Zoom. Using the desktop version with MacOS, which might be the same for Windows, click on the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner under your profile image. In the new window, select Backgrounds & Filters. Under the live video image, there are menu options for Virtual Backgrounds and Video Filters. To the right is a + link to Add Imager or Video. The final step is to Choose the background by clicking on it.

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