What was once considered a momentary adjustment during the pandemic has turned into the new workplace norm. Offices are no longer limited to cubicles and desks among our coworkers. A place of work can be your house, a nearby coffee shop or anywhere you can access what you need in an era of remote meetings.

These new conventions beget different standards for meetings. Zoom has blossomed under a remote landscape, while Microsoft Teams, Webex, Skype and other services that offer video calling remain popular.

Now, employees don’t have to just worry about how they look in-person. They also have to adjust to looking presentable through the eyes of the webcam. Here are five quick and easy ways you can improve your presence on video calls.

1. Video needs to stay on for the most part

Vyopta conducted a survey that found 92% of U.S. executives report “less engaged” employees — whether that means frequently being on mute or not turning on their camera during virtual meetings — probably don’t have a long-term future at their company.

Fair or not, having your video on can make a huge difference to the higher ups at your employer. Try to keep it on and stay engaged as much as you can. While it makes sense to be muted during a bigger meeting, make sure to chime in when necessary and try to remain an active participant in an environment less conducive to peer-to-peer collaboration.

2. Let’s say you have to turn your video off. Then what?

It’s probably a good idea to have a profile picture that features a professional headshot of you. On Zoom, you can change your profile picture from the default to something else by clicking on your image in the top right of the app, then clicking on “My Profile.” Now, instead of your initials or name, the picture will look presentable to the other people in the meeting.

What if my background is chaotic?

Family members, pets, or other daily parts of work-from-home-life can certainly get in the way of video calls. Just ask this guy.  Many video calling services let users blur the background. If you want to keep the video on, but have distractions behind you, this method is a quick-and-easy fix.

4. I hate looking at myself on video

You’re not alone, actually. People feeling self-conscious about their video appearance is a common sentiment in today’s workplace.

“People often find themselves much more unattractive than usual on FaceTime calls because apparently, the front-facing camera is an extreme wide-angle, which can cause shadows around the eyes and nose, highlight one’s facial imperfections like blemishes and wrinkles and add enough bloating that it can look like one has a double chin,” Yvonne Thomas, a L.A.-based psychologist, told Mel Magazine.

There are handy ways of solving this issue. Make sure the lighting in your background is bright. Wirecutter.com has a helpful list of its top webcams as well. For many, looking good and feeling good in the workplace can be important. The same applies when you’re on video.

5. It’s the little things

Test your mic and videos before calls. If you’ve been having issues, slot out five minutes before a meeting to make sure you’re all set. Use the chat feature during meetings. And try to keep an open mind about the new concept of a meeting in today’s workplace.

We are located at

8009 34th Ave South Suite 1100
Bloomington, MN 55425
952.851.1600

For light rail maps and schedules, click here.

Directions via Google Maps