Proper Audio for a Video Chat

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Not all video chat users are the same. If you are a power user on video calls all day long, this blog is not for you. This is an introductory article for those who may need to attend a random video call or may be just starting a position where they will need to be on video and aren't sure how best to make that happen from an audio perspective. This blog will focus solely on audio devices to aim for the best experience possible. Read on for more.

My Experience with Recruiters

Just like the fact that there are good freelancers and bad freelancers the same goes for recruiters. These stories of two bad experiences I've had this year are an effort to help freelancers and people looking for work be aware of things that can happen.

Routinely I apply for positions stating up front that I'm a contractor unless it's a position that I really want. It's worked out quite well for companies who can't find the right person but need immediate design help. Every now and again I've applied for the actual position and if the job is everything the posting makes it out to be I would consider employment [1]. Most of the time the position becomes much better suited for contract work anyway so it's a win-win. However, many jobs postings out there are not done by the company looking to hire, they can be posted by recruiters with the consent of the company or in these two cases done without their consent. With that, let's start with case one.

Tips to look better on video

Here are some quick tips to look better for your next video chat - think Lights! Camera! Action!

Tip 1 - Lights
If the other person can't see you, you may as well just have a phone call. Fill your space with enough light to show your face. Be aware that natural light probably isn't the best.

Tip 2 - Camera
Look at your self view before the video chat. Make sure your whole face is in the camera's capture.

Tip 3 - Action
Keep your device steady. Don't have your laptop literally on your lap and don't run around house while video chatting on your phone. Think about what the other person is looking at.

Top Three Tips for a Better Video Conference

Here are my top tips for a better video conference experience in the meeting room.

Why three? Why not!

Number one - Don't talk over someone on the other end. Latency is a fact in video conferences and if you tend to talk over someone in normal conversation it becomes worse over video. Take a breath. Wait your turn.

Number two - Don't mumble! Audio in a video conference can range from poor to fantastic so make sure you speak clearly, especially in the cases where language can be a barrier. Also, be respectful of cultural differences. A funny joke in the USA could be incredibly offensive elsewhere.

Number three - Test your equipment in advance. Get meetings off to a faster start by knowing if your speakers, microphone and camera are on and ready to go.

Additional tip - If you're in a video call with someone on the other side of the world, be respectful of their time zone. It may be morning where you are, but it sounds a little silly when you say "good morning" to someone when they are about to wrap their afternoon at work.


What are your favorite tips?

Content Sharing in a Video Conference

Here are some things to watch out for when sharing content in your next video conference. These are ALL completely obvious, but still people forget what they are doing.

Email/Chat pop ups
For everyone's sake, please close any chat or email programs that pop up when a new message is received. In a professional meeting, we don't want to see messages from your mother in law or emails from inappropriate senders pop up.

Browser tabs
If you're sharing your web browser, make sure you don't have tabs open to awkward websites where everyone can see your current browsing habits. Same goes if you're typing something in the address bar. You never know what will self populate as you're typing.

Don't be this guy

Wallpaper
Make sure your computer's wallpaper is appropriate for the audience.

Having 800 programs open at once and ALT-TABbing through them
No, having every program that's on your laptop open at once is not productive. Especially so when you're sharing your screen and have to go back to that one program that's there somewhere while passing by every inappropriate program you have open.