What Your Video Interview Background Really Says About You

What Your Video Interview Background Really Says About YouWhat Your Video Interview Background Really Says About YouIn a way, online video interviews are an unusual, new frontier for job applicants. Job interviews are the places where youre expected to present the utmost professionalism, and paradoxically, an online video interview lets the interviewer into your most personal and private space- your home.And still, interviewing from your home is your best bet. In a public space, you lose all control over hintergrund noises or your Internet connection, and if your answers interrupted by barking dogs or your call drops, you may come off as careless and unprepared.Now that youre interviewing from home instead of at the companys headquarters, its imperative you prepare your video interview setting just as much as your wardrobe and answers. After all, you only get one chance to make a good impression.What interviewers see in your background is just as revealing about your potential as a c andidate as what youre saying.Wonder what your video interview background really says about you? Weve got the scoop.For example, if the background for your online video interviews isYour home library.You Think It Says Im well-read and intellectual.What HR Really Thinks I already spotted your Twilight series, and Im busy trying to read the rest of those titles sideways.Your shelves of souvenirs from traveling.You Think It Says Im well-traveled, cultured, and adventurous.What HR Really Thinks Im not sure souvenir shot glasses are a sign of culture, but they do tell me a lot about your personal habits.A wide view of your clean, sunlit living room.You Think It Says Im organized and dependable.What HR Really Thinks What did you say? Your cats walking by chasing something, and I cant stop watching.Limiting Distractions in Video InterviewsThe point is, often the settings you choose for online video interviews are packed with distractions, and if theres something even slightly embarrassing or scandalous to find, someone will find it. While you think youre showcasing your personality, really youre introducing new distractions to the interview.Think about it. When you go to the interviewers office or conference room, youre in their environment, which is familiar and, in turn, less distracting. Now that youre on video, youre introducing an entirely new environment to the interviewer, and the more new objects there are for them to look at, the more distracted theyll be. Just like anyone else, your interviewer has a short attention span (in fact, the average is eight seconds).And although video offers more engagement than phone interviews, theres still a screen separating you. That means your interviewer may have other distractions on their side of the screen, too, on top of whats in your background.Yes, you want to convey authenticity, trustworthiness, and warmth, but your video background shouldnt be doing that for you. Instead of risking distractions or negative impress ions, you need to control the setting so that the only thing the interviewer focuses on is you.So whats the best setting to interview from home? A clean, uncluttered, well-lit, neutral backdrop like a wall, screen, or panel of curtains. Otherwise, its too easy to overlook objects that may catch your interviewers eye in a bad way since you see them every day.Now that youve cleaned up your background, stress less about using the video interviewing software. Check out these four things to do before your next video interview.Ashley Speagle lives in Atlanta and works as a communications specialist forPGi, a leading global dienst of collaboration software and services for over 20 years. PGi is constantly innovating, developing new technologies to make virtual meetings easier and more productive than ever before. Learn more at PGis blog, The Future of Business Collaboration.