Tech for Virtual Job Fairs
Details Matter
It was around the year 2000. Fred and I were working on a documentary. We had some key content that didn’t look too hot.
I was very concerned. I was young, and Fred was seasoned veteran. I wanted to re-shoot the content, which would delay our project, and be more expensive.
Fred said, “Don’t worry. The audio is crystal clear. In the 70’s they did research and found that audio is significantly more important than video. As long as people can hear they will see what they need to see.”
Rocketing ahead to the present day, this still holds true. No one really cares about the video quality as long as we can get the content and it makes us laugh, cry, or explode with surprise (see most of the content on Youtube for examples of this).
Video quality has normalized. I do online meetings with four different devices, and the video is the same on all of them. Audio is still the biggest quality issue, and solving it will give anyone a leg up in an online meeting.
If you are spending all the hours, and days, required to apply for expat opportunities, spend the time and the money to make the online interviews a home-run.
Imagine you are interviewing ten people. Seven of those people have scratchy audio, background noise, or some other distracting quality that is blasting into your eardrums. Three of the candidates have clear audio, no background noise, and you are able to fully focus on what those three people are saying.
Who do you favor more going into the second round? Who is mostly likely going to seem like a person focused on details and the quality of their work?
I think the answers is clear, and you should now see the issue going into an online interview with bad audio. It is distracting, and hard for the interviewer to follow. Remember, there is fatigue involved when people are interviewing candidates. Unless you are 100% certain that the first slot of the day is your slot, bad audio will simply cause the brain to tune out.
The microphones built into most laptops are not enough to get you from acceptable audio to great audio. Invest in something easy to use with clear sound. Avoid buying microphones that are visually distracting. The microphone can be something on your ear(s), but it should be small and not look like something a pilot would wear.
A product called the Blue Yeti is an outstanding USB microphone. They can sit off to the side and very clearly capture your sound.
If you are doing your meetings with an iPad, there are many options on the market that work via the charging port or headphone jack with a triple ring for the microphone.
Invest in some hardware, and then test. Test by simply calling a friend and adjusting the settings until your friend says, “Yes. That’s better.”
Once your audio is sorted, there are two more things to consider: video settings and your background.
Open up the apps that are common for meetings (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.).
Go into the video settings and make certain the quality is set to 720p or higher. It is actually recommended this is done before every meeting. Do not let software auto-adjust video quality.
The final issue with most online meetings, distracting backgrounds. Most meeting software does have a blur feature. Learn to use that, practice with it, and make it part of the plan. The blur feature has limitations though.
The lighting should not be directly behind you, or behind and above you. For example, sitting with a ceiling fan behind you and the light on would look odd.
Lighting in the space should be directly overhead and/or off to the side. Again, experiment with lighting while doing a call with a friend. Adjust and confirm. Work until you get some good lighting.
Remove distracting things from the room, close doors that do not need to be open, and try to limit pet movement.
If you have to ask yourself, “Is this distracting?”. Then it is, and you need to remove it.
This entire process will take fifteen minutes practicing with a friend. Once the settings and adjustments are made, make notes to ensure you can create the environment quickly and maintain consistency.
Remember, everything matters. If you are taking the time to change your life with a new job, give yourself every advantage possible.
If you need specific tech advice, e-mail me (info@tonydeprato.com) or comment below.
You can also join the conversation on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/realIntSchool/
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Why is this SubStack called, Pancake on a Stick?
Pancake on a Stick is the single funniest story I have ever heard in my life. In about a year from now, the event will be reenacted and recorded. I named the SubStack after the story, because every time I think of the name, I smile and laugh. This helps with my writing and tone, and makes me always remember the most important things in life.
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Most social media is dead to me, but you can find me on LinkedIn and Youtube.
LinkedIn (A bastion of boredom but mostly on mission)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdeprato/
Email
info@tonydeprato.com
My video series on Expat Recruitment is BORING but useful Listen or Watch and you can master this process.