Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
So how can you look better on a Skype call? Because let's face it, we've all seen people
on Skype, and you've got the shot up their nose, the white window in the background that
makes their whole face look so dark you can't see it. The sound is all tinny, and it just
makes most people look awful, and it's not a pleasant experience. The good news is it's
relatively easy, with a couple of changes, to make anyone look great on a Skype call.
You can look like you're in a network TV studio.
For starters, you don't want to have the camera low, and if you've got your camera on your
laptop and it's sitting on the desk, chances are it's shooting up your nose. Well, nobody
looks good with a camera shooting up their nose. You can just get a stack of books or
anything else and put that underneath your laptop. You want the camera right around your
eye level, maybe just a couple of inches below, but you don't want a foot below.
The next step, you want more light in front of you, not behind you. That means you can't
have a window behind you or a window that's open with the blinds not shut. Because the
camera's going to latch onto the light, and if there's more light behind you, it's going
to darken out your face, and you can't be seen. So either change the angle of the camera
so you're not pointing to a window, or make sure your blinds are shut, and make sure you
have more light in front of you. I've had times when I've just taken lamps off, the
lampshades off, put it in front of me, and then the light looks okay on me.
And finally, you need to improve your audio. For about 15 bucks, you can go to Radio Shack
and get a plug-in lav mike, and you just pin it right on your jacket or shirt. And now
the audio quality is much, much better. You'll sound like a network news anchor and not this
blah-blah-blah-blah, this tinny sound like Charlie Brown's teacher. You'll sound much,
much better.
Follow those tips, and you'll look and sound great on a Skype interview, or a Skype call
with business colleagues or friends and family.