How to Look Professional on Zoom Meetings (Quick 7 Tips)

People aren’t strangers to Zoom meetings anymore.

Whether it is a job interview or happy hours with colleagues, Zoom has made it possible to work from anywhere worldwide.

Zoom has simplified virtual meetings, but you must look professional to impress other participants during Zoom calls.

You must dress up, sit and talk perfectly to look professional during Zoom meetings with your bosses or interviewers.

Let’s learn how to look professional on Zoom.

What is a Zoom Meeting?

A Zoom meeting is a virtual meeting that’s hosted using Zoom.

There is a meeting host who creates a meeting link and shares it with all attendees.

Attendees can join the meeting using a link on their desktops, laptops, mobile phones, or browsers.

Is Zoom Free to Use?

Zoom has both free and paid versions. The free version allows hosts to organize meetings for up to 40 minutes.

Though, there is no limit on the number of meetings you can host with a free plan.

You can always reconnect a Zoom call after 40 minutes as often as you wish.

Zoom also offers various pricing plans that you can select per your requirements, like:

• Zoom Pro for $149 per year/user
• Zoom Business for $199 per year/user
• Users can also customize plans

Why’s It Important to Look Professional on Zoom?

Personal and professional Zoom calls are different.

For example, you can talk to your friends wearing PJs while eating, but not with your boss or colleagues.

Zoom enables you to host meetings from your bedroom.

But this doesn’t mean attendees have to see your dirty laundry.

Looking professional during Zoom meetings shows how much effort you have put into portraying a positive image.

In addition, it shows your attentiveness towards your work despite working from home.

Plus, you can lead an example.

When your teammates see your professional look, it motivates them to make an effort for meetings.

Professional ambiance can lift the meeting mode. It can make your meeting more productive.

What’s the Best Color to Wear for a Zoom Meeting?

You can wear colors neutral against your skin to bring attendees’ focus on your face during video calls.

Though, bright colors and small patterns don’t look great on the screen.

Solid colors render better on screen.

For a professional look, blue color with solid/busy patterns like a check — goes well.

According to color psychology, blue gives a professional and reliable vibe.

Should I Look at the Camera or Screen on Zoom Calls?

Always look at the camera during a video call. It helps to make eye contact with participants.

This tactic enables you to gauge reactions from meeting attendees.

It also makes the attendees feel like you are talking to them in person.

Why’s Zoom Good for Professional Meetings?

Video conferencing platforms demand has picked up after the pandemic.

Gartner stated that 86% of organizations use video conferencing for recruitment amidst the pandemic.

This demand has also piqued competition in the market.

Today, many great business video-calling platforms are available out there.

But, still, 106,041 companies use the Zoom program like NetSuite, Dailymotion, and many more.

Do you know why? Because:

• Zoom is easy-to-use for non-technical users
• Intuitive user experience
• Physical meeting experience with screen sharing and remote control
• Excellent video and audio quality depending on your internet speed
• A powerful administrative dashboard
• Affordable for small teams

How to Look Professional on Zoom Meetings?

Your physical appearance isn’t the only part of your professional look on Zoom.

Everything from your body language to your meeting background helps create a professional look.

Sounds like a lot of work?

Looking professional on Zoom is indeed a little effort but with fruitful results.

So, let’s check out how to look professional on Zoom:

1. Work on Your Professional Appearance

Start with making yourself presentable for a Zoom meeting.

Discard your PJs and dress up in formal wear, like a shirt or blazer in a color that looks good on screen.

You must also comb your hair or try a new professional hairstyle.

Little makeup or moisturizer to refresh your face is also a good idea.

Zoom also has pre-built appearance settings to enhance your digital appearance.

For instance, the Touch up my appearance feature can give a softer look to your display pictures in real time.

To do so, go to your Zoom app > Settings > Meetings > Touch up my appearance > Switch Toggle.

 2. Use a Virtual Background

It doesn’t look professional when your kids walk in the background while you are addressing your team on Zoom.

But, only some have the privilege to set up a home office space.

Zoom has already thought of this problem.

You can apply background filters on Zoom to hide the mess behind you during a video call.

For that, open your Zoom app > More > Background and Filters > Filters tab > Select your favorite filter.

3. Check Background Sounds

Like your video background, sound can also distract attendees during the meeting.

It looks unprofessional when your dog’s barking or the TV is playing in the background.

There are a few tips you can follow to keep background noises minimal during a Zoom meeting:

• Start a Zoom meeting when you are alone in the room with the door closed.
• Keep your microphone mute when you aren’t addressing the meeting.
• Conduct your virtual meeting from a carpeted room to minimize echoes.
• Invest in good quality noise-canceling headphones.
• You can also hang curtains or tapestries to manage echoes.

Zoom also has a few audio settings to help you out. For example, disable the Use Original Audio option to use audio-enhancing algorithms to improve your meeting’s sound quality.

4. Keep the Lighting Natural

Lighting is crucial when it comes to appearing professional on Zoom.

It is vital to keep the lighting source in front of you instead of behind. The light behind can create reflection on the screen. The side lighting can create shadows and glares.

Natural lighting coming from your room window is the best for Zoom meetings. It helps to brighten up shadows and spread equal light across your face.

If there is no natural lighting source in your room, get a clip-on light for clear visuals.

5. Find the Right Camera Angle

Most laptop cameras have a wider angle. It can make your face look bigger if you sit too close to your laptop.

The perfect thumb rule here is to maintain an arm’s length distance between you and your laptop screen.

Ensure your face appears in the center of your screen to highlight your facial expressions.

Keep the camera at eye level to get a straight headshot. For that, place your laptop on a flat surface like a table to avoid screen shaking or titling.

6. Get a Portable Webcam

Laptop users can invest in external webcams to look professional on Zoom.

A portable webcam can help you set the camera at the right angle. It can help you work on a laptop during a Zoom call while keeping your face at the center of your screen.

Since Zoom is also a webinar platform, you can use multiple webcams to better engage with your audience.

7. Personal Étiquettes

Good sound and video quality can help you to a certain extent only.

Your personal appearance does the most job of making you look professional on Zoom.

Here are a few personal etiquettes to follow during a Zoom meeting:

• Maintain a straight body posture, don’t slouch or bobble your body.
• Always look at the camera to show the speaker you are listening to them.
• Avoid looking at your phone, emails, or other distractions while on a Zoom call, even if you aren’t speaking.
• Use facial expressions to appear engaged in the conversation.
• Pay attention when someone’s speaking. You can use Zoom transitions if you can’t understand the speaker due to fast speech or slang issues.

Additional Resources to Look Professional on Zoom

Here are some other Bloggingtips resources that can help you look professional on Zoom:

• How to Record a Webinar: You must learn how to record a webinar on Zoom to attract more clients and promote your services.
• How to Record a Screen: By knowing how to record a screen during professional Zoom meetings, you can prepare yourself better for the meetings and record important details for later use.
• The Best Cheap Microphones: Microphones are crucial virtual meeting hardware to help attendees hear you. Here check out the best cheap microphones with pros, cons, and price details.

Parting Note

There you go, peeps! You have learned how to look professional in Zoom meetings.

Your physical appearance,  attitude, and personal etiquette matter to look your best on Zoom.

If you are new to Zoom, call your friend to test the tool so you can maintain perfect decorum during an actual call with your boss or colleagues.

So that’s it! Best of luck with Zoom calling, and keep on following Bloggingtips.com for more productive tips.