Speaking online and on video

More and more speaking happens through a screen: online classes, group calls, recorded presentations and video tasks for university or job applications. The camera adds new challenges, but a few set-up habits make a big difference.

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Set up your space

• Reed College advises keeping the camera at eye height and looking at the lens as much as possible, not at the faces on screen. Stacking books under a laptop is an easy way to raise it.
• Light your face from the front with a lamp or light just off camera, for example behind your laptop. Avoid sitting with a window behind you, as changing daylight can over- or under-expose you (Reed).
• Sound matters more than picture. Reed suggests a quiet room and a headset or plug-in microphone; otherwise sit close to your computer.
• Clear clutter from the frame. A Wake Forest University careers guide notes that a blank wall is the least distracting background.
• Before you start, turn off notifications and hide your browser tabs and bookmarks if you are sharing your screen (Reed). Close anything personal you would not want others to see.

Live calls and online classes

• Stanford researcher Jeremy Bailenson identified four causes of 'Zoom fatigue': close-up eye contact, constantly seeing yourself, being stuck in one position, and the extra effort of sending and reading signals on video (Stanford Report, 2021).
• Fixes from the study: exit full-screen mode and shrink the window so faces are smaller, and once your face is framed well, use 'hide self-view' so you are not watching yourself.
• Nodding or a thumbs-up has to be exaggerated on video, which is tiring. On long calls, Stanford suggests short audio-only breaks with your camera off and your body turned away from the screen, where allowed.
• When you want to speak, use the raise-hand button or a short verbal cue such as 'Could I add something?', since natural pauses are harder to spot online.
• Unmute, take a breath, then speak. Say your name first in large calls if people may not know who is talking.

Recorded presentations

• Reed College recommends keeping videos short and splitting longer recordings into sections, with titles so viewers can find each part.
• Trim the dead time at the start, while you set up, and at the end, while you reach for the stop button (Reed).
• Vary the view: switch between you and your slides rather than showing one static shot for ten minutes (Reed).
• Write bullet-point notes rather than a full script. Reading word for word on camera sounds flat, just as it does in a room.
• Watch the final version once before submitting, checking sound levels and that slides are readable.

One-way video tasks for jobs and applications

• Some employers and programmes ask you to record answers to set questions with no live interviewer. The CVs and Interviews module covers live online interviews.
• Wake Forest's guide advises knowing the rules first: how long each answer can be and how many attempts you get.
• Keep a clock in view, and if you have not seen the questions in advance, read or listen to each one carefully before you answer (Wake Forest).
• Look at the camera, not the screen, raise your computer so the camera is at eye level, and do not lean too close. A sticky note over your own image stops you watching yourself (Wake Forest).
• Dress as you would for an in-person interview, sit up straight, avoid touching your face or hair, speak clearly and smile (Wake Forest).

Think before you hit record

• Check what is visible behind you: family members, addresses on post, photos or anything you would not want strangers to see.
• Remember that recordings can be saved and shared. The Personal Safety module covers protecting your privacy online.
• Follow your school's rules about recording classmates or teachers, and ask permission before sharing anyone else's image or voice.