With worldwide lockdowns due to coronavirus, more and more people are working from home.
For some of us, who have been doing it for years, the current situation has changed very little.
For others, who have never tried this before, home office is quite the challenge.
If your job includes a lot of teamwork and regular meetings to coordinate efforts, chances are you are having at least a single conference call a day.
It does not take much to start feeling a little bit too relaxed at home, spending your days in loungewear and fuzzy socks, while typing responses from your bed.
However, you don’t want to ruin the professional image you have worked so hard to build.
Here are a few tips on how to look professional for a video call.
Hair
Studies show that when you’re having a bad hair day, people tend to notice it straight away.
When your hairstyle is nice, though, others focus on your face and make-up.
So, make sure you wear a comfortable yet professional hairstyle.
Nothing says “I just woke up” louder than messy hair. I prefer having my hair in an updo as it gets it out of my face and looks put together.
One of my favourite things to do when working from home, if I know I’ll have no calls for a few hours, is to ladder on a hair mask and let it nourish in depth.
Make-up
As you now know, if your hair is nice, your face will be under the spotlight.
You want to have a look that shows you’re fresh and awake, and ready for the tasks of the day.
Use a concealer in your under-eye area to brighten it up.
Adding some blush will give more life and youth to your face.
As cameras usually wash out the colours, you might want to use a little more product than you usually would ensure it’s visible.
Mascara is also great as it makes your eyes appear bright and more attractive.
Be sure to curl your lashes, I sweat it makes the biggest difference.
Clothes
If you’re spending the day in your pyjamas – you’re not doing it all wrong.
You’ve got the bottom part right!
Working from home gives you an excellent chance to let your feet breathe and sit crosslegged.
Long office hours cause your hip flexor muscles to tighten, which in time often leads to lower back pain.
Sitting with your legs crossed now and then helps combat that.
As for the top, go with something you would usually wear at the office.
Stick to solid colours as they appear better on camera.
Set-up
When you’re on a video call, the last thing you want is to show yourself on a messy background.
It looks unprofessional and undermines your image.
Go for a less-busy background such as a wall with some art piece on it because having your back against a plain white wall might appear too sterile.
Also, make sure you’re facing towards a window as soft natural light will instantly airbrush you.
Still, on cloudy days you might need artificial lighting to improve video quality.
To avoid a double-chin look, keep your phone or laptop on top of some books to have the camera right at your eye level.
Last but not least, if you are working while there are others at home, make sure you have your calls in a quiet environment where nobody will be walking behind you.
Wrap Up
Try these tips and see how home office transforms into a productive, yet relaxing working environment.
It offers that perfect blend of being professional and comfortable at the same time.
Most company offices are quite far from that.
So, make the most of the current situation and you never know…you might fall in love with remote working.
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