How to Make a Good Impression with Video Lighting in Your Job Search

In your job search, you want to land an interview for a job that interests you. To do this, you will have to have an effective resume that impresses both a recruiter and a hiring manager. Once this stage is reached, you may be invited to an interview.

In this article, we will look at the rise of the video interview. With this rise, we will discuss why lighting is important for your video interview and how you can use it to make a good impression. If you use your lighting correctly, you will give yourself a better chance of impressing during your video interview.

The Rise of the Video Interview

Before the pandemic, around 20% of organizations were conducting video interviews. After the pandemic began, the number of organizations conducting video interviews rose to almost 100% in 2020. This is due to the pandemic leaving organizations with no other choice, and people have gotten used to it.

Although in-person interviews have returned since the rise of the video interview has been unquestionable. As this is the case, you need to prepare yourself for video interviews in your job search. To do this, you need to invest and put in the effort to make yourself as presentable as possible to an employer.

Why Is Lighting Important for your Video Interview

Say an employer interviews two candidates. One candidate has crystal clear camera quality, great lighting, and an organized background. The other has grainy camera quality where lighting is poor, and their face is mostly covered by shadows. Even though both are qualified and suitable for the job, which one do you think would make the better impression?

It’s hard to get away from the fact that there is an unmistakable bias that when you see a better-quality image, you will give it more credibility. To address this bias, you should deliver the best video possible. If you do this effectively, it will be your best way to engage the interviewer from the start of the interview.

Think of it like dressing for success for an in-person interview. You’re not going to turn up without putting thought and care into your appearance beforehand, so why would you do it differently for a video interview? Instead of buying a new suit, you may want to invest in a camera and lighting equipment.

How You Can Make a Good Impression with Video Lighting in Your Job Search

When deciding on the lighting for your video interviews, only buy what you can afford. The price of lighting can range from a $10 table lamp to a $400 dollar studio light. With this range, you should be able to find something affordable that works for you.

When considering lighting, you should focus on three elements. These elements are the light itself, where you place the light and the kind of light you use. First, let’s begin by talking about some different lighting options that you can choose from.

Lighting and Price Points

• Basic table lamp

  Depending on the quality, a basic table lamp can cost you anywhere between $10 to $50. When choosing a table lamp, ensure that you don’t use a colored lampshade. Setting up table lamps behind the camera can help illuminate your face.

• Clip-on selfie light

  A clip-on selfie light costs around $15. They usually have three brightness levels that can be harsh, but useful. This option is great for phone interviews.

• Selfie light tripod

  Selfie light tripods cost between $25 to $50. An LED ring is used to shed light at various colors and angles. The opportunity to angle the light will help you erase shadows and illuminate your face and backdrop.

• Soft box light

  Soft box lights cost around $70. They create a soft light which means that there is no glare. If your budget can stretch to this, it can be a great option for a video interview.

• Studio lights

  Studio lights cost between $200-$400. They offer you the chance to control brightness, color, turn to white balance, and more. Unless you have a long-term purpose for using studio lights, you may want to consider a more affordable option above.

Where to Put Your Lights

Whether you have one light or five lights, it takes some time to figure out which positions will be best for your video interview lighting. It also depends on which time of the day your interview will be. As natural light may filter into your room, you need to decide how reliant you will be on it.

Natural light can be great in some circumstances, but you need to have the correct backdrop for it. If you can create depth in your background, it may help emphasize you on the screen and help you stand out to an employer. If the light is blinding or too dim, it may have the opposite effect.

If you choose to use one or two lights, consider placing them behind your camera, facing towards or down on you. Doing this will have the effect of illuminating and reducing the shadows on your face. This will enable you to be seen clearly by your interviewer.

If you add a third light, consider placing it behind you in your backdrop. Doing this will help create a sense of depth, which will make you look more multidimensional. Adding a fourth light can help wash the entire background in light.

If you choose to add a fifth light, you should place two behind the camera, two in the backdrop, and one placed to add weight to your backdrop. Doing this will help give you the highest-quality image you can get with lights. It may take a while to get right, but it can really enhance your image in the eyes of an interviewer.

Make Your Choice

Lighting is a fantastic tool to make a good impression in your video interview. There are a lot of choices when deciding on the lights you will use. Let your budget be your guide and good luck in your future video interviews.