Attire

What to Wear for a Zoom Interview? #Tips #Preparations #Background

Zoom is a video conferencing app. It is a platform that enables recruiters to interview candidates who are located in remote places. So, zoom in general can boast of a variety of functions, you can record your video, mute, and even converse during these meetings. Just make sure that you do not take the entire process lightly.

The virtual world is slowly and steadily making its way to the real world. We as people aren’t aware of the dangers that the virtual world imposes on us. Knowing about these dangers is a pivotal concept. In interviews, for instance, people might think that wearing any kind of clothing will do good for you as the interview seems to be over an electronic device. Well, it’s not the truth, you are seen, judged through the screen. From your presentation to how you look, all of your preparation skills will be taken into account. Let’s discuss and delve further into this piece, what goes into the preparation of a Zoom call interview.

What to Wear for Zoom Interview?

Why Does What you Wear Matter In the Zoom Interview?

The simple answer to this shall be an interview will always be an interview. You can call it by different names. But in the end, it’s still an interview. People can get too casual on the screen thinking it should not matter what we wear since it’s just a digital interview but times have changed and professionalism has crept in through these Zoom call interviews. Interviewers generally expect a person to be polite, and professional and keep it together as a gentle person. So, just like any other interview, the factors that influence your selection or rather the variables present are quite similar.

For instance, in a general interview, you are always looked upon as a person who has worn something substantial. If this has happened that means a lot of what you say in the interview is complementary to what you wear. Wearing a nice piece of clothing is as important as being mentally prepared for the interview.

Tips to Dress for a Zoom Interview

People have this habit of getting deviated thinking it’s just a Zoom interview and hence efforts can be minimized but now you have to be on your best behavior. Follow these pointers when selecting a dress for your Zoom interview. As I said earlier, the virtual is meeting the real now.

There is an interaction happening in both the worlds and hence we have to learn How both of these worlds are part of each other in the most interesting ways. All the rules of an interview that were placed earlier are quite the same here as well. Let’s peek at the list of tips on How to dress for your Zoom interview:

  • Make sure that the dress is formal. The best option will be to put on a suit and a tie for both men and women. You can put on button-down shirts for both men and women. Women can also put on a blouse if they want.
  • The colors of your clothes should not be bright, it drags the attention out to other things.
  • Do not wear bright color suits or suits that are patterned and are of varied colors.
  • Try not to put accessories on you. It’s better to be as formal as possible.
  • For women they can put on some light makeup, just to highlight the eyelash, putting on a very light color lipstick like nude or gray.
  • If you have anybody to paint or tattoo if they are visible. Make sure you cover them with makeup.

What Do You Wear to a Zoom Interview?

So as far as the nature of your attire, you need to make sure that you have a very balanced and appropriate look. Looking good is just the first step to impressing the hiring manager and telling them that you are concerned for your job and take the job seriously. So, the wearing part has aspects to it. One shall be knowing what to wear through research and the other is the type of attire in the workspace.

Try Brushing up on Employee Clothes at the Company Website

You have to make sure that your attire should be top-notch. People have this weird misconception that in digital streams the clothes do not matter but it does. If you want to be apart from the crowd and want to impress your hiring manager. The first thing you need to do is visit the company website and look for the dress they are wearing. Get a rough idea about it and simply put that dress on you.

Know your workplace dressing culture

Zoom interviews are happening for all working people. It’s not an exception for only one set of people. If you are part of a casual working space then you can put on a t-shirt and then put on a very casual suit or a blazer. Try to wear knee-length skirts and a watch or a necklace for girls if they prefer wearing accessories. Else it’s really simple to emulate the working culture vibe.

Types of dresses to wear for a Zoom interview

Blouse/Button Down Top: So, just like any other interview, even here you have to wear formals. The formals have to be basic and do not have a lot of patterns as this could lead to distractions. Just pick up a basic/plain colored button-down white tee if you are a guy. For girls, they can put on a white/off-white color blouse of their choice. The best advice shall be that the top should be simple and should not have a lot of patterns in it. This can be very off-putting.

Skirts/Formal Pants For Bottom Wear
As far as the bottom wear is concerned, make sure that you have put on black formal pants. Girls can put on black skirts and off-white or plain white blouses. Skirts are a bottom wear cloth. Many people might say that if skirts are laying on the bottom then why is it necessary to put them on as it’s not visible. The thing is If by chance they tell you to stand up and show them something, that can be a problem.
Flat Shoes
For girls, it is advised and even for guys, do not miss the bottom wear. The logic is simple. The circumstances of any interview are not under the control of everyone. If you are one of those people who might have to stand up and use something, whether a blackboard or even a presentation for that matter which cannot be screen shared, that can be a problem. Wear flat bottoms and your work ethic tends to stay the same once you wear your office attire.
Tie/Suit Optional
So, tie and suits are prime ingredients that give you the office look. These clothes can be considered prime office clothes. And, if you are a regular office goer and you are someone who is a manager and now swapping your job and have an interview for the new position on Zoom then there are no bounds on wearing the stuff you used to wear.
Accessories
So, here is the thing: accessories can be okay but they need to be simple. For guys, it’s better to not put up any accessories. For girls, some simple earrings and just a normal piece of earrings will do the job. You do not have to waste a lot of money on accessories. It is usually better to not wear accessories as this leads to you being the only attraction in the interview and not something that you wear.

How to Prepare for a Zoom Interview?

So, preparing for an interview is very important. This cannot be stressed enough that you have to follow some daily techniques to make sure that there is no issue caused during the interview. To give a seamless interview one has to simply do some things before they give the interview:

Check your laptop, mic, and webcam
Many people leave this part for later. But, I think that should not be the case. You have to make sure that all the technological items that you will use to access this interview are fine. The best tip here is to ask the employer to send you the meeting link. You get an option there itself if the app checks your voice, visuals, and mic. If by any chance there is an issue you can fix it beforehand. Do not wait until the last minute as this can lead to stress.
Choose your interview space beforehand
Once you are done with the technical side of things, now it’s time for you to select a space where you can do the interview. It’s advised to do it beforehand since impromptu things can be shaky. People might enter/exit the room. You need to be in a place where you do not have a lot of distractions. You can easily access everything and nothing is too far from you.
Jot down common questions
Many people do not take their interviews seriously and do not prepare some common questions beforehand. Do not be overconfident in your abilities, that can be seriously detrimental in your interview. You have to be confident here, not arrogant or overconfident. In fits of anxiety, our chain of thought is extremely hampered. You cannot let your chain of thought get affected in this manner.
Write down questions for the interview panel
In today’s time, the emphasis is largely on discussions, commonalities, and paving a plan for success. Nothing should be a tempting point for you to not ask any doubts fearing it won’t go down well. Employers are better prepared with all your queries. Employers want prospective employees to ask them their doubts and queries regarding the job. Be relaxed and tell them your thoughts.
Be on time but don’t join early

It’s courteous to be at least 10 minutes early for a face-to-face real interview. But in a Zoom interview, you can be a little late. The meeting link and site are the same for everyone. What you can do is try to be 2-3 minutes early. There have been instances wherein virtual interviews candidates have entered the Zoom space while other interviews are going on.

How to Set up Your Background for a Zoom Interview?

Along with the interview aspect of the preparations. You have to set up your background as well. It’s better to have a tidy and clean background. Use a very simple setting that is not too preachy or casual. It’s better if all these aspects are properly taken care of. Let’s look at some tips that will help you to have a good background while being in a Zoom interview:

  • First of all, make sure that you do not have too many colorful items on your background. That causes a lot of distraction.
  • Try to keep your background as simple as possible. If there is a plain white/golden color background, that will be okay.
  • Try to wear colors that adjust well to your background. It’s better not to wear dark colors when the background itself is a dark color.
  • Adjust the lighting setup. Make sure that the lighting is proper. You can adjust it on your mobile camera beforehand to check the lighting. Make sure that the source of light is opposite to you and not behind you, or directly falling at you. That could mean that a shadow will be cast opposite you.
  • See your seating area. What kind of chair you are using. Make sure to choose a space that is comfortable and enhances your calm when you sit, as the interview can be stressful at times.
  • Cleaning is very essential, make sure that you clean your room and tidy it up.

Final Say

So, here is a broad outline of How you can tackle your nervous jitters in a Zoom interview. This piece covers everything that you need to do before an interview. I hope your interview goes well. Best of luck and hope you get the job!

About the author

Atish Ranjan

Hi there, I am Atish Ranjan! I have been into work and business for more than 11 years now; I have given and taken numerous interviews over the years.
Thus, I started TheInterview.top to share my knowledge & experience with you! Hope you enjoy reading here.

About the Author

Hi there, I am Atish Ranjan! I have been into work and business for more than 11 years now; I have given and taken numerous interviews over the years. Thus, I started TheInterview.top to share my knowledge & experience with you! Hope you enjoy reading here.