Remote Work Video Conference Tips from an Expert

These are trying times for all of us, but I hope I can provide some real life tips for your remote work style as well as a little levity.

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1) Locate your mute button and use it judiciously. Please, if nothing else, heed my desperate plea for you to mute.

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2) Be fully clothed and alert your family you will be on a video call. Ask them to refrain from doing an awkward door look, or much worse, background flash the meeting participants.

3) Alternate between plug in headphones and bluetooth/cell connections to save battery power, and ease the pressure on your ears. Your airpods won’t last more than a few calls.

burnt toast happens when you don't follow these remote work tips
You shall deal with the scourge of burnt toast.

4) Plan ahead for when you might expect to need to run off in the middle of the meeting to answer the door, retrieve your toast, yell at your dog, or other urgent home needs, and use your wireless headphones with phone dial in to deal with that. Mute yourself and run back to your meeting. You successfully multi-tasked!

I would never myself accomplish laundry while working and would never advocate this either. Firstly, because it is impossible to fold while spread-sheeting. Secondly because your spouse will get used to their increased amount of leisure time.

5) Awkwardly joke with coworkers during the first ten minutes while they ping the missing people to find out if they are still stuck in the prior meeting. If you get into it too much before everyone gets there you will just have to rehash it all. #groundhogday

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6) Practice looking directly into the camera to simulate eye contact. It feels strange.

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7) You can’t exchange irritated looks with co-workers during the meeting but you can still IM each other gifs.

8) Lighting will have a huge impact on how much you hate yourself when you see your own camera view. Prepare for this to stoke your anxieties about your resting bitch face.

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Mandy Career Coach
Mandy Steinhardt, a Raleigh career and life coach, empowers women to break free from "good girl" syndrome and reclaim their power. Through one-on-one coaching and supportive women's circles, she helps them heal from past hurts, rediscover their strength and beauty, and create a life filled with purpose and balance. Whether you're feeling lost or uninspired, she's here to guide you to the career, pay and lifestyle that is perfect for you.

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