With COVID-19 sending millions of Americans home to work, many meetings which were conducted in person are now conducted through our computer screens. A wise businessperson keeps in mind that even when working from home we need to exhibit a professional persona during these meetings.

Consider what God said to Samuel: "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV) Keep in mind that your image is always subject to scrutiny. For example, if you attend a virtual meeting in your pajamas, with ruffled hair, unshaven or otherwise looking sloppy; your colleague or boss may develop a perspective that your work is subpar even if your work is excellent. 

Here are some important reminders to increase your professionalism in a virtual meeting.

We all face disappointments occasionally.  As adults many of us commit to work through these challenges. Most of us just muddle along and learn as we go. 

When each of us experiences disappointment, regardless of age. we need to be able to talk through setbacks with others. Additionally, we need to go to the Lord and ask for grace to accept the disappointment. We also endeavor to learn from these experiences.

Once I was called to traffic court as a witness and found the proceedings interesting. A couple of cases highlighted the importance of not allowing one mistake to trigger a second and more serious error.

In one case a man was charged with failing to turn left from a left only lane.  Instead, he cut back into the right lane to go forward, cutting off the car in front. Unfortunately for the driver, there was a police cruiser behind the cut-off vehicle. The man told the judge that he found himself in a left only lane but realized he needed to go straight.  “What was I supposed to do?” the man asked.  The judge said that he should have turned left because he was in a left turn lane.  The judge pronounced the defendant guilty and issued a fine. The driver could have made the inconvenient left turn and still found his way to his destination with only minor inconvenience.  Because he didn’t, he ended up with a fine, a conviction on his driving record, and significant hours taken from his day.

In the past, final job interviews were conducted face-to-face. It often included travel when filling key positions. Today, because of COVID-19, more final selections are based on online interviews. Given this reality, many of us need to prepare for Zoom or Skype interview opportunities differently.  

Consider what God said to Samuel: "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV, italics mine) However, since your interview is with another person, the reality is that physical details matter, and there are several things you can do to prepare for an online job interview to assist you in landing an offer.

A number of times I’ve touched on the topic for effective speaking. At times, and I try to apply the lesson to myself, I shared individuals there’s a reason TED Talks are limited to 18 minutes, most listeners struggled to stay focused for much more than 20 or for a maximum 25 minutes. TED Talks are a collection of well presented speeches based on the premise of presenting ideas well worth spreading.