Friday night Zoom quizzes, designed to manifest some semblance of a social life during lockdowns, are thankfully a thing of the past. But the enduring popularity of remote or hybrid work means our professional lives are increasingly dependent on technology to communicate - and stay connected.

And what started as a necessity has now become an everyday (virtual) reality for the majority of workers.

Yes, we're talking about video conferencing.

It's estimated that the video conferencing market is expected to exceed $95 billion by 2032, and currently 80% of American workers are using some form of video conferencing to get the job done. This shift has also come into play in the recruitment space: 79% of companies are now conducting interviews with candidates via video call, compared to 22% pre-pandemic, and the video interview market is expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2020 to $3.3 billion in 2025.

The bottom line? Whether you want to get ahead in your current role or secure your next one, projecting confidence and appearing cool, calm and collected is key (great lighting also helps). So with this in mind, Frank Weishaupt, CEO of video conferencing company Owl Labs, has expert tips to make the most of your calls.

1. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

While a lot of us are guilty of clicking into a call and not testing our connection ahead of time, Weishaupt is a big believer in taking some time ahead of a call to ensure everything is working. "I think you want to look like a pro every time," he says.

"The tech doesn't always work, so one minute prior to every call I open Zoom or Microsoft Teams or whatever platform I'm going to be using, I start a meeting and make sure my camera is working, my background is appropriate, and my audio is working. You have a purpose for setting this meeting and I don't want to waste your time paying some sort of meeting tax."

2. Don't be camera shy

Whether you prefer to work in your pajamas or are worried about your kids interrupting your call, the temptation to turn your camera off during calls will always be there, but Weishaupt believes that visibility makes for a better meeting.

"Never make the assumption that you're going to be audio only because I think if you go into a meeting and you don't have your video on and someone else does, there's a little bit of awkwardness there," he explains.

"There are companies that I have meetings with and everyone's video is always off, and I think it's really interesting because I feel more connected in our conversation because I can see you. I think video is an important part of that."

3. Don't sweat the small stuff

While a lot of employees used to shield their employers from the realities of their home lives, Weishaupt says that it's okay for your colleagues to see what's really happening. That being said, he also understands that sometimes it is best to leave your camera off.

"We have let the human condition be present in our work lives, and in the middle of the pandemic my kids were running around in the background and there was lots of other activity happening, so I think there's exceptions to that rule," he elaborates. "I think culturally you adapt one way or the other."

If you want to test out your expert video call skills via a new job opportunity, start browsing the TechSpot Job Board. It has hundreds of open roles in companies that are hiring, like the job positions below.

Workday Payroll /Time Tracking Education & Government Lead, Accenture, Los Angeles

Accenture is seeking a Workday Payroll Lead to be part of a team of advisory professionals focused on cloud-based data-reporting operations that integrate and optimize the essential corporate functions of finance, analytics, planning and HR.

In this role, you'll support the creation of work plans for large complex global engagements, research and resolve day-to-day U.S. payroll issues, and provide support for post-payroll activities and legal and regulatory reports. View more details here.

Software Engineer III, Dynamics, JB Hunt, Remote

J.B. Hunt is looking for a Software Engineer III to be responsible for development tasks and documenting programs, developing and implementing new features, and supporting critical web applications' layer architecture and various back end systems.

To apply, you'll need a Bachelor's degree in computer information systems or computer science, engineering, technology or a related field, plus four years of experience using technologies such as microservice, application programming interface design, publisher/subscriber, event driven, and streaming architectures. Get the full information on this role here.

Engineering Manager - Identity Services, Adobe, Seattle

Adobe is searching for an Engineering Manager, who will be leading a team of developers within the identity platform operations team. Your role will include taking specific product features through the entire life cycle, from requirement analysis to delivery, and meeting the reliability, performance, and quality targets required.

You should have demonstrated hands-on experience in solving technical issues, participating in the design, and being able to dive into the code if needed. You can apply here.