Working from home often blurs the line between personal and professional life. That’s why it’s easy to overlook certain items in your office that probably shouldn’t be there.
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Having a second opinion is always helpful for those who work from home — and who better to guide you than a career coach? According to The Spruce, a few simple details can directly impact the perception of professionalism in your home office.
Career coaches frequently interact with clients virtually and have seen it all when it comes to Zoom backgrounds. They are also experts in presenting yourself professionally. We interviewed three of them to find out which items can signal a lack of professionalism in a home office.
Distracting art
Not everyone will love the same décor as you, and having unique taste isn’t necessarily unprofessional. However, any piece of art or decoration that is overly flashy can undermine company goals, according to Rohit Agarwal, a remote hiring specialist cited by The Spruce.
“I found decorations such as political posters, shiny signs, and bold paintings extremely distracting,” says Agarwal. “They divert attention and can disrupt the focus of meetings.”
Tech clutter
Staying attentive during a virtual meeting shows your best side. Disorganized spaces, especially with too much tech, are one of the biggest distractions, warns career coach Nathan Soto in The Spruce.
“One of the biggest obstacles to productivity in a home office is a messy desk. I need a clean space to focus, and cell phones and multiple screens can hinder concentration.”
A television
Coach Dr. Sheree Sekou highlights that TVs in a home office can be a distraction. “Watching shows is more fun than attending a meeting. I recommend keeping the television away from your workspace,” she tells The Spruce. Even if you don’t use the TV, it can still send the wrong message to your employer.
Your bed (made or not)
For those without a separate office, the bedroom bed should not appear in video calls. Agarwal explains to The Spruce: “Showing unmade beds or visible piles of clothes instantly shifts the perception from professional to personal.”
Even a made bed can be distracting. Solutions include blocking the view with bookshelves or using movable partitions to divide the space.
Storage boxes and piles of stuff
It’s common for the room with the least storage space to become an office. Still, that doesn’t justify piles of messy boxes. Sekou tells The Spruce: “The most unprofessional thing I’ve ever seen was extreme clutter. Piles of things make it difficult for others to concentrate during a meeting.”
Clothes on the chair
Leaving clothes on your chair can signal carelessness, even in short meetings. Soto comments in The Spruce that even a single garment forgotten on the back of the chair creates a poor impression and undermines your professional image.
Source: The Spruce. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
