COVID-19 is creating anxiety into every aspect of life. It is throwing curve balls & leading to sleepless nights & stress more often. Lot of professionals out there are struggling to adopt the new work from home life. Working mothers have to multitask- contain the kids who are not well equipped to understand the seriousness of the situation & at the same time continue their office work from home. Most working mothers have to treat work from home & distance learning(for their kids) as snow day.
On the job search front, the good news is that we are hearing companies are still hiring. Interviews are taking place virtually through video conferencing. We are detailing below certain guidelines that can help you build momentum to drive your job search.
- Update your interview skills: Practice phone & video interviewing using software/platforms such as Zoom, Skype or facetime to record & see how you sound & look. The following are important to consider while doing video interviews:
- Manage your time: virtual/video interviews are generally shorter than in person interviews. It can vary from 15 minutes to an hour. I would recommend keeping a cushion of 15 minutes to time allotted for the interview. There are two formats for video interviews- live interview through Skype, zoom or live messenger & recorded question & answers
- Get accustomed to technology: Given that every technology has its downfalls, you should familiarize yourself with the platform(which will be used for the interview). You should know where the mute & mike buttons are. Make sure that the device you will be using is fully charged/plugged in.Avoid appearing like a dark shadow. Make sure that you are comfortable looking at webcam while speaking rather than looking at the interviewer
- Do the groundwork: Keep a printed copy of your resume & job description handy. If you are taking an interview from home where your family members are present, prefer doing an interview in a quiet room away from all disturbances. Mute all other devices notifications so that your conversation is not interrupted by beeps.
- Basic preparation: Prepare a list of questions & taking points that speak about your accomplishments.
- Choose your wardrobe wisely: Dress properly from top to bottom as you would do for an in person interview. You should keep your color choices in mind while selecting your wardrobe. Avoid white or black color as they do not look good on Camera.
- Detailed prospect(target companies) research: Professional platforms such as LinkedIn & glassdoor are excellent sources to learn about which companies to target , people you know & need to know who work there. Check out my previous blog on how to leverage the power of LinkedIn.
- Get your career portfolio documents optimised: This is a great time to ensure that your LinkedIn profile & resume are updated, have all the relevant metrics you have achieved in the past & is optimised for relevant keywords. Check out my previous blog on how to make your winning resume.
- Expand your network: In today’s time when we are working from home, we are online more than ever & more open to connect / build our network. I am sharing a sample message which you use to get connected with others outside your network:
My name is—- & I am —(role) at —-( company). While browsing through LinkedIn, your name came up. I found your profile really interesting. I hope you do not mind connecting with me
I learnt about your experience in — space which interests me. I would be thankful if I had a chance to speak with you on some aspects of — & get your advice on what it takes to be successful in — space.
It would be pretty awesome if could spare 5 minutes for a quick chat
Are you looking for some career advice, guidance about how to write an executive resume or rebranded LinkedIn profile? As the founder & executive resume coach at Sushant Kumar Ventures, we offer executive resume writing & LinkedIn profile writing services for modern day job seekers. I would be happy to chat to help you meet your career goals; Sign up here.
