Hello Squaddies, welcome to post 5 / 5 of our Working During A Pandemic Series, inspired by Meghan’s collaboration with Smart Works. Smart Works is known for providing women with clothing for their interviews, but less known is the work they do behind the scenes, preparing women for interviews, brushing up their CV’s/Resume, and advising on the overall job searching process.
We hope you have enjoyed this series and that it can help you during this difficult time. Let us know if you bag a job!
While coronavirus currently has many of us in some state of lockdown, things will eventually get back to some kind of normal – even if it’s a new normal – and that means regular job interviews will resume. In the third part of our’ working during a pandemic’ series, we looked at Zoom call etiquette, but we must not forget our in-person interview skills.
When the world finally opens up again, the job market will be at its most competitive, give yourself the best chance of landing the role with our handy tips on in-person interviews.
Arrive on time
Always give yourself enough time to get to your interview. Aim to arrive at least 15 minutes early to avoid being late. Showing up late suggests a lack of professionalism. Mark your route to the place of the interview the day before, and check for any potential delays at least an hour before you leave. Also, make sure not to show up too early as they will not be expecting you. If you arrive too early, sit in a nearby café until it’s time for you to be seen.
Watch your body language.
Non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication. Watch your posture and body language in job interviews. This works the same way whether your interview is in person or online. Look attentive, and listen just as much as you speak.
Make sure you have researched the company well
When you’re on the job hunt, it can become very overwhelming to keep on top of who you have applied for and who you’re interviewing with. Keep a spreadsheet with details of every company that you are interviewing with and make sure to do enough research. Also, be prepared to answer the question; based on what you know about us, what would you bring to the table/change. Remember that companies will want to know what you are offering.
Be ready with some questions of your own
Asking questions shows that you are deeply interested in working for a company.
Here a few questions you should consider asking;
How has your company been affected by and adapted to the coronavirus pandemic?
What would my first week at the company look like?
What type of career development do you offer?
Dress appropriately
First impressions are important. Keep in mind the company and job you are interviewing for. We created an entire guide on how to dress for job interviews which you can read here. As a general rule of thumb, keep things simple and professional. Stick to safe colours like white, black, blue, and beige. Most importantly, dress comfortably. Don’t wear anything that will make you feel uncomfortable and that you will feel tempted to pull around and fidget in.
Avoid distractions
Make sure your phone is switched off before you enter the interview. The last thing you want is to be reaching for your bag to switch it off. Also, do not walk into interviews with a drink (asides from a bottle of water) or coffee. Asides from potentially spilling it, it will look unprofessional to sit there sipping on a drink.
What other things are you mindful of when you go into an interview? Comment below and let us know.
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