Undoubtedly a lot of people wonder about how the pandemic would affect their careers. For fresh grads and dreamers hoping to kickstart #adulthood, the worry is real.
Doing online interviews for job employment is now the normal practice. The traditional face-to-face interviews – the interviews where jobseekers are sweating and shaking even before they meet the recruiter – is rarely done anymore. Interviews are hard enough as it is, but to pull it off virtually is another feat altogether. How can we shine bright like a diamond under the poor lighting of our bedrooms?
We got you covered. Ipadayag Digital sat down with a Filipino career agency, Metamorphosis Group, to give you the answers.
When I hear the word metamorphosis, the first thing that comes to mind is the glow-up of a caterpillar into a butterfly. As people love to say, “A caterpillar today, is a butterfly tomorrow.” And yes, that’s exactly how the group (and our pub!) wants you to be.
The woke and cheery President and CEO of Metamorphosis Group, Ms. Danica Marie Octa, spared some of her time for us and gave handy tips for jobseekers to excel during their online interviews.
1. Know what you’re getting into
You must think of yourself as a business and your resume as your marketing material. Therefore, it is important for an aspiring job applicant to recognize their skills and talents. In the professional world, your talent is the product and you yourself are the business.
And of course, when you want your interviewer to think that you're 'the one' for the job, you gotta know what you're getting into. Do your research – about yourself, about the nature of the job, and about the organization you want to work for. This helps guide your questions and give them the answers they're seeking.
2. Get discovered
With a lot of job applications available in the online world, one must have an existing account on LinkedIn or JobsDB, among other online employment services. This may not be a big deal for you, but according to experts, it would definitely help you get recognized by prospective employers. These days, recruiters rely on these platforms to know the background of the applicant. They stalk your social media accounts, too. Watch out!
Recent studies have claimed that an applicant has a greater chance of getting employed when their profile is exceptional. Build an impressive personal brand first – in your social media, in your resume, and of course in your interview. Period.
Check this out for more tips on professional branding: 7 Steps to Achieving Your Ideal Character
3. Make them remember you
Ladies and gentlemen, first impressions last. Therefore – pandemic or not – you have to dress well on the day of your interview. Nowadays, we are already so comfortable with wearing pambahay outfits that we tend to forget that we have formal meetings to attend. Plan ahead of time, serve your interviewer(s) with looks, and be confidently beautiful with a heart!
If you need the extra boost, you can join this Virtual Career Academy, where HR experts and career coaches offer free consultations to those who aspire to become professionals in their chosen field.
4. Consider the following on the day of your interview
Schedule:
When choosing a schedule for your online interview, it would be better to choose a morning schedule. Just like us, the interviewing panel can get bored and tired, especially during a mass hiring.
When you are interviewed in the morning, panels are still focused on and attentive to your answers. When you are interviewed later on in the day after dozens of candidates already came before you, well, it can't be guaranteed. Try to schedule your interview around 10 am. Why 10 am? According to science, adult brains function the best during that time.
Internet connection:
Of course, you can’t forget about your internet connection. You don’t want to get disconnected in the middle of your interview, right? Nobody wants that to happen.
Be sure to double-check your connection. If you experience technical issues, immediately write a letter of explanation as to why you have been disconnected. Fortunately, a majority of the panels are considerate of these kinds of cases. Yay!
Platform:
The platform that you will be using depends on the interviewer. If they tell you to use Zoom, then go for Zoom. If they tell you to use Google Meet, then go for Google Meet.
However, you can tell them if you prefer Zoom over Google Meet, or the other way around. You just have to give your reasons why. Don’t forget to check your mic, audio, and camera before proceeding to the interview, too.
Background:
The spotlight is all yours, but don't forget to keep it clean. When you're not speaking, keep your mic off to avoid any background noise, and only speak when it’s appropriate. And of course, the actual background! If possible, go with a plain background. Aside from it being aesthetically pleasing, a plain background will also help the interviewer focus on you better.
Essentially, there is no big difference between online interviews and face-to-face interviews. Well, I guess, one difference is that interviewers can't see the sweat on your neck and other telltale signs of nervousness. But hey, you got this.
These are some helpful tips on how to prepare and stand out during your online interviews. All you have to do is be confident but humble and show them what you’ve got.
During these trying times, we should never stop dreaming. Our plans may have been redirected, but we must continue to move forward in achieving our goals in life.
Indeed, life is tough. But so are we.
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