The pandemic has changed everything, including job questions. Any conversation you have in the near future is likely to at some point touch on the coronavirus pandemic, including in a job interview. Both recruiters and hiring managers are likely to touch upon the subject, so here are the most common ones we found and how to answer them:
“How Did You Cope With Being In A Pandemic, But Also Needing To Be Productive?” or “How Have You Been Spending Your Time?”
This question can be answered in many ways, but the hiring manager is asking about how you were proactive under stress. While any job will have a version of stress in it, everyone understands that it won’t be the same as the stress from a pandemic. They are looking to see if you were resourceful and if you can bring that value to the company. This would be the time to mention if you’ve been doing any volunteering or taking any online classes or upskilling in some way. It is important that you show that you’re steady under pressure and focused on the long term.
“Are You Comfortable Working On-Site?”
This question will be most likely asked from companies that aren’t planning on staying remote and will be asked in the beginning of the interviewing process. If you’re not willing to work from a workplace in the future, you may want to consider only applying to positions that have the word “remote” or “work from home” in the job advertisement. Otherwise, this may be something to discuss with the recruiter or hiring manager.
From manufacturing to healthcare and everything in between, there are entire industries that will require re-opening physical locations and will require employees to work on-site. When going into an interview, be prepared with your answer. Make sure that you know how they’re going to make the decision of returning to the workplace in-person or not. For instance, will it be based on the amount of cases?
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You may need to know if they’re hiring remotely or if your first day would be days or months in the future, as that would make a difference to both your bank account and whether you accept the position. Plenty of places that do require employees to be on-site has also changed due to the virus, with manufacturing warehouses spacing work stations to be 6 feet apart or other places requiring masks. Be sure to ask ahead of time what differences the company has made so that you can be prepared. After all, you want to make sure that your health isn’t going to be compromised by taking this position!
Don’t Forget To Practice
Before logging onto a video interview, be sure to do a few mock interviews ahead of time. Make sure that the lighting, camera angle, and presentation is what you’d like to show. Zoom and Skype interviews are still interviews!
Check out our list of tips for specifically video interviews: 15 Most Powerful Video Interview Tips for Skype or Zoom
Interested in more like this? Check out our other articles:
Coronavirus Career Advice: 5 Ways To Improve Your Future Job Prospects While Staying Home
17 Productivity Hacks To Work From Home
5 Most Powerful Video Interview Tips
And as always, be sure to follow the CDC guidelines when going to work.