A Look At How The Pandemic Has Affected Preparation For Job Seekers
How did you spend your lockdown? Would a team leader be the type of person who did nothing other than eat fast food and binge TV between jobs? Think about yourself in the same light as an employer. Ask the tough questions, answer truthfully, and you’ll soon get a picture of the best way to prepare for a job during the COVID era. Now, with all of the change experienced over the last year, preparing for an interview is vastly different as well.
Common Interview Questions During COVID-19
Interviewers will ask questions that look into your mindset and personal drive, analyzing how proactive you are, what degree of control you have acting alone, and how apt you are at independent problem-solving. That’s why we’ll be delving into common interview questions, showing you how to prepare for interviews amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
How did you spend the lockdown?
Your potential employer is trying to assess aspects of your personality like drive, self-control, and your will to succeed. We recommend that you share something of yourself that shows routine and self-improvement habits. Companies want to know that you are still focused on success even though you aren’t in a competitive or socially stimulating environment. Success manifests in many different ways, making references to your fitness goals, learning objectives, and personal growth, all excellent points that make up a good answer.
How did COVID-19 impact your career?
COVID-19 has impacted everyone’s career but answering this question shows whether you’re fully
conscious of your role within the flux. Understanding the coronavirus’s effect and your place in the pandemic shows how much scope of insight into your own career you hold. Being able to see the pivotal areas of change and opportunity in your industry also means that you’re in a prime decision-making position. Perspective with proactivity is more valuable now during the COVID era than ever. Before your interview comes up, take time to assess your career, evaluate how you would have acted differently given the perfect vision of hindsight, and consider opportunities for growth that have emerged because of today’s current state of affairs.
What did you learn over the last few months?
Don’t start listing your hobbies and facts and figures that took your interest during the pandemic. Employers are interested in knowing how you’ve grown your professional skill-set. Even if you haven’t undertaken any formal education or training, at least be prepared enough to explain the facets of education that you’ve realized you need and how you plan to grow. New career insight is often enough to show the recruiter that you’re dedicated, whereas independent qualifications and certifications, even if online-only, go a long way toward making a favorable impression.
So, how are you holding up during the pandemic?
How you answer this question shows a lot about how you handle pressure, leaking vital information about your emotional state of being. There is no “right” way to feel during a global situation like this but answering meaningfully and matched to the interview tone shows that you’ve got the emotional understanding and intelligence to be an asset in business. Acknowledging how the coronavirus and its impact makes you feel shows humanity and allows an opportunity for a real connection to form. It also proves to an employer that you’re accurately assessing the virus and the changes it’s affected in your industry. If you don’t understand this basic building block of the working world, then it’s unlikely that you grasp the rest of your area of business.
What have you learned about yourself lately?
During today’s taxing times, the ideal candidate is adaptable, reliable, action-driven, results-orientated, and an innovative self-starter. Highlight these qualities within yourself as they are applicable, citing real-life examples of how you like to get things done and how you came about realizing this during lockdown. Reflect on how you’ve changed due to the pandemic and cite how you learned new skills that aid working remotely. Any examples of how you spend your time should only be mentioned to showcase growth. Prepare yourself by thinking of truthful examples that describe situations that depict how you adapted to new technology, picked up a skill, improved productivity, or learned a new way of working.
What is your home-office set out like?
Very few of us have the full array of hardware that we’d like to see in our home office. Working from home is a new adjustment to many and unfamiliar territory that you don’t need to lie or exaggerate about. All employers want to know is that you’re equipped and ready to face the challenge of working from home. Every professional should be conscientious enough to structure an environment to work comfortably, professionally and productively. Knowing your computer’s specifications, the software you use, useful mobile apps, and your internet connection speed and type should be second nature. The more you can divulge about how you stay busy and the processes and tools involved in your at-home work, the better.
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We’re all on Microsoft Teams. Have you used it before?
Whether it’s Slack, Flock, or Microsoft Teams, you should at least be familiar with today’s current collaboration platforms. Take the time to learn about these leading services to make sure you’re ready to discuss working together online:
● Slack
● Microsoft Teams
● Flock
● Facebook Workplace Groups
● Cisco Spark
● Twist
We recommend trying out one of the more popular tools like Slack with your friends or family to familiarise yourself with its interface and features.
Are you comfortable with video calling?
Video calling has replaced meetings. There’s no escaping speaking on the phone, a tablet, or a computer via video. It’s an integral part of business, and forsaking good video call preparation is throwing away opportunity. Show that you’re ready to become a part of the team no matter where you may be working from by familiarizing yourself with popular video calling platforms and video etiquette beforehand. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Skype are all popular and easy to test out. Answer showing interest and a full understanding of the technology at hand.
How do you stay motivated in a quiet, distanced work environment?
Life hacks, goal setting, productivity techniques, natural supplements, specific music, and routine are all fantastic examples of setting structure in place to keep yourself motivated in a distanced, quiet work environment. Of course, some of us thrive in solace, whereas social butterflies may find themselves struggling to adjust. Finding personal coping mechanisms that work proves that you are a self-starter who is dedicated enough to do whatever it takes to overcome personal and professional obstacles. If you don’t have any management techniques yet, then it’s about time that you find some to push the bounds of personal success even further.
Do you have any questions?
The more questions you ask from a practical stand-point, the more interest is shown in the position. There’s no going into the office to mingle anymore, so use this opportunity wisely. Ask about the daily operating procedures, how teams communicate, office culture, training programs, independent training, and its benefit to career growth, potential colleagues, work hierarchy, workspaces, office layouts, and anything else presented from a point of genuine interest. Imagine what you would like to know once in the office, and ask it beforehand.
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As long as you have prepared yourself by asking these questions beforehand, you’ll be off to a great start. The more time invested into preparation, the more likely you’ll communicate your value and procure the perfect position. The coronavirus has led both employees and hirers to seek new recruitment channels. We encourage you to create a free Job Seeker, Recruiter, or Networker profile on MyOpportunity.com to discover how our AI-powered Global Search Engine can help grow your career or company and its connections.