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As early as the beginning of March, nearly half of American organizations were implementing a work-from-home policy, as advised by the CDC, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which, at that point, was still quite minuscule. Now, half a year later, the number of remote employees has drastically increased.
For the lucky ones, the only adjustment was just that: working from home. They kept their jobs, and their actual tasks remain similar to what they were in the office. But what of those who found themselves out of a job during this time? They don’t only need to eventually learn how to work from home but they also need to look for jobs entirely virtually. There are no large networking conventions. There are no happy hours with recruiting firms. And should one get to the interview stage, those are being done online. Nailing a job interview in person, when you can bring your charisma front stage and center, is hard enough. Now there is the disconnect of two screens separating you and the hiring party and many other complications of taking an interview from your home.
We spoke to Keirsten Greggs, founder of TRAP Recruiter, a Black woman-owned business that, per their mission statement, is “bridging the gap between the job seeker and organizations committed to attracting, hiring, developing and retaining diverse talent and building inclusive culture.” Greggs, who also works as a career coach, shared tips for succeeding in the world of virtual interviews.
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Keep it professional
“Treat it like an in-person interview as best as you can,” advises Gregg. “That means practicing.” A good way to practice, says Gregg, is by taping yourself. You can later watch these tapes to learn about your pacing. Tape yourself in advance of interviews to get comfortable in front of the camera, too, and learn where to look. She also suggests taking notes during the interview and notifying the interviewer that you’ll be doing so.
