ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – COVID-19 has formed a new normal when it comes to job interviews. According to career services platform Handshake, 89 percent of employers are moving job interviews online. But what can you do to make that great first impression … virtually? Here’s some tips that can help you get hired through zoom.
Lights, camera, action. Getting the lighting right for your interview can make a huge difference. Get a light source, either from a window or a lamp in front of you to light your face. Never put the light source behind you. “The other thing is the non-verbals became extremely important. Smile more,” said Marian Soltlz-Loike, PhD, Vice President of Online Education at Touro College.
Another tip—avoid looking down. Place your camera at eye level. Make eye contact with the interviewer, and don’t play with your hair or jewelry. Next, limit distractions and disruptions. Find a quiet place to conduct the interview with a clean and professional-looking background. You want the interviewer to pay attention to you and not things going on around you. But sometimes things don’t go as planned. “So, if things don’t go as you predicted, think of a way to acknowledge it and perhaps say something funny about it,” said Stoltz-Loike.
And use the virtual interview to your benefit to get hired through zoom. “I have here things like a cheat sheet,” said Stoltz-Loike. Because the interviewer cannot see everything around you, you can stick notes onto your computer screen in case you get stuck on what to say. Just be sure not to read from the notes as you are speaking.
When emailing your resume, be sure to include a cover letter. Six out of ten job applicants don’t include one, but a resume lab survey found that a great cover letter was enough to sway them to extend a job interview to a less than perfect candidate. And don’t use the cover letter to detail your qualifications. The best cover letters talk about the company and why they are excited about the prospect of joining it.
Sources:
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.
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