The New Job Interview Reality

Ever since the Covid pandemic struck in 2020, there have been many changes in the workplace situation. The term Zoom has become more of an adverb rather than the name of a company - which is a mark of how influential it has become. This is even more ironic since Skype has already been operational for some time. Also, working from home, or a few days a week, has become almost a pre-set. This is to ensure that there is sufficient social distancing and less chance of the spread of Covid amongst working colleagues.

With all this in mind, the process of a job interview may be different now.

Here are my tips if you are a job seeker.

Zoom-Interview

Do not be alarmed if your job interview is conducted over Zoom. This is expected since no country can claim that they have reached endemic status. So what is the difference when you do a Zoom interview? Well, there could be more than one interviewer present, so you have to have a good posture and try to give the impression that you are giving equal attention to each interviewer. Lastly, ensure that your Zoom profile background is appropriate and respectful for the interview.

TikTok

There has been an explosion of TikTok users. This is hardly surprising as the platform is a great showcase of creativity and energy. However, before your “all-important” interview, ensure that your previous TikTok recordings did not violate the employment contract of your previous employers. For example, if you were a nurse and you did a TikTok recording during working hours, ensure that there is at least some level of patient confidentiality or no negative comments about your employer. It is not too hard to believe that your new potential employer may not choose you as an employee and risk being part of your TikTok recordings. This may create serious contractual problems.

Working From Home

Many companies have not reverted to full workplace employment. This implies that you may have to work from home for part of your job requirement. Do ensure that you have a conducive area to work at home and always assume that you may have to turn on your cam during an official Zoom meeting with your bosses. Taking this into consideration, do ensure that your Zoom background is appropriate and there are no external sounds and conversations during each meeting.

Project-based work

Many companies are introducing project-based work to reflect the culture of independent and home-based working. The best way to face this arrangement is to study the GANTT chart, with the various milestones and understand if you can meet expectations at least. This may not sound like a walk in the park as you may not have access to seniors who can answer every question that you may want to ask. Thus you have to ponder and be innovative in finding out answers that are accurate within your own working conditions.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

For your to be able to rise up the corporate hierarchy and be considered a valuable member, you must have knowledge of the various KPIs of the company. This will prove invaluable as you may be evaluated regularly in order to access you for a promotion.

Mentoring

It is crucial that you are open to being mentored. This will help you grow within the organisation. However, your mentor may belong to the Gen X category thus you have to be less sensitive if your mentor has an outdated impression that your interest in social media and E-gaming may not suit the corporate culture. Try to improve your communication skills with your mentor.