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How The Coronavirus Is Killing Traditional Job Interviews

Man waiting for his job interview
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If you've watched the news or been on social media the past few weeks, you're well aware of how the coronavirus can impact your health. But it's affecting more than just that.

If you're searching for a job right now, you need to know how the coronavirus is going to impact job interviews.


Most Or All Job Interviews Will Go Virtual

Hiring manager conducts a video interview

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Already, major companies like Google and LinkedIn have made all their job interviews virtual. Facebook and Amazon have severely limited their on-site job interviews at the moment as well.

This might sound scary but don't panic!

Let's talk about what this means for you.

There is a good chance your upcoming interviews will be moved to a video interview. Today, we are going to give you our top four tips to ace your video interview!

Dress Like You're Going In For A Face-Face Interview

Man gets dressed for a virtual job interview

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Even though you're not in an in-person interview, you're still representing yourself as a professional and you want to look the part.

You might feel foolish dressing up just to stay at home, but appearance matters in a video interview just as much as if it were in person!

Maintain Eye-Contact With The Camera As Though It Were The Interviewer

Woman has a video interview with an employer

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We will be honest, this is going to feel very unnatural. We recommend practicing this a few times before your interview so you feel comfortable during your actual video interview.

If you don't do this, you can give the interviewer the impression that you're distracted or not paying attention. We don't have to tell you that this doesn't bode well with a potential employer.

Say No To Swivel Chairs!

Man prepares for his video interview

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You might have the cutest home office with a comfortable swivel chair and that's great— just not for these interviews!

Because these chairs move, it's your body's natural instinct to move especially if you're slightly anxious about your interview.

Unfortunately, this can make you appear fidgety or nervous to the interviewer. It's best to stick with a straight back chair to make sure even your body language is telling the interviewer "I'm listening."

No Winging It!

Man answers a question during a video interview

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You must, must, must do at least one run through before your video interview.

For this video interview, the hiring manager or recruiter will want to use a streaming service like Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, etc. It's essential that you test this program out beforehand to make sure you know what you're doing.

The last thing you'd want is to be late or have to reschedule the interview at the last moment because something isn't working or compatible with your device!


Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the coronavirus is going away any time soon, which is why you want to make sure you're prepared both health-wise and career-wise!


Another thing to prepare for is the interview questions the hiring manager may ask you. Check out our free download of the most commonly asked job interview questions!

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