Career in the time of Corona
What happens to the hiring activity in a pandemic? Well, if life goes on and then so should you.
These articles were published first in the newsletter, One Up Your Career - a daily info-vitamin capsule ?? by Unnati to help you growth hack your career.
To read this issue online and leave your comments, click here.
Without spilling more pixels, let’s dive right into it…
DON’T PANIC
by Vanya Shruti
Have you watched the movie, Contagion? It is an epidemiological thriller about a novel #virus that contains the genetics of bat and pig. The movie was made in the year 2011 but I was shocked to see the striking relevance to the current pandemic we all are facing - Coronavirus.
Interestingly, the story of a deadly virus depicts panic among people as a bigger threat than the deadly virus itself. According to the WHO, to date; we have lost 6470 lives to the virus and have more than 164,837 patients across the world. Some countries are under lockdown, others have declared a national emergency and in India, people are getting booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act. The situation has gotten really serious. Amidst all this, panicking is something to be strictly avoided. Rather, it is advisable to follow the basic instructions like cleaning hands regularly, avoiding touching the face too often and maintaining social distancing. It is good to be well-informed of the latest developments but please follow reliable sources. Here is a link to the WHO page to look for answers to any questions that you might have.
Moving back to the movie, I think it is worth a watch to be able to understand the cause and spread of such viruses. So, if you have not seen the movie yet then you may want to give it a go but remember not to panic.
TAKE THE CALL
So, chances are that your upcoming job interviews might be conducted via telephone instead of in-person. Are you ready to rock it?
Here are a few suggestions that will come handy while facing a telephone interview:
- Be on time: Just like a regular face-to-face interview, be on time. If you are the one calling then call at the appointed time or if you are to receive the call then be ready for it waiting by the side of your phone.
- Location is important: Make sure that the room where you are having the interview is quiet and free of any background noise. Do not be in a position to repeatedly apologize to the interviewer because of disturbances.
- Be Resume ready: Have a copy of your resume, a pen, and a notebook with you. Be quick in taking important notes and jot down talking points to guide you as you answer.
- Short Answers: There will be some obvious questions that you would expect to be asked. For the telephone interview, have a short version of your answers rehearsed. The interviewer is more likely to remember short and crisp points.
- Communication, communication, communication: Verbal communication skill is very important and all the more in a telephone conversation. You do not want to end up mumbling or sounding ineffective. Set up some practice interview calls with friends, family or your mentor to improve telephone conversation skills.
The article is based on this podcast. Listen to it for more tips.
Job Corner
Why not make Work From Home permanent?
?????? We at Unnati are always looking for women who want to work from home as recruiters. No prior experience of hiring needed, just an understanding of how the corporate world works, a desire to work hard, comfort with making calls. Apply here.
?????? Amazon is offering some interesting work-from-home employment roles for women returning to the workforce, check them out here.
??????Ever thought of becoming a podcaster? Check out this interesting work-from-home job/internship as a podcast host.
Do you have any questions related to job search or career enhancement? Ask us here.
??Loved this newsletter?
Tell your friends about it on WhatsApp. Spread the word to 10 people and your dream will come true, provided your dream is to read more of this newsletter ??.