How to Answer Interview Questions During Covid-19

In many ways, the typical guidelines and prevailing wisdom to answering interview questions remain, but in other ways, it has changed as a result of the pandemic. Explaining why you're no longer employed or how much money you want to make will now be filtered through a Covid lens.

"Why don’t you work there anymore?"

Regardless if you’ve worked at a company for 10 days, 10 months, or 10 years you’ll probably be asked this question. To a recruiter, this is a meaty probe into the experiences of your past, which, in most cases, is likely to influence your future work behavior. You can take your answer in a few different directions but be careful. Recruiters are always curious to hear how you’ll explain ‘what happened’ like it’s some kind of juicy gossip. Were you fired or furloughed? Were your hours reduced? Were you fed up with managements’ undelivered promises? Did your mortal enemy get promoted over you? There are many reasons, but not all of them should be said aloud. Keep in mind what can or cannot be verified by an internet search or reference check. And try to refrain from badmouthing your former company, even if it’s warranted; you don’t know who your recruiter knows (or is friends with or used to date in college). Look, with Covid-19 wreaking havoc on so many industries and businesses, the most common response has become just that, the pandemic. If that's true, I think it's a good idea to tell the recruiter if a large team or department that you were on was eliminated. It tends to normalize the situation by making clear that you weren’t singled out, and it may subconsciously move the recruiter to empathize with your unemployment status. If you have the card, play it. 

If your job was eliminated due to Covid-19, then you should say so; don't be afraid that you'll be judged for being cut, especially if your team or department was eliminated altogether.

"Why did you apply for the job?"

If you were furloughed or laid off due to Covid-19, it's important you do not use this as your reason for applying. It’s not. You answered question one with that response (why you’re not there anymore), but this question requires something different. If you tell me your motivation for applying is because you were displaced by the pandemic, then I will assume you applied simply because you needed a job. That is an uninspiring answer, and will not get you to the next round. Give some serious thought as to why you want this exact job, at this exact company, at this exact time. Make it personal. “I applied because I understand that this job requires someone with X skills and Y experience. I have been honing my talents in these areas to secure this very position.” Notice the use of the “I” three times and “me” once. You should have 3 to 4 specific reasons why you’re the right person for the job, and recite them until they’re memorized. If the fact that the company has new digital products is exciting to you, then you should say so (and include why you think being digital-forward is a smart long-term play). String your bullet points together into a short story. Do not lead with “because it’s remote” or “it pays well” or “the benefits seem good.” Those are secondary reasons. Primary reasons are about why your experiences are relevant, and how your skills will fulfill the needs of the company. That’s what we really want to hear.

"How do you feel about returning to the office?"

Think hard about this one before answering. As the vaccine program rolls out, albeit ever so slowly, businesses will start to reopen commercial offices and potentially ask you to return. That means you’ll need to decide if your old (or new) commute makes sense, not just in terms of distance and cost, but also in terms of once again being exposed to other people everyday (think subways, deli's, street corners). Maybe you don’t mind being fully remote and never physically meeting your team (an odd dynamic if you think about it). Or, perhaps a hybrid, half in-half out schedule would be better. Also, you should still be considering the health risks associated with in-person work. If you go into the office, who in your family could be indirectly exposed? And, if that were to godforbid happen, do they have any underlying health conditions that could put them at higher risk? Then there are questions about productivity such as, “can I truly be as productive working in my cramped apartment as I was in the office?” If you’re the type of person who feeds off people’s energy or prefers hands-on training, maybe working remotely isn’t the right move for your work style. There’s a lot to chew on for this question, so I encourage you to give it some thought.

It's every candidates responsibility to think seriously about returning to the office, be it partially or full-time. And not just in terms of the health risk, but also in terms of productivity and performance.

"What are your financial expectations?"

As long as people aren’t working for free, you should have a very good idea what you need to be paid for the job you want. I never like when people can’t answer this question with a straightforward number or range of numbers within a few grand (anything over 10k is too much). Don’t wobble on this question because it may reveal you don’t know your worth or what the average pay for the role is (see payscale.com). Both indicate that you can be taken advantage of financially. Remember, a lot of companies think in terms of profit margins and maximizing revenues. To them, if you don’t have a confident answer to this question it means they can ‘get away’ with hiring you at a lower number than you should be. With the pandemic going on, I’ve noticed some people hesitant to price themselves out of the market. This is why preparedness is so important, because it’s your responsibility to know your own cost of living, including transportation, future expenses, emergencies, etcetera. Then, you need to square that number against what you made before the pandemic and accept, completely, whether you’ll be able to live with less, equal, or more. When you get asked this question next time, that number(s) should be your answer.

For more advice on how to answer interview questions, message me on LinkedIn.