Learnings from interviewing during COVID19

In December 2019, the following plan seemed like a really good idea: very amicably leave PayPal at the end of March to pursue a more entrepreneurial career, spend a few months meeting with people from my network to define my next step.

Then COVID19 happened. Lock-Down. Life in video calls. And my plan went “poof”. And I realized: The lightheartedness and excitement about creating the next step in my career had evaporated. 

I knew I had a number of months of financial runway, but who would want to speak now? How would the economy react? How would the tech sector be impacted? Would my skill profile be needed in a recession? Would all of my network go into first a frenzy dealing with the changed situation and then into a month-long hibernation? Would I have to accept just “any job" at some point, just to keep going?

I am not known for having anxiety issues, nor for being a glass half empty person, but the situation was concerning. I realise that my skill set and experience puts me into a privileged position, but I did get nervous.

Now I am excited to start in a new role next week. If I was, however, to go through the past months again, I would have liked to read these 10 points:

1.     Interviewing Via Zoom Sucks, But….

It is hard to read the room and your conversation partner properly, and after a while, you certainly can’t bear to talk about and sell yourself anymore sitting in your own home looking at yourself on-screen, while the washing machine starts the spinning cycle.. Video calls are proven to be exhausting, mentally draining, some reasons here...) But, consider that no one has time to waste. If someone is keen to speak with you, you have a valuable contribution to make, so you are in this to test as much as to be tested. Once you accept this, here you go:

2.     Cut The Distance – Find The Human Side

Culture does not trascend screens. Sure, you can check facts, figures, role profiles etc. via video conference, but team dynamics, vibe and the important intangibles that make up the DNA of a great company are close to impossible to detect in a call.

The people on the other side of the screen will be your new crew eventually. They will spend more time with you than your partner or your friends. Truly get to know them. Do talk about personal lives (kids, living situation, work modes), do ask the team “out” for a virtual aperitivo, do ask them what their quirks are, and, if you are in the same city, go for walks together. I had a brilliant and a desastrous one of those, both were key to my decision-making. 

3.     Find A Purpose

For me, the walls were closing in fast. I had the opposite issue from the one many families face in times of movement restrictions and home schooling: I was too much alone in my own head. Was I good enough? Was I making completely wrong choices? Was I making smart decisions both for my work and personal life? Would this work out?

What really helped me get over myself was the advisory work I did for Village Capital, the tighter working relationship with Vested, where I am a board director, and learnings I gained from working with the great team at Planet A Ventures on raising an impact fund. Add hackathons & some mentorings, I was not idle.

So. Keeping productive and doing work that validates you is helpful. Do something for an impact organization, support neighbours or local businesses, mentor someone… It will give you something else to think, but also talk about, it will make you more interesting. Give something back to others, it will make you feel better about leaning on people, too.

4.     The 6 Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

The only sentence I remember from a sales training in 2003. Look at notes from the last meeting, stalk your next interview partner on LinkedIn, prepare questions, dress for the occasion, put on make-up (and lipstick, it makes a difference on the camera, consider it, boys..), and make time to digest and review your meetings. You will be able to judge how serious (and good) an interview partner is if they do the same. Do they ask smart questions? Are they drilling down on important issues, do they really want to get to know you?

5.     Restrict Your Options – Reflect On Them

I interviewed with 5 businesses, from 5 sectors, for 5 different roles. How do you make a call as to how they will develop in an unprecedented time of a global pandemic? What do you believe in? How do you create a decision-making framework? For me, the only way that worked was to create post-its for every one of the opportunities – in a different colour - my minimalist-style apartment ended up a green/orange/pink/blue and yellow workshop room. Uncertainty to me is probably less daunting than for others, but I was creating a lot of noise in my head that needed reducing, I was driving myself mad! Oh, and, I spoke with too many people in parallel and it messed with my focus. No more than conversations with 3 companies in parallel… if something else comes up, do it Marie Kondo style: one of the others has to go. 

6.     Find The Joy Factor

Having options in times of crisis is a luxury problem. It is still vital to have the right decision-making criteria, because it is not a short-term decision you are making. If you can’t get excited about a full-time role for any of your options, be prepared to let all of them go. If your heart is not in it, then rather go down the project/freelance route for a while. The right one will come up. Once I had mustered up the courage to do just that, I felt unbelievably relieved. Of course, money must be made,  but there may be alternative, interim options.

7.     Realise It’s A Process

A leadership role will take time to sign up for. For the 3 roles I ended up with offers, I had between 13 and 20 conversations each. Plus the 3-5 for the roles I did not accept, so don’t underestimate the time you will need to make for this, so let’s say 55 conversations in total, assume half at 30min. and the other half at 60min: that’s 34h of conversations over the course of a few weeks’ time. Plus, the research, the prepping etc.

8.     Lean On Your Friends

Yes, we all want to be positive and constructive, but believe me: the people around you want to help and support you. Rely on them, even if you feel you may appear weak or not clear in your thoughts. Spilling it out, sharing with others, reflecting on their questions, asking them for sparring, is a life saver, especially when the voices in your head get too loud or you end up feeling numb from all the talking

9.     Cut yourself some slack

Don’t kid yourself, this is a stressful time. Your closest relationship is with your laptop, you eventually think it is an impersonation of all your conversation partners. Don’t try to self-optimise while in the process, be kind to yourself, make sure you sleep enough, and do work out, get out of the house once per day.... but also eat that pizza, have that drink with friends over Zoom, eat those gummy bears… it is perfectly ok not to be 100% ok in this phase (oh, and believe me, you will not want to binge-watch Netflix.. your brain will be overflowing from talk and visuals - Zoom).

10.  Celebrate

Once it is all over, celebrate in any way you can. Dance around the living room, invite friends for an outdoor dinner (if possible), send supporters small thank yous and express your gratitude. You have landed a new job in a crisis. This is a success. Well done, you! And then go out and rock this new opportunity.

To my wonderful friends, supporters, network and people I have worked with recently: Thank you for everything you did for my growth over the past few months. I can’t wait for this next chapter to start in the coming week.