Online Interviewing Not Possible? No Need to Worry, Follow Our Guide to In-person Interviewing.
Interview advice has been overrun with tips for online interviews, but what if the industry or company you are interviewing with is not offering the option of an online interview? We share a few tips on protocol to follow in an in-person interview that should reassure you and make the interview experience as comfortable as possible for you.
The majority of interviews will be conducted through video, for obvious health and safety reasons. However, some industries, such as hospitality, won’t have the capabilities to interview online; instead, an in-person interview will be offered.
To begin with, ask the company you are interviewing with if it is possible to interview online. This is a perfectly reasonable question to ask given the current times, and even if they cannot accommodate an online interview, the way they respond will give you a feel for the values and personality of the company. An interview, after all, is a time for both candidate and client to show what they can offer and impress one another.
If an online interview is not feasible, organise an interview time that is outside of major commuting hours. This way, public transport will be less busy for you.
Now, what to expect in an in-person interview…
Handshakes are a no-no. There are many non-hand-contact alternatives though, elbow bump, the Wuhan-shake, wave, peace sign? Make sure you have a feel for the room first, we recommend a simple hello will suffice.
But what happens if your interviewer goes in for the handshake… how do you respond? Just simply say you would rather not shake hands as you’d like to do your bit in preventing the spread of Coronavirus. Problem solved.
Next, you should always arrive early-ish for a job interview, however we suggest you arrive maybe 5 to 10 minutes earlier than normal. This will give you time to use the facilities and wash your hands as soon as you get there.
In an interview it is common that feeling nervous may make your hands sweaty, or you may nervously play with your hair or touch your face; washing your hands before the interview will act as another protective barrier against the possibility of spreading Covid-19 further. Jobs a good’un.
Most importantly, wear a mask. Mask wearing is becoming normalised in most aspects of daily living and not wearing one to your interview may reflect badly on you. Don’t have a mask? Breathe Happy have developed an eco-friendly reusable mask with replaceable filters, a reliable and cost-effective purchase.
And finally, if you are experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, you can always ask to re-schedule or have the interview over the phone.
We hope this has been insightful and calmed any fears you may have had for future interviews.
Good luck!