Job interview coaching increases your chances of landing jobs during these tough COVID-19 times with more job seekers than available jobs. I shared many job interview techniques with host Cisco Cotto during my appearance on CBS Radio affiliate WBBM News Radio 780 on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. You may click here to listen to my segment in its entirety.
Questions I Was Asked and Answered
Below are the questions Cisco asked me as well as my responses in italics. I hope you enjoy this interview.
(Cisco) Just ahead, job interview coaching tips on interviewing for a job in this COVID-19 world.
With unemployment at historic levels, competition for jobs is high. The process for applying for a job can be complicated because of the pandemic. Let’s get some job interview coaching help. Scott Sargis is here. President of Strategic Search Corporation here in Chicago. His website (for his new job interview coaching program) is World2Work.com
Scott, let’s just talk about the video (interviewing) aspect of this. If you are going to get an interview at all it is likely that your interview will be on Zoom.
(Myself) That’s correct. This is further complicated Cisco by COVID-19 and one of the problems is in general job candidates don’t do a very effective job of selling themselves in the interview.
Unfortunately, the interview, which is a flawed process, is the most important part of landing a job. For example, one of the things we have found (with our job interview coaching) is job candidates don’t look into the camera. They tend to look other places.
The best tip for video interviews is to look right into the camera. As opposed to looking at the interviewer.
Another (job interview training) tip is practice ahead of time. A lot of job candidates don’t practice before their video interviews on either Microsoft Teams or Zoom and practice does make perfect like the old adage says.
(Cisco) Talk a little more about looking into the camera as far as eye contact goes. If you are just talking (interviewing) with a person across a table or desk, your eyes might be diverted here or there. That’s normal conversation, but it looks very different on video as soon as you look away from that camera.
(Myself) That’s correct and here’s a major caveat. We have found that the more senses you invoke in an interview: touch, feeling, hearing etc. the better job you will do during your interviews.
Unfortunately, during video interviews there are less senses involved. So those that you do have, you need to accentuate.
Practice does make perfect. The little eye on your camera is very important. The camera is gold!
So you want to practice ahead of time looking into the camera as opposed to looking at someone you are talking to (your interviewer). That’s the best rule of thumb (for job interview training).
(Cisco) You talk about practicing. You might have to practice your smile just so you make sure that it looks warm and genuine during your video interviews.
(Myself) That’s right and I have a (job interview coaching) mantra (to help with job interview training) which is sell, sell, sell.
What that means Cisco is every chance you get, you want to sell your background as a solution to the hiring company’s needs.
Put yourself in the hiring company’s shoes and ask yourself this question, “how can I help them?” As opposed to what most job seekers do is going into the interview looking for a job.
Instead, put yourself in the hiring company’s shoes and offer what you can do for them. That will increase your chances of getting that job.
(Cisco) Probably a word of caution (during interviews) about stepping on the (interviewer’s) person who is asking the questions. That’s one of the things I have noticed during many video interviews. It is tough to know when you can jump in and you can begin speaking.
(Myself) That’s right. When we practice with our new (job interview coaching) program World2Work, which we have a 12-step (job interview training) method we have a 3-second rule. What that means Cisco is to wait 3 seconds before you respond.
Don’t just be so eager to jump in. Instead, take a breath. Think for 3 seconds and then answer the question.
Once again, if you jump in on the interviewer’s statements it’s going to make you look bad, right?
(Cisco) Absolutely. Thank you. Good insight and good (job interview coaching) advice. Scott Sargis president of Strategic Search Corporation here in Chicago. A little (job interview techniques) advice on applying and getting a job during the age of COVID-19.
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