Blue Ocean Academy has conducted a free webinar on the topic ‘Interview Preparation Post COVID’. Around 70 participants attended the informative and insightful webinar. Following are the important points discussed in the webinar:

While many organizations are downsizing, the only way to secure a good job is by being better prepared. The interview is the primary step that takes you closer to your career goals. There are some tactics and techniques to have a successful interview. In today’s market, a candidate’s success relies most heavily upon a strong resume and these essential interview skills.

Preparing the CV

The CV showcases your skills, qualifications, and expertise. It is the most important document that gives a clear picture of you to the employer. So, you should prepare it diligently. A common mistake that people make while preparing CVs is that they focus on their responsibilities.

While describing your previous job roles, always emphasize your accomplishments rather than the responsibilities. Describe your accomplishments using action words like handled, managed and initiated. If a CV is written in this way, your capabilities will be evident to the interviewer.

How to prepare for an interview?

You should conduct in-depth research before you attend the interviews. Conduct a self-evaluation to know your strengths and weaknesses. SWOT analysis is the best way to know your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Once you are certain about all your qualities and weaknesses, start collecting the details about the prospective employer. The candidates must know about the organization’s size, mission, vision and its competitors.

The virtual interviews

COVID-19 has redefined the jobseeking experience. Individuals are attending virtual interviews and most of them are also working remotely. There are some technical aspects that need to be taken into consideration when you attend virtual interviews. Make sure that you are visible to the other party and your room is properly lit. Your confidence levels and non-verbal behaviours equally play an important role in your success.

Types of interviews

There are mainly three types of interview- structured, unstructured and semi-structured interviews.

• Structured interviews consist of the questions that are planned.
• Unstructured interviews are informal in nature and the questions are asked spontaneously.
• Semi-structured interviews have some pre-planned questions and others that are asked spontaneously during the conversation.