Well, Hello, everyone.
Welcome to Indeed live.
I'm Clin cohens, I'm a career coach.
And so I've been career coaching for a little while now,
I've started out at the University of Texas
at Houston as a career advisor.
And then I moved over to Indeed, where
I've been doing some career coaching there as well.
So I want to thank everybody for joining.
OK our tip of the week is this, set yourself
up for success at virtual hiring events
by preparing beforehand, arriving on time,
looking your best, and leaving the hiring
staff with a great impression.
So let's first back up a little bit,
what is a virtual hiring event?
A virtual hiring event is an event
where employers accept job applications,
and conduct virtual interviews and group
and individual sessions.
Many employers are moving in the direction of virtual hiring
events, as new developments arise with COVID-19.
Virtual hiring events offer the unique opportunity
to meet companies without leaving your home.
There are multiple benefits participating
in the hiring events that have grown
in popularity during COVID-19.
Some employers that participate in virtual hiring events,
are urgently hiring.
These events can lead to on the spot job offers significantly
reducing the waiting time in your job search, plus,
they are easy to attain since there's no commute,
and since you get a chance to make an interactive connection
with your employer.
And perhaps most importantly, virtual hiring events
allow you to stay active in your job search
by interviewing from the safety of your home,
and reducing your exposure to others.
You can find virtual hiring events in two ways on Indeed,
relevant virtual and in-person hiring events
will be included in your job search results,
when searching for job opportunities or Indeed.
And you can search for virtual hiring events
directly by typing Indeed hiring events into the what field,
on your Indeed Home page.
These events are being held intermittently
for various locals.
Divine other events, you can also
search the keyword phrase virtual
hiring events in your web browser,
or when searching event management websites.
Aim to spend as much time preparing for a virtual hiring
event, as you would an in-person interview.
A good first step is to read the event description, in order
to learn a little bit more about what you
can expect during the event.
For example, look for indications,
if they plan to make offers on the spot,
or if this is just the first within a series of interviews.
They may also include job requirements or any materials,
that you should prepare in advance.
It should also tell you how to join and participate
in the event here.
These events may feature a range of hiring employers,
or just one.
But try to prepare for all the possible employers,
that you may speak with that day.
Then take your preparation a step further by reviewing
the company websites.
It's also helpful to use Indeed company pages to find reviews
from current and former employees,
but what it's really like to work there,
you can also skim Q&A about what their interview process is
like, and view photos and videos posted to the company's
social media channels.
You can visit indeed.com/companies and search
for the employer name to find their company page.
Next apply all of this knowledge by creating a targeted resume,
review your resume to make sure that you are positioning
your experience to be relevant to the jobs being offered
at the virtual hiring event.
For example, tailor your professional summary
to mention that you are seeking the role that you're
interviewing for, and include the skills and accomplishments
mentioned in the event description in your resume.
That is if you have them.
It's common for virtual hiring events
to be shorter than the traditional interview,
so you're going to want to work on your elevator pitch.
For those of you who don't know an elevator pitch is,
a 1 minute or less summary of who you are,
and how you can be a good fit for the role that lets you
concisely sell yourself during the interview.
Finally, be prepared to ask at least one question
at the end of the interview.
Since these interviews are often short,
you might only have the opportunity
to ask one question.
So you're going to want to make it a good one.
So an example question that you may ask learn more
about the role of the company is,
how does the company measure success in this role?
Now you can find more examples like that
to ask in an interview in the link career guide article
10 questions to ask after an interview.
Now let's cover a few best practices
for interviewing by video.
To avoid interruption, notify others that you cannot be
disturbed during your interview time.
Leave a note on the door, if that's helpful.
You're going to want to close any windows, tabs,
or applications on your computer that you're not
using in order to limit interruptions and distractions.
It's also a good idea to pause the calendar, and messenger app
notifications.
And also place your phone on silent.
To set the scene, clear your desk space
except for a notepad and a pencil to take notes.
And have a copy of your resume, or any other notes
on hand just for reference.
Important, very important set out a glass of water
for yourself, I've got one myself.
Like me, you may be doing a lot of talking during that period.
You're also going to want to check
the background behind you, make sure it's
neutral and free of clutter kind of like how mine is.
Adjust the lighting as needed to brighten the room,
or to reduce the glare on your eyeglasses,
if you wear eyeglasses.
You're also going to want to dress professionally.
Business casual attire, tends to be a safe bet.
So on a video, it helps to wear solid soft colored
clothing with minimal patterns that way,
it won't be affected by any camera distortions.
It's also best to position the camera so
that you are looking up slightly,
and centered on the screen.
Even though it's likely that the interviewer will only
see your upper half, be sure to wear professional bottoms just
in case you need to stand up you never know.
Body language is also important to be
aware of in a video interview.
To imitate eye contact make a conscious effort
to look at the webcare, not just the image of the interviewer
on the screen.
Also you're going to want to show excitement for the role
by maintaining energy throughout the interview,
nodding and smiling when listening is always helpful.
Try to avoid fidgeting or gazing at items, away from the screen.
Finally it can be tempting sometimes
to keep written answers to questions on your screen,
but this can come across as scripted.
So instead keep your resume on screen,
or just somewhere nearby for reference.
And make yourself some mental bullet points,
for commonly ask questions.
So in summary, here are the things
to remember when preparing for a virtual hiring
of our interview.
Prepare for a virtual hiring event
just as you would for an in-person interview,
take the time to research the company, update your resume,
and practice your answers to make
sure you are positioning your experience
to be relevant to the jobs being offered.
Also test your tech, check your microphone, camera,
and internet connection at least one day
before the event to make sure everything is working properly.
You're going to want to reduce distractions by closing out
unused tabs, and web pages.
And you're also going to want to pause calendar
and messaging apps, and also phone notifications.
And lastly, do not hesitate to take
advantage of the opportunities at hiring events have to offer.
Prepare, show up, be yourself.
We hope you found this helpful, and we will see you soon.