It’s one thing to make a good first impression when meeting a potential employer face-to-face. It’s quite another to meet with them virtually. That was an important aspect that Cuyahoga Heights High School juniors focused on during a Career Readiness Program provided by the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC).
“Due to the pandemic, virtual interviewing will probably remain in effect when interviewing in the future,” said Jennifer Hedinger, CVCC career specialist. “It’s important for young job candidates to practice the do’s and don’ts so they are successful.”
Hedinger met weekly with the students for four weeks during their English classes to help them with everything from preparing a resume to interviewing virtually. Following the course, each student participated in a 10- to 15-minute mock virtual interview conducted by a human resources (HR) professional. These included HR specialists from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Cleveland Clinic, Jubilant LLC, WKYC-TV3, and NASA, among others. “We try to make the mock interview career specific,” said Hedinger, who learns of each participant’s career aspirations, then matches him or her to an interviewer most closely aligned with that field.
Some aspects of interviewing virtually are the same as face-to-face interviewing, Hedinger noted. “We talk about the need for interviewees to have a copy of their resume with them and to highlight areas they want to be sure to mention to a potential employer,” she explained. “And why you should not have your phone with you so there are no distractions” during the interview.
“We help them formulate routine responses to questions, like how to share a strength or how to turn a weakness into a positive when presenting yourself to employers,” she remarked. “I try to impress upon them the fact that they are most likely interviewing for entry level positions, and their resume and interview should reflect that,” she explained.
Other topics covered include the importance of being on time, being prepared, and making eye contact. “We discuss the need to send a resume in a PDF format,” said Hedinger: “PDF is an image so the margins don’t move. If you send a PDF you can be sure your resume will always look nice no matter who it’s sent to. These are important when interviewing virtually as well as face-to-face,” she said.
However, there are other things of which to be mindful when interviewing virtually, Hedinger noted. For example, “make sure you're sitting properly so that you’re facing the screen and that you are positioned at a good angle,” she stressed. Being mindful of your background is also important. “Check to see what’s behind you before the interview begins to make sure the setting looks as professional as possible. “And remember to dress professionally from head to toe.”
Interviewing virtually does offer some advantages, she noted. For example, “You can put sticky notes on your computer screen to remind you to bring up certain things. An interviewer can’t see the notes, but you can!”