Articles : Preparing for a Job Interview During a Pandemic

The rules for the kinds of questions employers ask during an interview are somewhat being re-written with social distancing measures in place amid COVID-19. Questions like describing your role at your last job or how you would deal with a problem are being tweaked to help your employer decipher if you fit working in non-traditional environments.

Below are some examples of the types of interview questions employers may be asking during a pandemic. 

1. What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?
This question can apply to you on both a personal and professional level. You could talk about a new skill that you picked up, new habits you’ve formed, or what projects you’ve completed during your time at home. How has your outlook changed on working? Are you more open with working from home?

2. Do you want to work from home full-time?
Working from home could become the new normal for some companies, proving it is possible amid COVID-19. Major companies like Twitter have already announced that its employees can continue working from home after the pandemic is over. This means that there could be many companies looking for people who want and are able to work from home full-time instead of coming back into the office.

3. Are you set up to work from home?
If you are more open to working from home, what would that environment look like for you? Consider looking at whether you have space to set up an at-home office, how quiet it is during the day, and do you have the proper tools and programs to work with?

4. Are you willing to go back to work in an office once the pandemic is over?
If you’ve been working from home, you may realize that you don’t want to go back to working in an office environment. Maybe you found yourself to be more comfortable working from home and you no longer want to have a 2-hour commute everyday, or perhaps you miss the culture of working in the office.

5. What has been going on at the organization during the pandemic?
Don’t be afraid to ask the employer questions as well during the interview. Were they deemed an essential service? If so, what is the company doing to keep their employees safe while working at the office? Are employees working from home or a combination of the two?

Click here to watch President of TorontoJobs.ca Marc Belaiche, CPA, CA discuss this topic. 

Want more job tips? Click here to check out the TorontoJobs.ca YouTube Channel for more.

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