By Emily Kuper, Tennessee Technological University TSCPA Student Ambassador
With everything going on in the world related to COVID-19, recruiting looks very different this year, but it is no less important. Career fairs, leadership conferences and interviews are being held virtually more and more. These types of events can be stressful enough on their own, so being prepared for the changes that meeting virtually brings is crucial to presenting yourself well.
No matter what setting you find yourself in--an interview, a casual recruiting event, or a workshop--there are some pieces of advice that will remain true:
- Dress professionally. Even if it is only from the waist up, how you present yourself matters. Your recruiter may dress more casually, but putting effort into dressing professionally makes an impression on whoever you are speaking with.
- Clear your surroundings. Ensure that your meeting setting is a quiet and clutter-free space.
- Be prepared to have video on. If there is a question of whether your meeting will be audio only or include video, go ahead and show your video. At worst, you can just switch your video off, but at best you have made a great first impression.
For an interview, the traditional pieces of advice stay the same, such as ensuring that you are ready a few minutes early. The most important thing to emphasize here is that you know your elevator pitch well enough to deliver without any uncertainty. During an in-person interview, it is easy to feed off body language to keep the momentum going, but that is more difficult in a virtual interview. Practice your elevator pitch until it sounds natural and you can deliver it without having to pause in the middle.
Another situation you may encounter is a virtual workshop or leadership conference. These are fantastic ways to get involved with a company, but your participation matters. Here are some things to remember when you are in this kind of setting.
- Your voice matters. There may be 100 people present, but if you have a thought during a discussion that you would like to share, share it! Your presence at the event is the qualification required to contribute.
- Be mindful of those around you. There may be moments where two people start to talk at the same time and that is okay. Hopefully, the mediator of the group will designate who will speak first and then hand it off for the other person to make his or her point. If not, it is better to defer to the other person and chime in when they are done.
- Be genuine. Try not to speak just for the sake of speaking. It is perfectly fine to wait to make a point until you have something you want to say.
- Ask questions. This is such a hard habit to learn, but keep your curiosity engaged throughout the workshop. Keep a notepad by your desk to write down anything that comes to mind. When the time for questions comes, there is nothing more awkward for both the presenter and the audience than silence.
The state of the world can make recruiting seem like a
daunting endeavor, especially if this is your first year, but with a little
preparation, it can be much easier.
