As the novel coronavirus spreads to cities all over the world, it might change your job interview.

The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is spreading from country to country, slowly making its way around the world via person-to-person contact between the affected and non-affected. The virus' seriousness is not to be understated: It can spread among people who don't realize they're sick yet, and about one in five people who contract COVID-19 need care at a hospital. 

Some of the best defenses against the virus are practical solutions anyone can (and should) implement: wash your hands frequently, maintain social distancing, avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and practice good respiratory hygiene. 

Yet, the implementation of these practices also has an effect on the way we work and hire. Companies are restricting travel, canceling in-person events, like conferences, and expanding their remote and work-from-home capacities. Some offices are even restricting outside visitors to their building or campus. 

Job interviews are one practice that's been especially affected in the wake of COVID-19 — meeting in close quarters face-to-face is viewed as too risky in light of the virus' contagiousness. 

Global employers are canceling face-to-face interviews

Many large global employers and hiring managers, including Google, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Facebook have completely canceled in-person job interviews for the foreseeable future to protect both employers and candidates. 

Upcoming college graduates are extremely impacted, as well.In one large scale example, accounting firm PwC has moved in-person office visits and interviews to video-conferences for over one thousand new graduates with offers to work there. 

All of these companies are taking smart measures in the name of community health and safety. 

A spokesperson for LinkedIn told The Verge: 

We are taking steps to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, using guidance from global health experts and with the health and safety of our employees, customers, and partners as our top priority. This includes recommending all SF Bay Area employees who are in a job that can be done from home should do so through the end of March. We've also asked employees to postpone all non-essential business travel and have made the decision to not participate in external events in March and April.

Some of those companies are rescheduling the interviews to occur over video chat software so that the hiring process is not impeded while social distancing and similar measures are being encouraged. That means there is a possibility your next job interviews might follow suit.  

How to succeed in a video interview if your in-person meeting is canceled 

If you are facing the prospect of a pivot to a video interview, don't stress. We've got a plethora of resources to help you feel just as comfortable and confident conveying your skills and expertise on-camera as you do in person. 

Here's some further information and tips for you to feel ready to rock a video interview. 

How to Prepare for a Skype Interview — and Other Virtual Interviews

This piece is your ultimate guide for how to successfully tackle a virtual interview, with tips on everything you need to know. This includes: 

  • How to check your technology — the last thing you want is to have your computer not work when you're relying on it to connect to the prospective employer or hiring manager.

  • How to find the right location to conduct the interview. Privacy is important. 

  • How to make proper eye contact and emote in front of the camera. 

  • How to gracefully say goodbye. 

How to Boost Your Likability in Video and Phone Interviews

This piece addresses research that showed that '“in simulated job interviews, candidates who were interviewed by video were rated lower by interviewers and were less likely to be recommended for hiring.”

The odds may already be stacked against you in video interviews — so how can you overcome and boost your likability to rise above? This article coaches you through a variety of strategies to ensure you're making just as strong of an impression on a video screen as you might in real life. 

The Ultimate Guide to the HireVue Interview: Everything You Need to Know

When it comes to virtual interviewing, there are also automated video interview platforms, like HireVue — a service used by companies like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Deloitte. 

HireVue doesn't just record your responses to interview questions; the technology also analyzes your facial expressions, eye movements, voice inflection, and more to paint a picture of you as a job candidate. 

Our guide to HireVue gives you a sense of what to expect with this new technology and prepares you to face the unknown head-on with tips, tricks, and HireVue strategies. 

Don't panic

Most importantly, throughout all of the unknown consequences we might experience throughout the continuing spread of COVID-19, it's important to remember to keep a calm and level head. Additional worry about anything — especially about something like a rescheduled job interview — won't serve you. We at TopInterview are here to help you tackle the challenge. 

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, please visit the World Health Organization and the US Center for Disease Control. 

If you want to excel in your next interview, our coaches can help. Learn more about TopInterview.

Recommended Reading:

Related Articles: