#TECH: Preparing for job interviews in new normal age

THE global economy has been shaken by the Covid-19 outbreak, leading to a spike in people losing their jobs and applying for unemployment aid.

As companies from a wide range of industries experience a decline in hiring, people looking for a job have to cope with the uncertainty, besides assessing their options and fine-tuning their career search strategies in a tough job market.

However, as more people become unemployed and the way job interviews are changing, landing an interview and conducting oneself in it must be given a new strategy.

To help make this easy, LinkedIn is providing a free learning path of 11 courses to help you navigate these challenging economic times.

According to the company, the courses are designed to help jobseekers build a search strategy, lean on their professional networks, and hone their virtual interview skills.

LinkedIn’s Asia-Pacific and China managing director and vice-president, Olivier Legrand, said the company’s data is showing a decline in hiring across the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.

“This has impacted professionals in many industries seeking new opportunities. The uncertainty has also forced many local companies to adapt and rethink the way they operate,” he said.

In a situation like this, Legrand said it is important for jobseekers to tap into their networks.

“It is all the more important to connect with our networks now, so professionals have access to new or different opportunities now and when the economy recovers,” he said.

“Many of your connections may have answers or opportunities that you’re looking for.

“If you’re in a position to extend support, connect others to people you know who might be able to help.

More than ever, we need one another to get through the uncertainties,” he added.

AI-POWERED FEEDBACK

LinkedIn has made several resources free to help professionals in Malaysia cope with the uncertainty and challenges arising from the global pandemic.

Legrand said the company is offering online courses that aim to help jobseekers in various ways, including recovering from a layoff, finding a new job, staying motivated, writing an effective resume and even doing online interviews.

“With the current situation, it is possible that employers will be interviewing jobseekers via video calls,” he said.

Legrand said the AI-powered feedback was a LinkedIn Interview Preparation mechanism.

“It helps jobseekers record practice answers for common interview questions and receive instant AI-powered feedback on how to improve those answers. This may help them build confidence,” he added.

CHALLENGES

According to LinkedIn, 54 per cent of jobseekers say that the interview phase is challenging because of the lack of confidence and uncertainty.

With the new AI feedback feature, once people recorded their practice answers, they get an assessment of their answer delivery, with feedback on pacing, the number of times they used filler words, and sensitive phrases to avoid.

“This provides an interactive way to practice answering commonly asked interview questions in private. Interview prep also gives people the ability to request personal feedback on their practice responses from their connections or network,” said Legrand.

On top of that, he said there is also interview preparation tools on LinkedIn, where jobseekers can access videos and tips from experts and hiring managers.

For example, if people are interviewing for a sales or finance-related job, there is an interview preparation tool that they can use for nearly two million jobs in sales and finance on LinkedIn.

This resource can help people better prepare and feel more confident.

Source: NST