{"id":211499,"date":"2020-04-23T12:06:12","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T16:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=211499"},"modified":"2020-06-29T15:57:17","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T19:57:17","slug":"in-an-apply-from-home-job-market-it-pays-to-be-camera-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2020\/04\/23\/in-an-apply-from-home-job-market-it-pays-to-be-camera-ready\/","title":{"rendered":"In an Apply-From-Home Job Market, It Pays to Be Camera Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"

When job searching from home during the pandemic, one thing is clear: It pays to be camera ready. Video interviews are skyrocketing as companies practice social distancing and become more accepting of remote work and flexible schedules.<\/p>\n

To ensure students and alumni are ready for their close-ups, Montclair State\u2019s Career Services has created a series of light-hearted videos to help tackle the serious business of landing a job.<\/p>\n

Adam Mayer, director of Career Development, and Career Advisor Jeffrey Poulos created the videos to help students and alumni ace virtual interviews. The series is among the resources the University provides to help graduates and current students enhance their professional skills, network with employers and industry experts and develop a strategy to search for a job or internship.<\/p>\n

Even amidst the public health crisis, some industries are hiring. At a recent Virtual Career Fair hosted by Montclair State, nearly 50 employers participated through the \u201cHire a Red Hawk\u201d chat module, Mayer says.<\/p>\n

Career Services indicate a number of industries, including pharmacies, online retailers, teleworking communications and shipping companies, are looking to bolster staffing.<\/p>\n

Preparing students for interviews \u2013 which has been moving virtually even before this crisis \u2013 is among the \u201cHire a Red Hawk\u201d<\/a> tools featured in the new video series.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can’t emphasize enough how important it is to practice virtual interviews,\u201d Poulos says. \u201cStudents can do so through the \u2018Hire a Red Hawk\u201d mock interview module and request feedback from their respective career services team members.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the video series, Mayer and Poulos outline the best practices for remote interviews, including finding a quiet setting with good lighting and a simple background and testing the audio before starting the conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of the interview modality, making sure the interview is a conversation should be paramount,\u201d Mayer says. \u201cThe give and take, reflection of content and questions from both<\/em> parties are essential to establishing a professional rapport.\u201d<\/p>\n

An interview can still be \u201cface-to-face,\u201d even if it\u2019s taking place virtually, by placing your camera at eye level, Poulos adds. Looking at the camera and not the screen ensures you are maintaining eye contact with the interviewer.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimilar to a traditional interview, the key to video interviewing is to be confident and display your authentic-self,\u201d Poulos says.<\/p>\n

Adds Mayer, “Be sure to smile occasionally too. Our brains interpret smiles as rewards, and they’re contagious, so let’s see those ivories.”<\/p>\n

Practice Makes Perfect<\/h2>\n