We know that unemployment is soaring, and I promise that if you decide to let that stop you, you will be right. However, if you decide to step up and shine the light and stay active, there is a super active job market happening right now.

In fact, we’ve got one of our clients who has three offers pending and is just doing final interviews. I have another client I worked with today because a recruiter is putting her forth for not one, but two different jobs. There are some tremendous opportunities. We’ve had people land jobs in under a month, in just a few weeks, and just a few months.

And they’re not just the lower level essential worker types of positions. They’re things in executive management in operations and project management, leading manufacturing in human resources in healthcare and pharma. There are tons and tons of jobs out there for those of you who want them. And so if you are in parts of the country that are starting to come out of isolation, I wanted to share with you the future of interviews.

Please pay attention because there are three main things you have to pay attention to as you get ready to interview to land your dream job. So, number one, flexibility is key. You might think you’re having a phone interview and they may turn around and add Zoom or Skype to the calendar. Or as we’re seeing right now, you may actually get invited to go to a corporate headquarters and have a face to face or in-person live job interview.

Perhaps for the first time in months and months, and months. And for some of you even before the pandemic, if not years. So please confirm logistics in advance. And again, the day before the interview, because things are changing on a dime traffic patterns, local state laws, just be prepared no matter what. Make sure that for phone and video interviews, you are definitely dressing the part; hair, makeup.

I have lipstick on, even though I have on a mask, just because it’s part of what gives me confidence when I know that I’m having those kinds of conversations. And have your printed notes in front of you. In my world, if I’m on a phone or video interview, I like to have right on the screen right in front of me, right underneath the camera.

Finally, number three, the in-person interview, please revisit transportation and building access. Make sure you take precautions. So, have not one, but bring a back-up. So two properly fitting face masks, have your gloves or hand sanitizer. I would rather know somebody is overprotected than under-protected if I’m meeting with them to be quite honest. So remember no hand-shaking, but a bow or a nod. “Nice to meet you. How are you?” You can actually fold your hands and just nod just to make sure you’re polite. Some people are doing the elbow, you know, like the fist bump with the elbow.

It feels a little awkward, but be natural as best you can given this lovely face mask and rehearse using facial expressions. So, make sure you are speaking with your eyes. It’s really important so that people know you are paying attention, that you hear them and get them. You should certainly confirm that they can hear you clearly. So you have to speak slowly and loudly and distinctly to articulate so that they can follow with you.

Do not keep touching your eyes, your mouth, your face mask, jiggering, adjusting things. Do not touch your face, your hair. You want to have all of this beautiful face mask ensemble rehearsed. You want to be able to use your eyes, make sure they’re open. Make sure you’re addressing people smiling behind the face mask. I promise we’ll also help put a smile in your eyes.

So, in the future of interviews, remember one flexibility is key confirm logistics because things are moving quickly and you might think you’re going on video and it’s the phone, or you might think you’re going on the phone and it’s an in-person. So there are definitely things opening up. And the business of interviewing is active, for the phone and videos, which is tip number two. Have your printed notes handy, make sure they’re up in front of you. Same thing if you’re now going to a location and meeting with someone. Have them handy. We just had a client who is applying for a university human resources lead position. And so she asked if she could sit because they were up in the stadium. She’s not a teacher. It would not be a natural type of distance.

So she asked if she could sit on a certain, desk and table with her notes next to her so that it gave that similar feeling to how she would be communicating with them. If in the real role she stopped and made sure she asked people if they could hear her clearly, and then she would continue on with the interview. And she’s now juggling three offers.

So, that is a wonderful, wonderful problem to have. So again, flexibility is one phone and a video interview tips with your notes are two, and for in-person bring the hand sanitizer where the properly fitting face mask has a backup face mask. You cannot interview without one, or you should not, even if you can, I probably would not.

And don’t forget, you are allowed to ask their policies, make sure you’re comfortable saying, by the way, I know this is hard to answer, but what are your future plans for reengaging the workforce? Flexibility, work remotely, work in the office, and things like that. So ask them if they can speak to where they’re at right now and how they’re making those decisions.

The future of interviews in 2020 has changed my friends, but you can ROCK your interviews, just be prepared, do the right thing, and make sure no matter what you just do you. If you have questions, you can come to our live Career Coaching Corner, which is going to be every weekday from June 11th to 25th. Grab your free spot here: rockonsuccess.com/corner It’s free. You can ask me anything. You can share your expertise, ask questions, or maybe just feel less alone. But if you have interview questions, show up.