As a result of the novel coronavirus, wearing a mask, which was difficult to see outside of the flu epidemic, has become common in business situations. Wearing a mask has been avoided because it interferes with the expression or voice that decides whether or not to pass the job interview, and it is difficult to give a positive impression. It is regarded as an important business manner that shows respect for hygiene.
As the face-to-face interview is resumed due to the easing of the Covid-19 situation, new interview attitudes are emerging, such as whether to wear a mask at the interview and how to convey a good impression by wearing a mask. Let’s take a look at 6 tips to make your interview successful even in situations where communication is difficult due to wearing a mask.
1) Check Whether to Wear a Mask During a Face-to-Face Interview.
Many companies are normalizing work and face-to-face meetings due to the easing of social distancing, but in many cases, visitors are required to wear masks to prevent infection. It is important to show basic business etiquette in the interview, so if there is no specific instructions, first wear a mask until you receive additional instructions to follow basic hygiene rules. If a face-to-face interview has been decided, it is also a good idea to check with your HR consultant in advance whether you are wearing a mask at the interview.
2) We Ask for your Understanding of Wearing a Mask with your First Greeting.
If you finish your first greeting after entering the interview, add a statement of understanding for wearing a mask, such as “Is it okay to wear a mask and go to the interview?” It is a good idea to create an atmosphere where the interviewer can reconfirm the applicant’s response.
3) Reconfirm the Question and Answer Calmly.
When conducting an interview while wearing a mask, it is often difficult to hear the interviewer’s question clearly or conversely, the applicant’s answer is not well communicated. As social distancing, a certain distance is applied in face-to-face interviews, and the distance from the interviewer also makes communication more difficult. If the interviewer’s question is not well communicated or if you are concerned that the answer you have prepared may not be well delivered, politely ask the question and remain calm.
It’s natural to reconfirm questions that don’t sound well with wearing a mask, so you don’t have to worry too much about not making a bad impression on the interviewer. If you naturally think of’ mask communication’, you can relieve tension and respond calmly when answering an interview.
4) Answer by Raising the Tone and Volume of Your Voice.
While wearing a mask, the sound is not transmitted well, so if you respond with a normal voice, it may sound as quiet as a self-talk. To create a confident impression in a masked situation, it’s a good idea to tone up your voice and respond louder. It’s also a good idea to clarify your pronunciation to avoid misrepresenting important performance metrics or keywords, and to highlight key keywords once more in other answers. In order to convey the answer clearly, answer slower than usual, but if you take a breath before and after the key keywords of the answer, the interviewer can understand the answer more easily. Practice proper voice volume and response speed in advance so that you can create a neat and confident impression in your interview.
5) Efficiently Use ‘Eye Contact’ and ‘Gesture’.
Wearing a mask makes it difficult to grasp the applicant’s facial expressions, increasing the importance of using eye contact and gestures when answering. In order to make a good impression on the interviewer, it is better to appeal to the interviewer’s explanations and questions through eye contact, and to show that you understand the interviewer’s explanations by nodding your head lightly. When wearing a mask, the impression through the eyes may be relatively noticeable, so be careful not to stare or look bored by the expression you listen to the explanation with concentration.
You can prevent misunderstanding of communication that comes from wearing a mask if you give your answers visually by staring into the interviewer’s eyes to make a good impression, and using body gestures such as sitting posture and hands to explain and convey your answers visually. For applicants who find it difficult to have an interview, on the contrary, a mask covers their facial expressions to relieve tension and make eye contact more comfortable. By taking into account the communication method in future business situations and practicing eye contact and gestures that can be natural even when wearing a mask, you can show a more natural look at the interview.
6) Choose White for the Interview Mask.
Even in the Corona Era’, it is very important to convey a sense of trust and goodwill through neat appearance and clothing at the interview. In particular, a mask that covers half of the face that the interviewer’s gaze is facing can play an important role in the first impression, so it is recommended to consider the mask as part of the interview outfit and choose a white color that gives a clean feeling.
Masks with patterns or bouncing colors and black tops are recommended to be avoided as they can distract the interviewer’s attention and distraction and interfere with the transfer of applicants’ answers, facial expressions, and gestures. Wearing a mask has the effect of attracting more attention to other parts of the face such as the head or eyebrows, so if you are a male applicant, it is recommended that you make sure that the hairstyle after wearing the mask is not dirty to give a neat impression. For female applicants, when wearing a mask, check the makeup around the eyes or the shape of the eyebrows so that they can create a professional and appealing impression.
