Analysis | Want to ace your virtual interview? Chapman’s career center can help

Chapman’s Career and Professional Development office offers virtual tools for students to practice interviews and find remote work despite the pandemic. Photo illustration by SAM ANDRUS, Photo Editor

I, like many other students, have been scratching and clawing to try to find remote work during this pandemic. So, after learning about the variety of virtual interviewing tools Chapman’s Career and Professional Development offers for Chapman students, I decided to try some of them out myself. With no expectations or a specific mission in mind, I chose to test the StandOut prep tool — an interactive site that offers interview practice and career and internship opportunities. Once I logged in with my Chapman credentials, I was forwarded to a page that asked me questions about my career interests. 

Ta-da: my answers instantly generated an opening for an internship at CBS News. A simple exploration turned into an hourlong investment in completing an application. 

The StandOut platform is one of the most helpful prep tools the career center has to offer. When students log in to StandOut, they’re provided career opportunities that correlate directly to their field of interest and practice that allows them to search for interview questions that pertain to that same field. Susan Chang, assistant director of Chapman’s Career and Professional Development office, said the tool on StandOut allows students to experience the process of virtual interviews before going into the real thing feeling unprepared.

“Interviews give people anxiety, so this gives students the ability to practice over and over,” Chang said. “There's also a rating scale in the program that may seem intimidating, but it tells you how many times you used a filler word or how clear your communication was. (It) even detects your nonverbal cues.”

Haley Wragg, director of the Career and Professional Development office, shared Chang’s sentiments, emphasizing that practice is the key to success. With easily accessible tools at hand, students have the ability to improve their skills without outside judgment, she said.

“If we could give one tip, it would be to practice before the actual interview,” Wragg said. “Review the online resources we offer and the virtual platform we have on StandOut. Practice is the only way to get better and getting that feedback and constructive criticism is important in order to improve.” 

Students can review “A Panther’s Guide to Nailing Virtual Interviews” for more specific tips.

Along with StandOut, the career office hosts mock interviews every semester, presenting students with the opportunity to practice and receive live feedback from real employers and hiring managers in the specific industry they’re looking to pursue. Due to COVID-19, mock interviews will also be hosted virtually this year, taking place April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for business, management, marketing, public relations and entertainment career interests. Those interested in healthcare, human services, education, government and nonprofit careers will be able to practice in mock interviews April 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wragg said that in post-event satisfaction surveys from past mock interviews, 97% of student attendees said they would attend the event again in the future.

If students don’t have the time to practice their interview on StandOut, review the resource handouts or just have other questions, Wragg said the easiest and most efficient thing to do is make an appointment with a Chapman career professional.

“Seek out assistance instead of making the assumption that something isn't available,” Wragg said. “The easiest thing to do if you have an upcoming interview is to schedule an appointment. With those 15 or 30 minutes, the career professionals will be able to walk you through the most relevant information for you.”

Wragg and Chang encouraged me to make an appointment with the career office to review resources in my prospective journalism career field. Without needing much convincing, I made an appointment for two weeks from now to take advantage of the support being offered. 

Despite these tools being available prior to COVID-19, Wragg recognized the increased usefulness of the sources that the Career and Professional Development office currently provides. 

“Practicing in safe environments before the big day when the job is at stake is important,” Wragg said. “And what better way to do that than with a career educator whose entire goal is to support and help through that process.”

To help manage the stress of finding remote work during the pandemic, the Career and Professional Development office now offers internship and job search resources designed specifically for finding virtual jobs.