Waterford, Michigan – Oakland County Michigan Works! is offering an interactive virtual workshop every Tuesday to help prepare job seekers for remote, online interviews which are the norm for many employers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oakland County Michigan Works! has created the workshop to provide job seekers with tips and strategies to help prepare them for an interview process that may be unfamiliar to them. A recent national survey of human resource leaders by Gartner, Inc. found 86 percent of organizations are using virtual technology to interview candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The free workshops are held Tuesdays from 10-11 a.m. through August 25. Registration is available at www.OaklandCountyMIWorks.com.

“Interviewing for a job can stressful enough on its own and now applicants have to contend with technology while figuring out the best way to present themselves virtually,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “We want to make sure we’re doing all we can to prepare residents for this new reality.”

Oakland County Michigan Works! Director Jennifer Llewellyn said the format and questions being asked in either type of interview may be similar. She advises candidates to:

• Prepare responses to expected questions
• Test your computer in advance to make sure the built-in camera and microphone work and the internet connection is strong
• Test the angle of the camera to ensure your face and body are positioned properly
• Check the lighting in the area
• Decluttering the area where the virtual interview is going to take place

“We want to put job seekers in the best position possible to land their next job,” Llewellyn said. “That means making a great impression, whether in-person or on a virtual basis. We expect this workshop on virtual interviews to be very popular over the next couple of months.”

Since its launch in May, the Virtual Workshop Program has attracted nearly 500 participants from around southeast Michigan. Other topics include resume writing, LinkedIn best practices, gig jobs – non-traditional employment opportunities, mid-life career transitions, and unemployment and budgeting. Oakland County Michigan Works! has expanded the schedule of workshops to run through August.

The complete schedule can be found at the website referenced above.

Oakland County Michigan Works! operates service centers in Novi, Oak Park, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy, and Waterford. Service center staff also are available by virtual appointment to work one-on-one with job seekers to build their resumes, prepare for job interviews and help address other needs. To schedule a virtual meeting, contact the nearest Oakland County Michigan Works! service center at 1-248-858-5520.

Combined, the service centers assist more than 105,000 job seekers annually with career coaching, interviewing workshops, job search workshops, placement assistance, training courses and job trend information. Service centers also assist more than 3,000 employers seeking assistance with talent recruitment, apprenticeship programs, job fairs, candidate pre-screening, hiring and training support, layoff support and labor market data.