How to prepare for Covid-era job interview questions

‘How have you stayed motivated during the Covid-19 pandemic?’ ‘How have you used your time while on furlough?’ In the Royal Society of Chemistry’s careers team, we are hearing from members that questions like these are being asked at job interviews. These are tough questions in what has been an incredibly challenging time.

Interviewers ask these types of questions to probe your mindset and motivators, to learn how you deal with uncertainty and how you problem solve. For many of us lockdown has been about surviving, learning to live in unpredicatble circmstances and accepting what we cannot control, which makes answering these questions difficult and potentially emotional. Like any other interview question, preparation will help. Here are our tips for navigating these questions.