Episode 117 – How to Interview During a Global Pandemic

On the forefront of every job seeker’s mind? How to interview during a global pandemic. Let’s introduce you to Madeline Calves. She is a former USMC Communications officer who attended our very first virtual Career Conference in April 2020. Madeline launched her career with Abiomed, a leading medical device company that makes products to help revitalize patients in preparation for important surgical procedures. When we spoke last month, Madeline was completing an intricate training program in preparation for her role as a medical device sales representative. Madeline is excited because she knows that the products she will represent literally change people’s lives. Although Madeline has been with Abiomed for less than a year, we wanted to share her thoughts and experiences around virtual interviewing. Her candidate class was the first group of candidates to interview during the pandemic. We thought the topic was still incredibly relevant. Let’s flash back to April 2020. Although Madeline had been in the Cameron-Brooks Development and Preparation Program© for 2 years, she said “it was a nervous time.” However uncertain at the time, Madeline kept a steady course: “Nothing is ever going to be perfect. It’s always going to be hard to transition into the civilian world and you can’t make excuses if you know it’s the right thing to do.” She expands on this idea during our converastion and also shares what she did to help her stand out in the interviews. “It’s always going to be hard to transition into the civilian world and you can’t make excuses if you know it’s the right thing to do.” She also gives some great tips on going on “virtual follow up interviews” and the action she took to ensure her success. From there we talk about her first year in Corporate America – the most interesting thing she’s learned, her biggest challenges and how she stays engaged in, for the most part, a virtual work environment. As I consider Madeline’s experience and consider the hundreds of officers who chose to successfully launch their business career in the midst of a global pandemic, I am convinced that Corporate America is still and will continue to hire committed and prepared military officers. To learn more about turning your JMO leadership skills into a successful transition and business success with Cameron-Brooks, visit our website and check out PCS to Corporate America. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.