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AACREDITUNION.ORG | 15 there. You can also use LinkedIn to see if you're connected to any past or current employees. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Ben Christensen cofounder and head of people for college recruiting site Handshake reminds candidates to spend time on the company's website, social media and LinkedIn groups as well as reading up on any company news or events by doing a web search. "There's another Handshake out there [that caters to Shopify merchants]. We actually started interviewing a candidate recently who thought they were interviewing with that hand- shake," he says. "They didn't get the job. Do the research before you agree to an interview." CONSIDER A CAREER SWITCH. There are some verticals that were hit hard by the pandemic. If your current or previous job falls into that category, take note: It might be a great time to try something new. Randy Potts, human resources manager at retailer Rent-2- Own, says as long as you can showcase your ability and translate the skills you used in a dif- ferent role into a new one there's no reason you can't get hired. "Just make sure you take the time with your résumé and highlight the experience that you feel pertains to the new job you're going after," he says. "Did you work in hospitality but want to work in retail? Show me that you have strong customer service skills or the ability to be flex- ible, and I'm willing to give you a chance." KAREN J. BANNAN is a freelance writer and editor based in New York. She writes frequently about personal finance and technology for a wide variety of publications such as the New York Times, Working Mother and Slate. ACING YOUR VIRTUAL INTERVIEW Social distancing means there's an excellent chance any job interviews in the foresee- able future will be virtual. So how do you stand out from the Zoom crowd and get the job? Ben Christensen, cofounder and head of people for college recruiting site Hand- shake, says candidates should be dressed appropriately, but technological quality and background is important, too. Lighting should be good, video and audio must be working, and you shouldn't have anything controversial or unprofessional showing in the background such as your favorite frat party drinking photo. Once an interview is scheduled, find out who you'll be speaking with and learn as much about them and their company as you can. You're looking to make a connec- tion with the person you're speaking with, so find areas of interest overlap. Finally, if it's possible, ask family members and pets to leave the house for a little while. Once you have the job it's fine to introduce your coworkers to your pets or children, but they can be distracting to you and the interviewer during the call. "My recruiters usually check in with each candidate to help them make a good first impression," adds Christensen. "You only get one chance to make a first impression."