KANSAS CITY, Mo. — New unemployment claims rose this month for the first time since March, a sign that the coronavirus pandemic's effect on the economy is far from over.
The landscape looks different for those in the job market because COVID-19 has prevented some candidates from meeting employers in person. Instead, nailing a virtual interview is the key to landing a job.
A CareerBuilder survey found half of employers knew if a candidate was a good fit within five minutes of talking to him or her.
Often, making a good impression depends on nonverbal communication just as much as the words spoken.
According to CareerBuilder, these are some of the top body language mistakes employers reported seeing during interviews:
- Failure to make eye contact.
- Failure to smile.
- Playing with something on the table.
- Fidgeting too much in his/her seat.
- Bad posture.
- Crossing arms over chest.
- Playing with hair or touching one's face.
- Using too many hand gestures.
"If you have to, spend more time FaceTiming with your friends, or if you can, practice ahead of time," said Jeanie Kim, vice president of Content at The Muse, an online resource for job seekers.
The site also recommended recording a practice interview to review your body language. Also consider trying on the outfit you plan to wear for the interview to make sure it looks good on camera.
Indeed, another job site, emphasized finding a quiet place with minimal distractions for the interview and testing technology beforehand.
Finally, don't forget to send a follow-up email within 24 hours thanking the interviewer for his or her time.
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The Rebound Kansas City is our effort is to help metro residents play a role in moving our community forward. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas to via email to rebound@kshb.com and we welcome you to join in the conversation on the Rebound KC Facebook Group.
Whether you're Getting Back to Work after a layoff, need help Making Ends Meet during these trying times or need tips on Managing the Pressure we're all feeling, The Rebound has resources to find help. We'll also make sure local leaders are Doing What's Right to get Kansas City back track after a three-month shutdown.
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