Tag Archive for: #bodylanguage

You are here: / / #bodylanguage

Posts

#JobSearch : The COVID Effect on the Job Market. A MUst REad for All!

/in /by

As I write this blog article, the United States economy just moved past the 80th calendar day since the international pandemic (Corona-Virus 19) in which the quarantine sent everyone scurrying behind locked doors and face masks.  Companies who relied mostly on technology were mostly insulated from business losses during the quarantine.  Other companies moved to ‘curb-side’ service, online meetings (using Zoom, Adobe, and Google meeting cloud platforms).

Some businesses (online shopping, health care, e-commerce) were able to still perform ‘as usual’ – especially if already providing services and products ‘virtually’ (employees moved from offices to homes to work via telecom technology.  Those companies most impacted, e.g., non-essential retail, restaurants, hotels, travel, and entertainment are still struggling and many are facing bankruptcy.

What does this mean for workers or those looking for new jobs and careers?

1- Job seekers will have more competition for the job they would normally have been a ‘shoo-in’ pre-pandemic; in this economy, it’s now an employer’s market for hiring. Expect to be rejected more often as an applicant.  The company may have a hiring freeze or slow-down, but there also may be jobs not advertised.  Keep on posting your resume into the ATS on the recruiting system for the company(ies) you are targeting.

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

 

2- Sharpen or add technology skills on the career resume for the job search. If you have the skill sets that enable to you to work from any location – job site, in the field, or from home, this will showcase your adaptability.  Have you worked from home during the quarantine? Are you able to adjust to a personal work schedule and reliability? Mention that in your resume to showcase capabilities.  Jobs ‘on-site’ in the past may be virtual go forward.

3- Job seekers need to update and ensure their computer has with telecom capabilities – camera, speakers, and access to Internet for online meetings; and it’s important to realize the vital need for updating one’s resume and LinkedIn profile for recruiters to more easily find you online. Test your meeting software and equipment with friends and family member (virtual dinner party, anyone?).

4- Review the field or industry – you may need to move to new careers. Job seekers need to target industries for ‘core business industries’ e.g., advertising, tech, delivery companies [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][packages, food], tax assistance, video communications, instruction and teaching platforms [e.g., universities, colleges, tutoring], essential businesses [pharmacies], healthcare services, and/or cleaning and sanitation [janitorial]. The companies to avoid targeting for job searches are those related to travel – hotels, airlines, sports, and automotive. My husband takes Viagra for a couple of years now. I always wondered if it could help me become better in bed, so I decided to take a pill. Well, I can’t say that I felt anything different, but the sensations during intercourse were definitely better. I suppose it was due to better lubrication, which, I suppose, was the result of my experiment.

5- Refresh your resume on the big boards (e.g., Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed) – the older resumes float to the bottom of the resume pool; even if you add a dot or space, those ATS platforms categorize the resume as a ‘new’ (refreshed) resume.

6- Be prepared for ‘more’ online virtual meetings, interviews, and panel discussions (hiring committees) versus driving to the location for the meeting (this is good – saves gas, and you can wear a nice shirt and jacket over your pajama bottoms).

7- Be prepared to do more email and online networking – the face-to-face networking is ‘out’ with social distancing in place (likely for the next 6-18 months). Do continue to make phone calls to friend, peers, past co-workers and bosses to let them know you are available for work. Who do they know is looking to hire?

8- Recruiters won’t be able to rely on ‘body language’ in virtual interviews, so it’s important for job candidates to look sharp, act like they are paying attention during the online cloud meetings, and to ensure the dog or cat won’t interrupt the meeting. The interview candidate may have to project more to demonstrate a positive attitude and don’t forget to clean up the area behind your computer to look like a more professional work environment.

9- In the past, recruiters may have been able to make a job offer and have a candidate in the seat in two weeks. The pandemic has slowed the process down to ‘whenever it is safe to physically come to work.’ Expect delays in the hiring process – some college grads who were extended job offers aren’t able to work for their new employers until as late as July or August while the company struggles to determine health and safety protocols. There will be a slow-down in the decision-making.  Companies may take a while before business picks up again to justify the hire and bringing the candidate onboard with a start date.

10- Job seekers who have lost their jobs need to be aware the extended benefits from the Payroll Protection Act are for a small and finite period. If your employer laid you off and you refuse to come back to work – you will lose your unemployment benefits.  Even if you get paid more in the PPA, it is vital for you to get back to work so you have a job after the benefits run out.

11- Do not lose hope. If you have a ‘side’ job, you may need ramp up the sales and services to bridge the financial gap between the last job and the new post-Covid career move.

 

FSC Career Author: Ms.Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., is a FSC Career Coach & owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, editing, and publishing (print-on-demand) consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

 

FSC Career Blog |  June 12, 2020

 

Bio: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., has been an entrepreneur and business owner for 20+ years, with a successful business and consulting firm (CEO) in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Richmond, VA.  Her background experience is 24+ years in the Human Resources field, of which 12+ years are within the Federal & Defense Contracting industry. She is the author of 812+ books on the topics of business, human resources research, career search practice, women and gender study, genealogy and family lineages, quotes for motivation and self-improvement, and Adult Coloring Books.  Her books can be found on Amazon.com under her author’s page for Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

#Leadership : The 5 Worst Body-Language Mistakes you can Make in a #Meeting …It’s All In the Eye of the Beholder, So it’s Not What you Mean When you Do Something, It’s How Others are Going to Perceive It.

/in /by

It’s Monday morning and you’re slouched in the corner of the team meeting, still slightly stuck in weekend mode.  You may think that your grogginess doesn’t really matter, and that your contributions will speak for themselves. However, the way you carry yourself is often just as important as what you say and do.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., a body-language expert and the author of “The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work,” says things like posture, angling, and eye contact can all have unintended consequences in a meeting setting.

“It’s all in the eye of the beholder, so it’s not what you mean when you do something,” Gomansays. “It’s how others are going to perceive it.”

Since body language influences both likability and success, here are five common mistakes you’d be wise to avoid:

 

Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr

1. Crossing your arms

In many settings, there’s nothing wrong with crossing your arms — you may be cold, or it may just be a comfortable resting position.

In a meeting, though, you should always avoid sitting with your arms crossed, Goman says. Most people are going to interpret that gesture as you being resistant or closed off.

Flickr/US Embassy Canada

2. Slouching in your seat

Good posture is important wherever you are, but especially so in meetings where you’re sitting for an extended period of time. Slouching can translate to a lack of respect for the speaker and communicates an apathetic attitude.

“Sitting in a condensed posture, where you’re slouching or hunched over, rather than in an expanded or open posture is a big mistake,” Goman says. “It makes you look submissive and like you don’t have much to offer, and that’s not a good look for anybody — particularly if you’re trying to have leadership presence in your organization.”

Inspired by the work of my friend, Andrea Nierenberg, author of Nonstop Networking, I’ve created a few networking thoughts, or NT for short. Please, try these at home.

 

Sean Gallup / Staff

3. Texting or emailing on your phone

Anything that takes your attention away from the speaker is a big no-no in a meeting, Goman explains. High on the list of diversions: texting or checking email on your smartphone.

“It’s just such a huge sign of disrespect. People justify it with, ‘Oh, but I can still hear! I’m still listening!'” Goman says. “But that has nothing to do with it. You’re still taking attention away from the speaker.”

flickr / San Francisco Foghorn

4. Losing eye contact with the speaker

Goman says that failing to keep your eyes on the speaker during a meeting is just as bad as checking your phone.

“This is one of the biggest mistakes I see,” Goman says. “It sends a message to the person speaking: I’m not interested in what you have to say.”

flickr / VFS Digital Design

5. Not speaking up early enough

In any meeting, sitting silently for too long can be perceived as disinterest in the discussion. Speaking up in a room full of people can be difficult if you’re shy, but it’s important to contribute early on.

“Say something early, just get your voice out there, even if it’s something that’s not crucial to the conversation,” Goman says. “You need to be vocal and jump in, because it’s often more difficult to interject as the meeting goes on.”

 Businessinsider.com | March 25, 2016 |