COLORADO SPRINGS — There have been some tough days for the job market during the pandemic, but employment experts say jobs are starting to come back. In order to secure one of those jobs, you may have to conquer a virtual job interview over a video chat.
"We continue to see people that are looking for jobs and companies that are hiring. Right now in El Paso and Teller County there's over 10,000 open positions," said Pikes Peak Workforce Center Executive Director and CEO Traci Marques.
Leaders at the Pikes Peak Workforce Center say many job interviews are now virtual on video chat programs, like Zoom. It's sure to be a first for many employers and for people looking to land a job right now.
"Look at the opportunity to be able to maybe go to a different place like the library or use our office and use our Wi-Fi use our services to be able to do those interviews," said Marques.
Marques says to be aware of what your background looks like and make sure you are in a location that is quiet and allows you to focus on the interview. Don't wait until the interview, practice to make sure everything works and it looks how you want it to.
"Do it with a family member. Do it with a friend. Practice before to make sure that is all available for you, it's up and running," said Marques.
Also, make sure you're dressed for the job you want.
"Go ahead and dress completely like you would for an in-person interview," said Marques. That means not just from the waist up, but also from the waist down."
While it's a virtual interview, remember you're on camera and your body language matters.
"I want to look at you. I want to see your body language. I want to see if maybe you're shaking your head on something like no I don't want to talk about that, or yes this is the way we need to go," said Marques. "I think that's really important. You can still get body cues from virtual meetings, we just have to be attentive to it. It's just a little bit different."
Here's your Rebound Rundown for success with that video chat virtual job interview:
- Think about the background and environment where you plan to do the interview
- Do a practice run to prepare and make sure technology will work for you
- Dress professionally from head to toe
- And remember your body language matters. Take steps to manage stress or nervousness.
To reserve space for your online video chat interview, to talk with experts, or find other employment resources you can visit the Pikes Peak Workforce Center.
