KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As businesses open up again, many are rehiring workers, which should come as welcome relief for the thousands in the Kansas City area who became unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's starting to pick up again and companies are starting to do more interviews and hire,” Career adviser Karen Silins said.
If you're preparing to apply for a job, Silins, who owns A-Plus Career and Resume, offered this advice for job-seekers:
- It’s OK for your resume to be longer than a page
- Keep your work experience to the last 10 to 15 years to prevent the employer from getting overwhelmed
- Applicants don’t need to know everything the job entails, lest the employer fear you are "overqualified"
- Be specific on your resume and use key words, many employers use a scanning system to pare down the number applicants
"Those systems then narrow the field," Silins said. "So, let’s say 350 (people) apply, now there’s only 50 people who are making it past the scanning system. Now, somebody is going to give that 15-second look you hear about. They’re going to put them in a 'yes' and 'no' pile and then they’re going to give the 'yes' pile to the hiring manager or the next person up from them to make a decision on who gets a phone interview."
If you do get past the first stage and haven’t heard back, Silins adds it’s OK to call and follow up.
"Sometimes, that call in following up can be the difference in you getting the job and someone else not getting it,” Silins.