It's not enough to just focus on your branding

I have reread the book, Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, and realize that we may not be hitting on all cylinders unless we focus on the skills building and goal mapping side of job search.  While I have consistently indicated that we need to get our brand message at 100%, just doing this without applying some critical emotional intelligence skills about building effective relationships may make us even more depressed when the calls don't come. 

In my networking meetings in Sandy, we go over the 8 steps of the Job Search Creed for Professionals.  While these are critical steps, I'd like to suggest 3 of my own:

1.  During the past week, what have you done to improve your brand or personal image with LinkedIn, with your tagline, me in 30 seconds, power statements, resume, with your cover letter, etc.?  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, what was your weekly score on branding?

2.  During the past week, what have you done to improve your personal relationships with information or networking interviews/meetings with hiring managers, with networking and/or volunteer activities where you met other people?  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, what was your weekly score on relationship building?

3.  Did you review at the end of the week, what goals you accomplished?  What 1 or 2 things have you postponed because they are difficult?  What did you do this past week that made you very happy with your goal setting/attainment efforts?  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest, what was your weekly score on goal attainment?

I am not going to tell anyone what is a 10 on any of the three factors (like the 10/2/2).  Our goal is to move toward that higher number based on our own capabilities and incremental steps of skill development.

Going back to step #1, I have presented several LinkedIn traning programs and still find many who just don't feel branding is important.  I've downloaded almost 70 networking posts on my blog and find many have not availed themselves of the time to read and assimilate information we're sharing.  My posts oftentimes are lifted from others in job search or experts providing helps to get employed.  I'm managing the Salt Lake Metro Transitioning Professionals group to allow you an opportunity to network and help others.
I've even volunteered to help professionals who need one on one coaching at the two employment centers in the evenings.  If you score in the high 9s and 10s on the 3 categories, you don't need any coaching.  Others may be needing some coaching even after attending training or reading the blogs.  So if you come in for assistance, I'll ask you your weekly score on the above 3 categories to assess where to focus our efforts.  I'll be your job coach or mentor not just someone who you check in with weekly.

The whole premise of emotional intelligence is that while many personality and intelligence traits are genetic, many can be shaped within childhood and during our teens.  Others we can continue to hone and improve throughout life.  One example that has both an interesting finding but also a huge caveat is the marshmallow study in the early 1960s at the Stanford campus.  Preschool/4 year olds were in an experiment to look at self control.  They were presented with a marshmallow and told that when the instructor returned after some errands, that if they ate the marshmallow, they wouldn't get a second one.  However, if they didn't eat it then but waited upon the instructor to return, they would get a second marshmallow. 

Those that resisted temptation at four to eat the marshmallow as adolescents were more socially competent, personally effective, self assertive and able to handle frustrations later in life.  The 33% that grabbed the marshmallow quickly and ate were more shy to social contacts, stubborn and indecisive.  They were more prone to other negative emotional characteristics as jealousy and envy, and being resentful, and argumentative.    The conclusion was that even early in life, the capacity to impose a delay on impulse may be at the root of many of our social problems.  The second factor they found that impacts success in social situations is the ability to read a social situation whereby understanding the benefits of delay outweighed the immediate benefits of eating the marshmallow. 

Delaying immediate gratification is a powerful predictor not only on IQ tests but more importantly on success in life.  These emotional intelligence scores are more important in life's success than mere IQ.  Both impulse control and reading a social situation can be learned;  so for those failing the test at 4 don't give up.  "Goal directed, self imposed delay of gratification and the ability to deny impuses in the service of a goal underscores the role of emotional intelligence and detrmines how well or poorly we can use other mental capabilities.  For those who have been taught and given opportunities throughout your youth to practice impulse control, be grateful to your parents and leaders for their valuable lessons.  There are many more intelligent individuals who were never taught these valuable skills.

So looking at the 3 above examples of success metrics, they are all important and one cannot be done in isolation of the others for you to be successful.  I will include other posts on some of the other emotional intelligence finding and next steps.