3 Emotional Intelligence Tips for New College Graduates

Yvette Bethel

Aidan graduated from college 4 months ago with a BSc in Mathematics. After much sacrifice and hard work he was elated to earn a 3.7 GPA so he thought he would be employed by now. Instead he is rather frustrated because he received an offer for a job he is not that interested in and he is awaiting a response from another job that he really wants. Aidan put the first offer on hold asking the company to give him two weeks to make the decision. Tomorrow is the deadline for getting back to the company that made the offer. Aidan has college loans to pay and after graduation, the collections department has been calling him regularly.

This is only one possible scenario. There are some of you who have had no invitations to interviews yet, in fact, you are tired of receiving the same letter time after time. “Thank you for your application for employment. We regret to advise we have no vacancies at this time and will hold your resume on file for three months in the event a suitable position becomes available.” Still others have been invited to multiple interviews. You put on your newly purchased interview ensemble, you did everything you were advised to do in an interview, you even practiced in a mock interview but no-one has made an offer yet.

If any of these scenarios describe what you are facing, here a few tips to help you through this process.

1. Be aware of your emotions. The job search process can be frustrating or even demoralizing. If you find your optimism is waning and you are starting to feel hopeless, when you are not self-aware, the recruiter will detect your demoralized state. Emotions have a way of coming through, no matter how much you try to hide them. So think about the consequences of allowing your deflated state to surface. Recruiters are looking for energetic, young college graduates and if you have a 3.7 GPA and you are showing up in a disheartened state, it will overshadow your academic achievements.

2. Be patient. If you had an interview and the interviewer gave you the impression the interview went well, be patient. If the company decides you are the best fit, they will call you. Try to avoid constantly calling the company to find out if a decision was made yet, wait a few days to a week after your interview and send a letter thanking the interviewer for the interview. This will act as a reminder. But to tell the truth, your interviewers will not forget you, if they are interested they will call you back. Remember, desperation is both obvious and unattractive.

3. Are you the Right Fit for the Culture? If you have interviewed several times, and you were not called back or there was no offer, do not dismay. More and more interviewers seriously consider the culture of the team and whether or not you will integrate seamlessly. If you have better grades than another interviewee, but the other interviewee displayed natural inclinations that are a better fit for the culture, he will most likely be hired.

This is not a poor reflection on you at all. For instance, the culture may be one that is highly confrontational and every day interactions can sometimes get pretty aggressive. The interviewer will probably love your resume but if you seemed reserved, even shy, and reluctant to engage conflict, she will opt for the person who would be a better fit. This is not only right for the company, it is right for you. Working in an environment where you are not the right fit can cause significant distress.

So back to Aidan, who has an important decision to make about his job offer. He has the option to take the chance and turn down a job he knows is not the right job for him, or he can take the job, risk being miserable in the job but he will be able to meet his credit obligation. Aidan knows if he accepts the job he can do it but he won’t be happy, his only objective for accepting would be to pay his bills. So should he be patient and wait for the right job or should he accept the offer he received? Ideally, you should hold out for the job that is the best fit for you. Realistically, having financial obligations looming over you can be quite stressful, so this may be a ‘both and’ answer. Another alternative is for Aidan to take the job for the short term, establish a career plan and move on after a year or two.

So as you embark on this journey of starting and building your career, remember to always be aware of your emotions and how they are affecting your chances of landing the job that will ignite your career.

Author Bio

Yvette Bethel is an award winning author, business consultant, emotional intelligence practitioner and trainer. During her tenure in the banking industry, she served in senior capacities in corporate strategy, marketing, PR, training and human resources. She is a member of the Special Olympics fundraising committee. Bethel is a member of We the People, as a liaison between we the People and Six Seconds nonprofit organizations; she was one of the architects of a pilot that introduced emotional intelligence to public schools. The objective was to equip students with the tools they need to develop self-regulation skills in emotionally charged situations. Yvette Bethel can be reached at http://www.orgsoul.com/. Her book E.Q. Librium: Unleash the Power of Your Emotional Intelligence; A Proven Path to Career Success is also available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0578083604/ and other retailers.