Seven Ways to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence Before Your Next Interview

If you’re looking to make a great impression during an upcoming job interview, consider developing your emotional intelligence, something employers are focusing on in 2017. To enhance your emotional intelligence and increase your ability to evaluate situations, follow these seven tips.

Be Present

Emotional intelligence begins with acknowledging your thoughts and examining them. Decision making requires tact and contemplation, and thinking before you speak is crucial in any interview situation. The last thing you want to do in a  interview is overshare or blurt out something unprofessional.

Stay Humble

A common job interview slip up is preaching your qualifications and boasting about your experiences or connections. This isn’t impressive to a hiring manager; it’s frustrating. While you have every right to showcase your assets, stay modest. Actions speak louder than words: If you are particularly pleased with your latest web design project, bring a portfolio with you so that your work can shine without explanation.

Practice Consciousness

Mistakes can be easily avoided by training your brain to embrace each thought as it comes. Each stressful or negative thought should be acknowledged and then dismissed. A less judgemental mindset will allow you to speak truthfully, from a genuine place.

Become Vulnerable

Before an interview, self-reflection is a terrific tool to prepare you to speak on your strengths and weaknesses. Are you satisfied with your professional experience? Are you willing to do hard work and ask tough questions? How will you benefit from this position? Turning inward to examine yourself as a person and as a professional will allow you to represent yourself to a potential boss fairly and candidly.

Reduce Stress

Keeping your cool before or during your interview is tough, especially for a desirable opportunity. Maintaining composure and keeping a calm attitude will demonstrate your ability to handle any situation. Employ any of your favorite stress-reducing techniques, such as deep breathing, visualizing, or jotting down a list to organize your thoughts. Decreasing anxiety will also help with our next tip.

Be Still

Hiring managers see this classic problem all the time: The interviewee that can’t sit still. Non-verbal communication makes up the majority of our interactions, so try not to be tense or antsy. Work on maintaining appropriate eye contact and being attentive.

Own Your Mistakes

Many shy away from responsibility, particularly when it’s time to take the blame for a poor decision. You can set yourself apart by embracing your mistakes and growing from them. Don’t get caught offguard with a question about past errors during your interview. Prepare yourself beforehand by reflecting on where something may have gone wrong, and how you’ve grown since then.
Increasing your emotional intelligence may open doors to promotions or new roles, as you develop your empathy and leadership abilities. If you’ve employed these techniques and you’re ready for your next interview, check out the job listings at Job Store Staffing. We’ve got a variety of positions available to suit your needs.

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