Does how good you are with people, rather than your skill level, determine your career success?
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Vocational Behaviour, people with high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) are more likely to earn more and progress up the corporate ladder faster.
The study assessed university students for their EI levels while they were completing their studies, then came back 10 years later to see how they had progressed career-wise.
Over this 10 year period they found that students who scored highly for EI, on the whole had higher salaries than their less emotionally intelligent peers.

​This interesting finding was also consistent across all industries.

Why do people with higher EI earn more?
There are a number of factors why high EI is a critical personal skill to have at work:

Self-awareness — Team members with high EI are happier to accept constructive criticism in a positive way to improve their performance, as well as actively learn from their mistakes.

Emotional management — They can understand and more appropriately manage their own emotions at work, especially during times of high stress.
As you can imagine, this is critical when managing interpersonal relationships at work.

Supporting others — High EI managers are able to understand others' emotions, allowing them the ability to positively motivate and influence behaviours and outcomes.
This is a vital skill for those who are wishing to be a part of a strong, resilient and high performing team.

Stronger network — Higher levels of emotional intelligence helps them to develop more trust with their colleagues, which in turn creates a stronger "friend" network. Over time, this gives them access to more information, better career opportunities and opens more doors that otherwise would normally be closed.

Better leaders — While EI is vital at all stages of your career, it becomes more important as you move up the corporate ladder.
Great leaders are successful through inspiring, persuading and building rapport with their team, so these vital management competencies come more easily to those who have EI as an inherent skill.

Can I improve my emotional intelligence?
You can actually improve your EI through some basic steps.
When you go to work on Monday, make a conscious effort to be aware of your own thoughts and triggers, as well as how you react to specific situations and people.

Secondly, get involved in social activities or work that involves team interaction. This develops trust with your immediate colleagues and extends your relational networks across the business (and industry over the long-term).

Finally find a good EI aware mentor who can help you to develop your own emotional intelligence.

It's nice to see that there is empirical evidence that being a self-aware person who can genuinely develop quality friendships does actually pay dividends in today's corporate world! "Score one" for the nice people…
​
Contact Tom O'Neil and the team at CV.CO.NZ for a free CV or LinkedIn assessment or to be your personal career coach. Visit CV.CO.NZ or CareerCoach.nz to find out more.

 
What does your contact points say about you?
 
When I was young and played cricket on a regular basis, I hated when I ran myself out, as I had effectively given away my wicket to the opposition free of charge.  If I had not done something stupid, I would still be in bat and adding to my score. Likewise, so many people ‘run themselves out’ in the job hunt, before they even come in to bat.
 
Recently I presented to a group of recruiters, and talk turned to how poorly many candidates brand themselves at prime employer contact points.  From terrible email addresses to shocking voicemail messages, each mistake piles up to leave a trail of unprofessionalism that does not set them up for success in the candidate screening process..
 
Email addresses that (don’t) rock
 
As MD of CV.CO.NZ, I come across people who tell me they are having problems finding a new role because no one responds to their emails.  Chatting with them, I try and figure out if they have the relevant skills and experience, and am sometimes amazed that no employer has snapped them up.  That is, until I get a copy of their CV and see their email address… 
 
Real life examples of terrible email addresses that have come across my desk include one_nightstand@, imasexybeast@, badboyrulz@, loveisworsethandeath@ and life-is-a-nightmare@.  The Herald’s public decency guidelines also limit me from putting far worse ones in this column.
 
Unsurprisingly, recruiters do not want to proceed further when their candidate’s email address is something offensive, racist, sexist or just plain crazy.
 
Abysmal Voicemail Messages
 
Time and again, I would screen a candidates’ CVs and think “this person is great – let’s get them in for an interview.” Unfortunately, when it comes time to make contact, I am greeted by an abysmal voicemail message that says something along the lines of “Hi it’s [insert name] here.  I’m drunk at the moment, so leave a message and I’ll get back to you when I sober up.”
 
While this message may by funny while you are at university, the joke suddenly turns against you when graduate recruiters start hanging up and not leaving messages.
 
My recruiter friends shared that almost every day they would discount potentially suitable candidates because their ‘employer touchpoints’ were so poor.  No recruiter wants to put forward to their client, a candidate who has the email address ‘deathninja@’.  (Yes it’s a real one)… 
 
Your Brand
 
Voicemail and email addresses are a key part of your employer marketing, and recruiters, human resource managers and employers in general, tend to have a low level of tolerance for poor candidate branding.
 
If you are about to start job hunting, I strongly encourage you to check your voicemail and email address, ensuring they represent you well when recruiters start to call.  Making sure your prime employer contact points are professional, will ensure you do not ‘run yourself out’ at the start of your job search.
 
Contact Tom for a free Linkedin or CV review, or to be your personal career coach.  Visit www.CareerCoach.nz or www.CV.co.nz to find out more. 
​

As we head excitedly off into the new year, it's important to pause and think about the document that will have the most impact in your life - your CV!

More important than your passport, this document dictates how much you earn for the rest of your life, and to a large extent, your career and societal success, as well as emotional and relational wellbeing.

In 2017, your CV must be your "personal brochure", selling you professionally to employers. So what are the key things we need in a professional and successful CV today?

1. It's not all about you

When an organisation advertises a vacancy, they are saying to the market that they have a "problem". If they are seeking a sales rep in Northland, they are worried about losing market share as they have no sales resource in the area. If they are advertising for a CEO, they are signalling they have limited strategic leadership capability.

Understand that when you apply for a role, your CV should be focused towards meeting the individual needs of the reader. It is not about you, but about them. Think about how you are the "solution" to the employer's problem by reading the job description in detail and assessing the key competencies, skills and expertise they are seeking. Mirror these in your CV so you are seen as a "tailored solution" to the employer's "problem".

2. Highlight your achievements

Don't just list your job responsibilities in your CV, but also your career achievements. This demonstrates your "value" to the employer, positioning you ahead of your competition who only detail what they get paid to do.

3. Professional living document

Your CV (personal brochure) should have a smooth, clear, professional look, with a little bit of "panache" to make it more appealing. A light splash of colour is a great way to stand out, without being overbearing. Also, as the vast majority of CVs are read on a screen, hyper-links and QR codes to your Linkedin profile, portfolio examples, videos, personal web page and email address are important.

4. First things first

The first third of the first page of your CV is almost guaranteed to be read in detail. After this, employers will glance through the rest to see if there is anything that catches their eye. Ensure you have a brief summary at the start of your CV highlighting how you mirror the skills and competencies they are seeking and use bullet points to make it clear. Don't include your school results from 20 years ago, hobbies or star sign in this part of your CV.

Follow these key points, and your CV will become your "brochure", opening new and exciting career opportunities in 2017!

Personal Brand 'ME'?
 
With the rise of 'hyper personal brands' such as Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian, it's important to understand that we are also individual "brands" that need to be successfully managed and protected in our own sphere of influence.
 
Although many Kiwis find this concept of personal branding an uncomfortable prospect, it becomes more and more vital, the further up the corporate ladder you climb.
 
Bright plumage
 
The old saying "the early bird catches the worm" reminds us to get in to the office early, work hard, and maximise our time efficiently.
 
By doing this you will be noticed by those around you and be rewarded for your efforts.
 
Sadly however, this is not always the case in today's business environment. Compare a dull brown sparrow with a bright multi-coloured budgie. The budgie stands out by just having bright plumage.
 
 
Therefore, think about the things that make you stand out, then get out there and make sure your boss and clients know about your unique selling points and achievements.
 
Making it work for you
 
It's obvious that the benefits of a strong personal brand are many.
 
Create new business opportunities

Having a strong personal brand develops a high level of client and industry trust, leading to new business and networking opportunities.
 
Improve sales conversion rates and increase profit
 
People want to deal only with you, as you are seen to be a key leader in your field. This allows you the opportunity to improve conversion rates and increase profit margins.
 
Talented people are drawn to you, and want to be led and mentored by an industry leader.
 
With a strong brand, you can start to speak on behalf of your industry, ultimately driving positive industry change at a national and political level.
 
And personally: New opportunities open up within your own organisation, as you are seen to be an 'influencer in your industry'.
 
External career
 
Recruiters and industry leaders seek you out as your influence and networks grow.
 
This leads to exciting new opportunities that you may not have thought possible earlier in your career.
 
The first thing to do in the development of your personal brand is to find out what others are saying about you right now. If you have never done this before, Google yourself and see what appears.
 
In my next column in my Personal Branding series, I will be exploring how to start developing your personal brand "voice" in your sphere of influence.