The Role of Interpersonal Skills in the Job Search Process
Position-relevant skills in communication are paramount aspects in the process of job search. A compelling demonstration of interpersonal skills can make a huge difference. Interpersonal skills refer to (as per CFI’S description)the behaviors and qualities exhibited during interaction with other people through both verbal and non-verbal communication. Such skills illustrated through attitudes and body language express our abilities to excel at work and hence are essential while searching for a job opportunity. Various roles relate to interpersonal skills. Below are the purposes of interpersonal skills in the job search process.
Emotional intelligence – this refers to the ability to control emotions and circumnavigate social situations with tranquility. Notably, people spend a sizeable percentage of their life at work where they interact with other colleagues from different backgrounds Phiri et al., (2019). As such, emotional stability and consideration is a vital skill that most employers look for while filling job positions. Such skills aid in maintaining an excellent workplace atmosphere where employees can exploit their talents without fear of emotional attacks. Phiri et al., (2019), states that “Interpersonal emotion management theoretical tactics from Gross take a shot at emotion management of oneself and the thought that people deal with others’ emotions at work utilizing similar strategies that they use to deal with their very own emotions.” Therefore, when seeking a job position, it is essential to note that employers would mostly consider individuals with the ability to remain calm under pressure and avoid spilling over their frustrations to fellow employees.
Active communication – is an exemplary skill which should be excellently demonstrated to potential employers. Hiring managers probably look for individuals with the ability to articulate complex ideas to others. Seemingly, several job types entail team-based collaboration and dealing with clients. In this regard, both verbal and non-verbal communication skills are vital to maintaining good rapport. Appropriate body language and eye contact aid in the expression of thoughts more elegantly (Schütte et al., 2018). For instance, in selling a product, the expression tactics of the importance of such a product should convince a customer that the product is of high quality and something they need. In the workplace, an employee is expected to communicate with a wide range of customers, fellow employees, suppliers, and managers. As such, effective communication is necessary for a successful working life.
Empathy – this describes the ability to understand and express responsiveness to others. Employers seek individuals who demonstrate the ability to listen and thoughtfully respond to other employees and clients in an empathetic manner. Empathy allows an individual to manage anxiety and hence reducing undesired emotions at any rate (Phiri et al., 2019). For instance, if a client presents a complaint, employees should express compassion in the client’s concerns. Empathy skills enable one to cope well with everyone else in the workplace, and hence minimizing possible disputes for a smooth workflow.
Self-confidence is another considerable skill by potential employers. In a job search, it is crucial to exhibit virtues that you are the right candidate for the specific position (Schütte et al., 2018). It is vital to conduct a research about the company you intend to work and the job role. Such imparts a sense of assuredness to answer potentially difficult questions during the interview. In this regard, the prospective employer gets a good first impression of the job candidate.
Interpersonal Skills I Need to Strengthen and What I Am Currently Doing or Plan to Do to Strengthen Them
While I have some practical interpersonal skills, I still need to strengthen some by taking appropriate measures. I have an explicit knowledge of both my strengths and weaknesses. Emotional intelligence is among the interpersonal skills I need to strengthen on. The workplace requires the ability to control emotions, an aspect in which I lack perfection (Phiri et al., 2019). In addressing this, I am currently practicing some measures to control my emotions. Some practices include taking a deep breath to tone my feelings down. I am also taking online classes to improve my soft skills. I am also learning to focus on the positive side of any frustrating incident to aid perceiving things differently. This is because the people behind a frustration, may not do a deliberate action just to frustrate me. In this regard, I am learning to let go of the embarrassing tone and embrace the positive impact of the scenario. I also minimize talking and prefer more listening when indulged in a different situation. This allows me to avoid uttering negative words that would worsen the situation.
Further, I also find it challenging to express self-confidence to potential employers, even when I feel it deep within. At times, I fear being over-confident or under-confident in an interview process and, as a result, interfere with my ability to express ideas fluently. However, I have resolved to naming and claiming my interpersonal skills in the resume. This includes giving a clear statement or specific skills that I possess and also providing examples in my past demonstrations (Phiri et al., 2019). To address this, I plan to learn to admit my mistakes and focusing on approaches to solve a challenge. In this regard, overlooking other’s mistakes helps to maintain peace and good relations.
Another skill I need to improve is flexibility. Dynamics in the modern workplaces demand the capability of flexibility to adapt to working arrangements (Schütte et al., 2018). I tend to stick to one lane of the profession, which I intend to major in my job position. In other words, my focus is that I must work in a job position that matches my academic qualifications. Nonetheless, the era of technological advancements and global changes in job markets prompt job seekers to embrace flexibility. As such, there is a need to adjust my focus and objectives to widen opportunities for job vacancy. To improve versatility, I am learning to be open-minded to enhance my ability to accept and adapt to changes. As such, I explore diverse skills to help me fit in various job positions through continuous learning. I am practicing to be open to new knowledge and prioritizing workloads according to urgency.
The Role of Professionalism Attributes in the Job Search Process
Developing an interview prospect that makes a positive impression is vital. Below is the illustration of the role of professionalism attributes in the job search process. Enthusiasm is an essential attribute that employers focus on to recruit employees worthwhile to represent an organization (Schütte et al., 2018). Employers consider the eagerness of an interviewee to join and work for the position offered. Such is because the expression of enthusiasm illustrates the candidate’s ability to boost the morale level in the organization. Expressing excitement about new challenges indicates the ability to embrace and find solutions with determination. An enthusiastic employee expresses happiness and gratitude in completing their work efficiently and on time. Potential employers perceive eager job applicants to have an interest in the job position at hand and hence the potential to work with determination and motivation over those that fail to express this attribute. Enthusiasm is a potential gauge to differentiate between passive and active jobseekers by employers.
Appearance – Grooming for an interview is an essential aspect, and hence a job seeker should be considerate and pay critical attention to it. While various job categories require different attires, dressing for an interview is a bit different, and one should be cautious. For instance, the dress code for nurses includes medical scrubs while at the job, but when dressing for an interview, a job applicant should assume business-formal. Importantly to note, it is better to over-dress than to under-dress in the verge to make the right impression. Dressing presents the first impression to the potential employers of how professional presentability a job seeker is (Schütte et al., 2018). Besides excellent academic qualifications, proper grooming illustrates the impression that the job seeker for themselves and the people they meet. The outward appearance provides the first glimpse to the employer of the interviewee’s judgment skills. Further, appropriate dressing indicates that an interviewee understands the standard norms of work organizations.
Accountability – the candidates’ capability to maximize efficiency is an essential basis for hiring decisions by employers. Importantly to note, employers seek applicants who would help minimize the amount of devotion and time the managers will need to solve conflicts. As such, applicants who tend to blame others for their past failures indicate their inability to take responsibility for results (Schütte et al., 2018). As such, it is desirable to admit for one’s mistakes and discuss the moral lesson to demonstrate that you overcame some challenges. Expressing accountability helps employers to choose candidates with the ability to deal with challenging situations in a non-defeatist and confident manner. As such, the ability to learn and grow from failure is an essential attribute considered by most employers.
Professionalism Attributes I Need to Strengthen and What I Am Currently Doing or Plan to Do to Strengthen Them
Despite possessing some professional attributes, I need to work on others. For instance, the virtue of competence. This entails expressing confidence rather than attitude. Employers seek individuals who express ambition to learn more to expand their career skills. The expression that one is willing to become an expert in their career field makes the employer view him as a determined and focused applicant. Nonetheless, I cannot express this attribute in most cases. Though with the ambition to further my skills, conveying this to a potential employer gives me challenges. As such, I work towards strengthening this virtue as employers consider it for their candidates. On this note, I plan to attend relevant professional designations and remain teachable. I embrace this virtue because it creates job satisfaction (Fleury et al., 2017).
I also need to strengthen my phone conversation etiquette. Communicating with clients, suppliers, and other employees through phone require professionalism, and on this fact, I plan to practice appropriate etiquette (Fleury et al., 2017). These include identifying myself using full names, name of the organization, and title while making or answering a call. Through this virtue, the respondent becomes aware of my willingness and preparedness to engage in a conversation. Further, I plan to engage in more attentive listening to process the message delivered to avoid dominating the conversation. Such indicates that I care for the respondent’s space and allowance time to express their ideas and communication intention. I also intend to avoid using slang terms and ensure that my tone of voice is professional.
Maintaining self-composure is also a vital attribute that challenges me. At times, some people may express belligerence in the course of a conversation (Fleury et al., 2017). Usually, I get annoyed and tend to mirror the same behavior. However, as one of the professional attributes, I plan to avoid such responsiveness as it may worsen communication and spoil the entire conversation. In light of this, I learn to diffuse difficult situations through my professional demeanor. The attribute is a good aspect in maintaining the flow of dialogue and hence creating viable solutions to stressful situations. Taking these steps will help to develop excellent professional attributes that drive any potential employer to consider a candidate for a job position.
References
Fleury, M. J., Grenier, G., & Bamvita, J. M. (2017). Job satisfaction among mental healthcare professionals: The respective contributions of professional characteristics, team attributes, team processes, and team emergent states. SAGE open medicine, 5, 2050312117745222.
Phiri, A., Bano, N., & Raouf, A. (2019). Interpersonal skills and emotion management: Impact of social leadership on job satisfaction of workers. Advances in Developmental and Educational Psychology, 1(1), 1-6.