Developing emotional intelligence is essential for a successful work experience. When you have a healthy level of emotional intelligence you are able to build strong relationships with coworkers, resolve conflicts and manage challenging situations as they arise.

When our emotions are out of alignment they change how our brains perform and diminish our decision-making abilities. If we can learn to understand and control our emotions, we can achieve success in our professional and personal lives.

Why is emotional intelligence important? It can develop and demonstrate your capabilities while helping to increase your hireability. You also become a more productive, valuable and fulfilling coworker.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is when you can identify and control your own emotions while identifying, recognizing and influencing the feelings of others. When you master emotional intelligence in the workplace, you can harness these skills and apply them to situations when you may be under pressure including;

• Handling challenging interpersonal relationships,
• Meeting tight deadlines,
• Interviewing for a new position,
• Dealing with a work related conflict.

How Can You Use Your Emotional Intelligence Appropriately In The Workplace?

Self-Awareness

Using your ability to identify and understand your thoughts and feelings are essential. It is equally important to be aware of how your moods, actions and emotions affect those around you. The next time you encounter a challenging coworker or receive criticism, listen and reflect. 

Self-Regulation

Maintaining control over your feelings is crucial because your emotions affect your relationship with coworkers, management and clients alike. Be mindful of the environment and situations that trigger you. 

Motivation

Self-motivation is affected by your emotions. Feeling positive and satisfied with your work can lead to being motivated when it comes to accomplishing tasks. People who have emotional intelligence in the workplace are driven by inner contentment. If you are motivated, you can also help others in the workplace. 

Empathy

Having the capacity to understand others is important in terms of emotional intelligence. If you have strong empathy skills you can see things from different perspectives which can help support an inclusive workplace. For instance, if you are working within a team, try to be flexible, show your support, build your team strengths and avoid assumptions.

Social Skills

Even if you are not a people person it is possible to develop social skills such as effective communication, respect and active listening. If you are uncomfortable with social interactions at work, try building your self-confidence and look for opportunities to practice your skills within groups. 

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important In The Workplace?

Emotional intelligence plays an important role in many aspects of work and can help you in areas like job performance, relationships, career success and overall mental health. Now you know what emotional intelligence is, let's take a look at the benefits;

• Positive Interactions: If you use effective communication and empathy, you will find it easier to develop relationships with colleagues, supervisors and clients. Understanding others and interacting with an optimistic attitude can also boost your chances of making meaningful connections and increase morale.
• Motivating Others: When you have high emotional intelligence you can read and understand your coworker's emotions, you are able to inspire and encourage them to become more productive. This is important if you are in a leadership role where you are responsible for guiding others.
• Career Prospects: A high level of emotional intelligence is a desirable trait in the workplace especially as it correlates to job performance. If you are looking for a new career or a promotion in your current job, you can use your emotional intelligence to increase your hireability and potentially open doors to new opportunities in your field.

How Can You Improve Your Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace?

Pay Attention 

Improvements can be made by noticing your emotions. 

Ask For Feedback

If you ask for constructive feedback from people you trust it can only help you. 

Practice What You Preach Daily

The more you work on your emotional intelligence, the stronger it becomes over time.

Timing more often than not can be the main reason why some people get hired quickly. How do you know if you are approaching your job search correctly? Is there a best time to apply for jobs?

There are so many moving parts like staff turnover, seasonal needs, earning reports and the state of the economy. We are supposed to land a job regardless of all the factors that may be working against us.

If you are wondering when is the best time to apply for a job, unfortunately there is not one right answer. However, getting to know the general trends can help you increase your chances of success. Keep reading to find out when are the best times to apply for jobs.

Manic Mondays Maybe?

Recruiters and hiring managers (heck anyone who has a work email) typically open their email after their weekend to a more or less full inbox. Some might have a relatively slow start to the week and get through the day by prioritizing their inbox but others might begin full of energy and end up depleted towards the end of the day.

Tuesdays Through Thursdays Are Where It’s At

Hopefully by Tuesday the Monday blues are over, the most urgent issues and meetings have been handled and people are back to their “usual” routine. Wednesdays and Thursdays are typically the best days for getting these things done including job applications.

Freaky Fridays

It is finally the end of the week for recruiters and they might be in a hurry to finish any pending tasks and plan ahead for the upcoming week. If you send in your application and resume on a Friday, it won’t get much attention and might get forgotten.

Weekend Worry

Hiring managers and recruiters do not work over the weekends so you won’t get a reply right away. If you decide to apply over the weekend, rest assured your resume might not get acknowledged till Monday. If you can schedule it, send your resume on Sunday so that way your resume will hopefully be at the top of the recruiter’s inbox and potentially have a chance of being noticed.

When Is The Best Time to Submit Job Applications?

When it comes to submitting your resume at a specific time, keep in mind that businesses have different schedules so there is not a one size fits all standard across the board. It is useful to research whether the company or industry that you are targeting has set working hours like 9-5, etc.

Companies working in the context of 24-hour shifts might have earlier lunch hours. Businesses operating over the weekend could end up opening your application over the weekend.

Remember The Early Bird Gets The Worm!

Sending in your job application early in the morning gives you an ideal spot in a recruiter’s inbox. The sweet spot is between 6a.m. to 10a.m. so as to get in before the day begins and the tasks start to add up.

Post-Lunch Is A Good Idea

After lunch is one of the best times to apply for a job as checking emails after the recruiter gets back to their computer is common practice. Not only are they more likely to see your application, but you might spend more time on your resume before completing other important tasks.

Late Nights

If you already have a full-time job, nighttime might be the best time to apply for jobs. It can also be an optimal choice to ensure that you show up in the recruiter’s inbox first thing in the AM.

Recruitment Trends On A Yearly Basis

In order to get hired you want to think like a recruiter by figuring out when the demand for new hires is on the uptick. It is easiest to think of hiring in different seasons:

Winter Is Coming

More often than not, the new year means a new company budget and recruiters are going to use this source of funding to hire for open positions. In turn, this makes the first quarter a busy time for recruiting. For executive level job seekers, the first half of the year is essential for recruiting and hiring purposes. January through mid-June is the biggest time for senior executive job related searches.

Spring Is In Bloom

Springtime is when recruiters tend to hire college graduates. Companies will begin the hiring process in April so that recent graduates are in place by the beginning of June.

Summer Is Here

When summer begins you can expect a recruitment slowdown overall as employees take vacations and offices shift to summer hours and flexible schedules. It can take longer for human resources to sift through applications, set up interviews and respond to emails as vacation schedules tend to take priority. Job searches for executive level roles can drag on because they require interviews with several people within an organization.

Fall Hiring - Turning Over A New Leaf

Once the fall comes and staff returns to full capacity, recruitment and hiring pick up again. Hiring managers return to work from their summer vacations and are looking to fill any vacant roles. Department executives are also motivated to use up any funding that is left unused. If you apply for jobs after Labor Day, you can expect quick responses from recruiters and hiring managers which means less downtime between numerous rounds of interviews.

There Are Always Exceptions

It is important to know that specific companies and industries have unique recruitment cycles. Paying attention to economic trends in your particular field can help you predict when recruiters and hiring managers will be available. Positions in construction, property and real estate are based on the housing market. Industries in general may be particularly sensitive to supply chain disruptions and various turnover rates.

So how can you as a candidate get into the recruitment pipeline? Spend additional time on your job search during winter. Establish a daily routine that includes looking at new job postings, researching interesting top tier companies, updating your resume and cover letter, responding in a timely manner to recruiters and hiring managers and of course following up after interviews.

How To Expand Your Network

The summer is a slow period for hiring so schedule time to network. This is also the best time to schedule informational interviews.

Regardless of when you decide to look for work, the best approach is to look daily by researching companies, updating your resume, applying to interesting opportunities and networking. If a job you apply for  is available and companies are looking to hire soon, there is no slow period. This means that if a company or their hiring team is organized you might do an interview and receive an offer pretty quickly.

To get proper insight into a company’s individual hiring process make sure to do your research. Look through an organization’s social media pages to get a sense of their hiring practices. 

If there is a particular company that you are interested in, you can stay up to date on news announcements that might indicate that they are hiring. Keep in mind that recruiters and hiring managers are affected by current market conditions and the specific industry.

For most job seekers, the phrase "new job" sounds exciting because it signals opportunities to learn new skills, expand your network and build your resume. Change can also be intimidating so if you are scared of a new job, you are not alone. Certain aspects of the job search process can be terrifying. If you find that you are nervous about a new job and you are having a hard time getting the process started, it might be time to confront your fears.

Keep reading to discover five reasons you might be scared to get a new job.

1. You Are Scared To Quit Your Current Job

If you are a devoted employee the thought of disappointing your boss during a busy time can be stressful. Loyalty to an employer is admirable these days but you have to focus on your career. 

2. Actions Define You

Many people are afraid to get a new job because their identity and self-worth are tied to their current job. The idea of moving to a new job can feel like you are transitioning and that can be unsettling. 

3. You Are Worried That You Might Hate Your New Job

It is very common to be nervous about a new job because of the unknown. Even if you hate your current job, who is to say that you could be more miserable somewhere else? When your current position is terrible it is easy to assume that it is normal in the world of work. This might include working overtime, having an overbearing manager and relentless clients. 

4. You Are Convinced That You Cannot Conquer Your Fear

Do you add up your accomplishments to equal luck? Afraid of being exposed as a fraud? This mentality can lower the confidence of the smartest professional. With an honest assessment of your career up till now, you will be better equipped to recognize your transferable skills and see where you need additional learning and support.

5. You Hate Being the New Kid On The Block