Two Keys to Career Success: They’re Not What You Might Expect

“Technical skills account for less than 15% of one’s value in obtaining, keeping, or advancing in a job. More than 85% of job success is based on personal conduct and the ability to put others at ease.” -According to research done by Harvard University, The Carnegie Foundation and the Stanford Research Institute

What does this tell us about our career approach? For starters, it indicates that we may have placed far too much emphasis, during college and at the office, on honing and perfecting our technical skills. More acutely, this points directly to the concept that we should be focusing on, starting now: Soft Skills, particularly Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and the impact it has on Professional Development as well as Business Development.

Strengthening Your Professional Development

Pulling ahead and advancing your career while meeting your short-term goals translates into building your personal brand. All of this really distills down to EQ. Personal conduct, cooperative inclinations, and how you make others feel each equates to who you are and how you communicate. It is from this standpoint that your professional development is fully realized. The passion within = PERSONAL BRAND.

With this established, where do you begin your journey? Well, that’s the tricky part. Our own personal brand is like a fingerprint; it’s unique. So when we try to emulate others, for instance, it doesn’t come off as authentic. A genuine, organically-engineered personal brand needs to be just that: home-grown. And the seeds are EQ.

A Look Within

At our most recent Great Books Discussion, attendees discovered there are 5 Domains of Emotional Intelligence:-Self-Awareness-Emotion Management-Self-Motivation-Recognizing Emotion in Others-Handling of RelationshipsShaping your personal brand is directly related to how well you navigate these 5 domains. Injecting your own passions and philosophies into the process, while amplifying the positive traits you already possess will personalize the outcome, communicating your brand to the world. Perpetuating that brand is the next step, and will take empathy, strong presentation skills, and further solidifying the relationships you’ve made. Orchestrating all of these components can’t help but result in that one sweet scenario: Successful Professional Development, with a wide appeal in the marketplace.

Strengthening Your Business Development

Required in many lines of work these days is business development for the company. 20 years ago, it was enough to be an expert in your field and simply perform your duties. Now, with bringing in business expected across the board, you’ll need to come to the table with additional skills. The ability to turn relationships into referrals, contacts into clients, and conversations into transactions is what will set you apart in any business arena.

The Right Stuff

As a professional responsible for business development, your toolbox will need to be lined with the right arsenal of soft-skill devices. How equipped are you with the following 5 skills?

Strategy: A wide-angled outlook on the short and long-termed objectives

Efficiency: The right organizational skills to allow for both focus and diversification

Consistency: The type of focus that breeds reliability

Communication: Conveying a clear message, so others can accurately connect you with referral sources and potential clients

Network Leveraging: Understanding how to effectively ask for a favor or introduction

The big question is now: How do you manage all of this while preforming in your area of expertise? In other words, how do you balance doing your job and keeping your job relevant? That, my friends, is a skill that most of us can only acquire.

To take the next step, attend our January 29th Advancement Strategy Symposium. Our panels will share their secrets about Professional and Business Development, and you will walk away with a solid game plan for your career’s future, not to mention a few new contacts and the taste of delicious food and wine on your palate. Sign up and join us….it will be your first great investment of 2015!