Positive Emotions, Optimism Key to Landing That New Job in Current Environment says University of Missouri Study

‘ScienceDaily (Oct. 13, 2009) — With America’s unemployment rate higher than it has been in decades, many people find themselves looking for jobs. The process can be tiring and, in such a competitive climate, receiving that final job offer is challenging. In a new study, researchers at the University of Missouri focus on what job seekers need to get ahead of the competition. The Mizzou scientists found that certain planning activities and positive emotions have a large impact on success in finding a job. 

“We found it most interesting that metacognitive activities — thinking about a plan, acting on a plan and reflecting upon that a plan — were important early in the job search while having positive emotions were important later in the job search,” said Daniel Turban, professor and chair of the Department of Management in the MU Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business.  The study found that metacognitive activities, including goal setting and plan development, affect resume submission and success in first interviews, while the ability to maintain positive emotions plays a larger role during second interviews and receiving a final job offer. The researchers also examined how the personality traits of extraversion and conscientiousness affect metacognitive activities and positive emotions. Extraversion, how energetic and outgoing a person is, influenced both metacognitive activities and positive emotions. Conscientiousness, a person’s self discipline and dependability, affected metacognitive activities and directly influenced the number of final job offers received. “Perhaps, conscientious job seekers conducted better quality job searches by scrutinizing their fit with prospective employers more carefully or more effectively following up with employers,” Turban said.

The researchers administered three surveys to 327 job seekers. The first survey measured personality and demographic information, while the second survey measured positive emotions, metacognitive activities and employment outcomes. A third survey, measuring tapped employment outcomes, was sent to those still job hunting four to five months after the second survey.’

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John Schinnerer, Ph.D.

Positive Psychology Coach

Helping folks mitigate negative emotions and

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This entry was posted on 14. October 2009 at 22:10 and is filed under Danville CA, National speakers, Curiosity, Awareness, Positive expectations, Emotion & productivity, Positive emotions and job search, San Ramon CA, Employee engagement, Corporate Culture, Hope, Resiliency, Life coach, Creativity, Dr. John Schinnerer, Realistic optimism, Emotional IQ, Staying calm, Organizational psychology, Consciousness, Happiness, Positive Psychology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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