By Leyla Oun/reporter
With a college degree, a comfy position at any company of choice should appear to be an obtainable goal.
However, without possessing emotional intelligence, that coveted position may be further off than any hopeful student would like.
Randy Saleh, a NE adjunct instructor and academic advisor, held a presentation March 17 regarding the importance of having self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills in the workplace.
“Company executives are having a hard time finding college graduates with these skills,” he said. “These same executives are giving colleges failing grades for not teaching these skills.”
Saleh walked the attendees through a PowerPoint illustrating which qualities would help improve emotional intelligence and which would hinder it. He encouraged students to begin making positive changes in their lives to improve both their education and their futures.
“One of the most positive changes is becoming proactive,” he said. “Proactive people refuse that there’s something that they can’t fix in their daily lives.”
Saleh engaged participants with light humor as well as helpful advice. He advised attendees to plan ahead and to focus efforts and attention on long-term goals as well as to work on having proper communication with others.
Doing so would help to make a positive difference in life and in their professional careers, he said.
Sandra Titus, a NE business major, agreed with the presentation.
“As a manager myself, I can definitely say that we look for these qualities in our applicants,” she said. “Positive people make a greater impact. We want to hire positive and driven people.”
