COLUMBIA, Mo. – It turns out our mothers were right, attitude makes a difference. That sage advice is now considered science when looking for a job following a study by researchers at the
University of Missouri. In their study, researchers focused on what job seekers need to get ahead of the competition.
“We found it most interesting that … thinking about a plan, acting on a plan and reflecting upon that 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 researchers surveyed 327 job seekers three separate times. The first survey measured personality and demographic information while the second survey measured emotions and metacognition – how people learn and think. A third survey measured employment outcomes for people still job hunting four to five months after the second survey.
Based on these findings, Turban suggests job seekers make a plan and continuously assess their progress. It is also important to include in that plan the likelihood of rejections and develop a coping strategy ahead of time. Turban says should help maintain positive emotions throughout the process to improve the chances of getting a job.
“Some of these recommendations seem like they are common sense, but they are just not that common,” explained Turban. “People don’t have strategies, they don’t assess their plans, and they don’t think about their strategies and reflect on whether it’s working or how to make them work better. They just don’t do it.”
The study found that goal setting and plan development affected resume submission and success in first interviews, while the ability to maintain positive emotions played a larger role during second interviews and receiving a final job offer. The researchers also examined how the personality traits of extraversion and conscientiousness affected planning and strategizing as well as positive emotions. The study showed a link between extraversion, how energetic and outgoing a person is, and how well that person could plan and maintain positive emotions. Additionally, researchers said a person’s self discipline and dependability also affected their planning process 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.
Turban worked with
Felissa Lee, assistant professor of management at
Marquette University, and
Cynthia Stevens, associate professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at the
University of Maryland, to complete the study, “Effects of Conscientiousness and Extraversion on New Labor Market Entrants’ Job Search: The Mediating Role of Metacognitive Activities and Positive Emotions.” The study was published recently in
Personal Psychology.
