Ace Your Interview with High EQ

Shreya Mehta shared a hard truth on LinkedIn: Your resume has 10 seconds to make an impact.

Does that statement give you a case of the groans? Hang in there, because as a former Big Tech recruiter, Shreya has insider tips about getting the attention you deserve.

For instance, her “pause” or “pass” list is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Create a Tweet-style vibrant, descriptive headline, showcasing why you’re a valuable candidate.
2. Design a TL;DR 3-4 sentence summary demonstrating why you’re a good fit for the role.
3. Finish your resume with bullet points describing how you apply your skills to improve situations (and that’s different than simply listing daily tasks).

Last, package all that goodness into a clean, scannable format. That’s how to get your resume to stand out from the crowd.

In the May series, 4 Competencies to Ace Interviews, we’re talking about how you can showcase your people skills to find a new role or land a cool cross-group project. Let’s say you’ve passed all the gating factors above. Now you’ve arrived at The Big Conversation. So far, we’ve talked about showing how you resolve pain points and build a strong network. The third competency to demonstrate is emotional intelligence.

You might think your emotional quotient (EQ) is the last thing you’d bring to the conversation because it might make you weak or vulnerable. But flip the bit on that mindset. Every What needs a How—and understanding how to work with all kinds of people is noteworthy.

Avoid Being a Room Killer

I was reminded about EQ when I had coffee with a friend. She mentioned how her brother-in-law, Nico, had a tough start at his new job.

Nico’s book smarts are A+, with degrees from prestigious schools. But he hasn’t prioritized learning people smarts, and that’s where the breakdown happened.

For example, he’s a no-nonsense, call-it-like-you-see-it Texan. Getting to the heart of the matter has its place. However, Nico’s new Asia-based colleagues favored an indirect approach.

Nico also has a knack for seeing around corners, but his co-workers saw his insights as startling “Hey, you missed a spot” criticism. And Nico has a bright mind and loves to ping-pong ideas back and forth. But that approach was an immediate culture clash.

Within minutes, Nico wasn’t perceived as strong and confident. Instead, others viewed him as a Room Killer. Now he’s stuck trying to repair the damage.

5 Ways to Practice EQ

Have you ever worked with someone like Nico, whose career might be completely different by adding in the people piece? I have. In some ways, I’ve made similar mistakes. But avoiding these errors is easy. EQ doesn’t need to be a heavy, therapy-style conversation. Instead, reframe it as the small adjustments you make day in and day out.

When you replay the case study, the missed opportunities are clear. Nico could have calibrated his delivery for the audience. He might have swapped critiquing for getting curious about the work done to date. And he could have put his intellect to work by being creative, adaptable, and sincere. That’s how to practice EQ without losing your true self.

So, when you get the call for The Big Conversation, remember to support What results with a quantifiable How—that’s how to bring your story to life. Here are five examples of emotional intelligence to kickstart your thinking:

1. I communicate critical updates with care and calm. I realize people like to personalize important news.
2. When setbacks happen, I take time to understand what happened and when. That’s how to avoid future mistakes.
3. I communicate data in a positive, thoughtful way. Highlights and lowlights are equally important.
4. I focus on getting to the right answers rather than forcing quick answers.
5. I find trusted partners to help navigate tricky, emotionally loaded situations. Solutions must benefit everyone.

Acing interviews isn’t about rattling off accomplishments—impact happens by showing your humanity. So, bring your whole self, whether you’re trying to land a new role or a cross-group project. Reveal how you bring emotional intelligence to all your interactions.