November 15, 2005 8:38 AM

The impact of personality
Posted by Jason Tuoheyat 8:38 AM

Everyone talks about how important effective networking is to get a job, but it seems like the skills behind networking -- namely, having a good personality and getting along well with others -- are just as important once you have that job. In this week's BostonWorks, the feature story discusses how "emotional intelligence," which is basically the ability to deal with difficult or clueless people, has become a popular theme among academics and managers alike. Similarly, our "Climb" article notes that having a great personality can open many doors for you. And, just a few weeks ago "A penchant for teamwork" identified Generation Y's defining work characteristic as a willingness, and almost a preference, for working in groups.

The following quote from the latest "Climb" article makes you realize just how important these skills are:

"It's hard to underestimate the impact of good social skills on your career. In fact, across the board, in a wide variety of businesses, people would rather work with someone who is likable and incompetent than with someone who is skilled and obnoxious."

It's something to think about next time you consider skipping the company outing to get some extra work done.