Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

When transitioning into the job market, there are numerous challenges that plague young adults. Research suggests 75 percent of mental-health conditions begin by age 24, which parallels the transition from college students to the workforce (National Alliance of Mental Health, 2017). This time period is critical for individuals to develop coping skills to handle change and new responsibilities. As technology continues to become an essential and influential part of everyday life, the need for young professionals to develop emotional intelligence to manage occupational well-being is imperative. Bar-On (2006) defined emotional intelligence as one’s ability to effectively understand oneself and others, relate effectively to others, and adapt to and cope with one’s immediate surroundings. Goleman (1995) mentioned five key elements to emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Recent studies on multiple professions indicate a correlation between emotional intelligence and both job performance and satisfaction (O’Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, & Story, 2011; Dhani, 2016; Pekaar, 2017). Bringing awareness to this body of research can help recent college graduates navigate the professional world and sustain satisfying employment experiences. According to Hettler (1976), “an occupationally well individual contributes his or her unique skills/talents to work that is meaningful and rewarding.” In this presentation, we present a conceptual framework based on an extensive literature review examining the dynamics between emotional intelligence and occupational well-being among recent college graduates. Our framework will be guided by previous models on emotional intelligence (Greenspan, 1989; Salovey and Mayer, 1990; Goleman, 1995) and adapted for recent college graduates.