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Intangibles are just that. They are Intangible. They cannot be measured in experience or certifications. You cannot go to school for intangible qualities and there is no online college degree for it. You won’t see these qualities listed on job posting sites or college information websites. It’s merely a quality one possess, or may develop over time through trial and error. These qualities may help you obtain that job you may just seem to be a bit under qualified for but deep down you know you’d do well given the chance. The intangibles can help you latch onto that opportunity and maybe beat out some intense competition. These three qualities require no skill, no talent and should be incorporated into your repertoire in order to make you a better employee and better armed to succeed.

Attitude:

Attitude is your first impression and your lasting impression. A bad attitude right off the bat gives a sour taste to an employer and just about anyone you interact with in your daily life. Almost everything you say afterwards may be deemed irrelevant given the extent of a negative attitude. Humans physiologically are more likely to remember bits of information they heard firstly and lastly throughout an encounter.

With a bad attitude as a first impression, it can be hard to recover but is doable. However, make sure your lasting impression is not one of a pessimistic note either as it will resonate just as bad, if not worse, than a first impression. Keep the energy up and a mild smile present even if your interviewer, boss, or whomever is being critical and condescending. Having the right attitude will make you more likeable and can give you an upper hand in any sort of confrontation.

Energy:

Energy goes hand and hand with attitude. Having low energy and an overall lethargic tone will get you sent packing to the unemployment line in any interview. On the flip side of this, having too much energy can come off fake and unprofessional depending upon the position. Finding that sweet spot of someone who is excited about their work and confident in their ability is indispensable during professional meetings of any kind.

Having energy can also give you the upper hand over any competition you face as it makes you stand out from the crowd and gives your answers to questions staying power. Delivering a right answer is great, but delivering one with exuberance gives it a vital lasting affect that distinguishes you from the rest.

Body Language:

Again, being intermingled with the previous too, body language is a way of conveying your attitude, energy and overall demeanor in any scenario. Being stiff and rigid can sway your colleges into thinking you’re insecure. Often times nervous people can look down and lack hand gestures. Crossing arms can subconsciously portray confrontation and leaving hands smuggled in pockets reeks of lacking interest.

Albert Mehrabian, currently a professor of psychology at UCLA famously published that 97% of communication is nonverbal. Of this nonverbal communication 38% was tone of voice and an astounding 55% was body language. This has often been a longstanding debate but one point that cannot be disputed is the importance of body language in your life. Staying right in the wheelhouse of fluid, relaxed, calm and composed will ooze a professional and confident tone that will have others taking note. The correct body language can also make you easier to engage which in turn creates opportunity for a positive presence in any scenario. Body language may or may not be over half of human communication but it is undoubtedly a force that one can ride the coattails to success on if utilized correctly.