“Emotional Intelligence and Mentorship: Navigating Career Transitions” By Joy Corkery

Credit: Joy Corkery

Why Emotional Intelligence and Mentorship Matter
Regardless of the fact that you are ready and qualified for the job, making a career transition can feel overwhelming. Despite what impression job descriptions may give, it’s not just about knowing your stuff technically. In fact, 71% of employers say they value emotional intelligence (EI) more than technical skills when hiring. And they’re right. EI is what helps you understand yourself, connect with others, and handle tough situations without falling apart.

But EI isn’t just something you magically have. Like many others you will encounter in your career, it is a skill you develop. And one of the best ways to build it is through mentorship. A good mentor helps you see your blind spots, guides you through difficult decisions, and provides honest feedback without sugarcoating. That combination of EI and mentorship can be a game-changer, especially if you’re moving from an individual contributor role to leadership.

Emotional intelligence: The Difference Between Managing and Leading
What is emotional intelligence, you may ask? At its core, EI is about recognising and managing emotions, that is, both yours and other people’s. It’s what keeps you from losing your cool during a crisis or taking criticism personally. Instead of reacting impulsively, you learn to respond thoughtfully. In leadership, that’s everything.

In marketing, where you’re juggling creative ideas, tight deadlines, and different personalities, EI is essential. It’s the difference between knowing when to step back and let your team shine or stepping in to offer support. It’s recognising when a team member is struggling, even if they haven’t said anything. And it’s being aware of how your words and actions impact others.

For me, emotional intelligence was the turning point between just managing tasks and truly leading people. I’d always been empathetic, but I didn’t see it as a workplace skill. It felt like something “soft,” not part of the bold, outspoken style everyone seemed to say was the key to success. But I learned EI was a game changer.

Early in my career, I thought doing good work was enough. Keep your head down, deliver results, and you’ll get ahead. But as I moved toward leadership, I realised that hard work alone wasn’t enough. You need to be seen. You need to communicate your impact, show how your ideas drive results, and understand the people you lead.

A mentor helped me see this. They didn’t just teach me skills; they showed me that EI wasn’t a weakness, it was a strength. They taught me how to structure my thoughts, speak up, stay calm, and understand my team.

I learned that leadership isn’t just about great ideas. It’s about earning trust, guiding others, and knowing how to bring out the best in your team. And none of that happens without emotional intelligence.

Mentorship: Learning From Those Who’ve Been There
A mentor does more than just answer your questions; they open your eyes to things you didn’t even know you needed to learn. They show you how to navigate challenges you haven’t faced yet. In marketing, that could mean understanding how to defend a bold creative idea to senior leadership, or how to manage a team that’s struggling with low morale.

When I first stepped into leadership, I was lucky to have a mentor within my company who helped me make sense of it all. They didn’t just tell me what to do — they showed me. They modeled how to have difficult conversations, how to balance priorities without burning out, and how to lead with empathy. It made a huge difference.

In past roles, I wasn’t so lucky to have someone in-house who was able to nurture my EI and empathy into skills to be reckoned with in leadership. This can be the case for a lot of people, but you don’t have to sit around waiting for a mentor to magically appear. If you see someone whose career you admire, reach out. Whether it’s a manager in your company or a connection on LinkedIn, most people are willing to share their experiences if you show genuine interest. Some of the best career advice I’ve gotten was from relative strangers online.

Putting It Together: EI and Mentorship in Action
When you combine emotional intelligence with mentorship, you get a powerful toolkit for navigating your career. Here is a personal example of what it looks like in practice.

Early on in my leadership career, I was faced with a tough decision. I needed to let a team member go because they were not meeting expectations. This was made more difficult for me because I genuinely liked the person, and I could see that they were trying. One thing I knew I wanted when handling this was that it would feel like a cutthroat experience for the team member. Being let go is a very personal experience, and it can often feel that way for the person affected, no matter how hard you try.

EI helped me handle the situation with empathy. I put myself in their shoes, so I was really aware of how the news would affect them, and I communicated the news with respect. By that, I mean no empty talk, just straight facts and a mixture of what they were doing both right and wrong. People can usually see when you are not being straight, and that can add unpleasantness to the situation.

My mentor played a big role in guiding me through the practical side, like how to structure the conversation, what to document, and how to support your team afterwards. It’s that mix of empathy and strategy that makes this approach so effective.

Practical Advice for Aspiring Marketing Leaders
If you’re thinking about moving into marketing leadership, here’s what I’d recommend:

1. Invest in Developing EI
Take time to understand your own emotions and how they impact your decisions. Pay attention to how you react to feedback, conflict, and stress. Consider keeping a journal. It sounds cheesy, but it works.

2. Seek Out Mentors
Don’t wait for one to come to you. Find people whose leadership style you respect. Reach out, ask for their advice, and be open to their feedback. Don’t just ask them what they did, ask them what they wish they had done differently.

3. Make Your Work Visible
This was a big one for me. It’s not enough to do good work; you need to make sure people know about it. Share your successes with your team and your managers. Don’t just say you “ran a successful campaign.” Show the impact it had and why it mattered.

4. Build a Network of Support
Surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed, whether that’s mentors, peers, or a professional network. Those relationships are your safety net, especially when you’re facing challenges.

The Smarter Way to Transition
Career transitions are tough, there’s no way around it, but they don’t have to be a struggle. By focusing on emotional intelligence and seeking mentorship, you’re not just preparing yourself to survive the transition, you’re setting yourself up to thrive. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about being ready to learn, adapt, and lead with confidence.

Meet Our Contributor — Joy Corkery
Joy is a content leader with over twelve years of experience across SEO, social media, influencer marketing, product marketing and brand marketing. She’s also a qualified coach who applies neuroscience in her work.