Talent Path Blog Why Talent Path's consultants would win Squid Game.

Don't forget the dalgona candy while you read In case you missed it, the South Korean drama Squid Game is one of the highest performing shows on Netflix, ever. The premise of Squid Game is that "hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits - with deadly high stakes." The show has captivated audiences with its seemingly simple games yet truly terrible outcomes. Across social media, people have been trying the Honeycomb Challenge (with nearly 10 million likes), playing Red-Light-Green-Light at their wedding, and creating Squid Game themed events. It seems that everyone wants to know if they have what it takes to survive playing in Squid Game.At Talent Path, we believe our consultants would have an excellent shot at winning the games. Here's three reasons why:1. Emotional intelligence.Prior to officially joining Talent Path, all applicants are assessed for their emotional intelligence (EQ). EQ is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and the emotions of people around you. Why do we focus on EQ as part of a soft-skills inventory? Because it captures some of the biggest determinants of how a person thrives. When you get frustrated, do you yell? Can you appropriately self-regulate your internal thoughts? Do you consider yourself reflective and attuned to your psychological wellbeing? These are all ways that EQ is measured.In Squid Game, the most successful protagonists are the ones who display empathy for others (even ones who may not deserve it), who practice self-restraint, who reflect on each experience and try to learn something new from it, and who spends the extra time to develop strong, interpersonal relationships with other contestants, so they don't always have to compete in isolation. In other words, the contestants with the highest EQs, made it through the most rounds.2. Adaptive and agile learning.Today, having a specific set of specialized skills is the foundation of a career, but not the only critical building block. Successful employees need an array of skills, ready to deploy, as the market continually shifts. You may be asking yourself, "How can I train for a market that doesn't exist yet?" The answer: Talent Path enables our consultants to be agile, flexible, and self-directed learners. We prepare and instruct our consultants on how to be mindful of important business trends in their industry, and where to find resources to sharpen their skills. Even after a consultant is hired with a company, we support them with continual check-ins and training options so that Talent Path consultants are better equipped to adapt to various environments and thrive in a range of roles.In Squid Game, the primary protagonist does an important thing that his peers did not: he sought answers from people with different experiences. During the game of tug-of-war, the lead Seong Gi-hun was partnered with 9 other contestations, including the older, less virile, Oh Il-nam. The presumption of most players was that brute strength was needed to win the game of tug-of-war. Gi-hun's team was favored to lose since his team was comprised of elderly and petite players. Instead of giving into doubt about their team's abilities, Gi-hun convinced everyone to listen to Il-nam, the oldest player. Il-nam explained specific techniques and long-forgotten strategies on how to play the game, no matter how strong the opponent. Without spilling spoilers, Gi-hun's willingness to listen to someone different, learn a new skill, and adapt his thinking based on the needs of the moment helped his team immensely. 3. Acute readiness. As a college senior, it may seem like every day is building up to that single moment when that hard-earned degree is in your hand. While that moment is certainly joyous, it's the first step on an often confusing path towards being workforce ready. Regardless of degree choice, many jobs are requiring a few years of experience, demonstrations of aptitude, and a portfolio of proven work. If you read that sentence and felt like panicking, don't worry - you're not alone. We understand that there is a gap between the classroom and the meeting room. Our program takes appropriate steps on training our consultants to have sharp resumes, polished interviewing skills, opportunities to demonstrate their skills, build portfolios, and have guidance through the job application process. In short, our consultants don't enter the workforce until they are truly ready.In Squid Game, a defining moment for all the characters is choosing whether they decide to actually play the games or not. Each character spends time evaluating their resources, their odds, their needs, and their risk before entering the game fully. Initially, more than a third of contestants realize they are not capable of playing the games, but they are already stuck. However, the more successful players enter the arena knowing that they want to be there, that they belong there, and that they can win there. Our consultants enter their first day at work with the same spirit and attitude, that they want to be there, and they will succeed there!At Talent Path, we know the transition into the job market can be overwhelming and a challenge, though not as tough as Squid Game. Our goal is to help recent grads, from all backgrounds and disciplines, get ready for the IT workforce.Are you curious about Talent Path?Contact us