The 10 Most Important Personality Traits for Career Success

Personality traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics that are the embodiment of an individual’s. They are your habitual patterns of behavior, temperament and emotion.

Skills, on the other hand, are the learned capacity to carry out specific tasks. They are competences or the talents to do things. These proficiencies can include critical thinking, manual, negotiation, outdoor, presentation, or technological. Typically, skills are special abilities that are acquired through training and experience.

The building block of successful career development is comprised of four components: skills, values, interests and personality traits. I have been a practicing career counselor for a long-time, and I have found an abundance of personality traits that are characteristic of successful people. However, I the following is my top 10 list. Successful people tend to be/have:

Attitude – The capacity to stay optimistic and positive. The #1 quality for career success is “Championship Thinking.”

Enthusiastic – The possession of intense and eager interest in a subject or cause. It is an energy that often inspires others.

Ethical – The quality of having and living by a code of sound moral principles.

Goal Focused – The ability to have clarity on the objectives that you strive for in your personal and professional life.

Listener – The capacity to suspend your own agenda and deliberately and empathically allow others to be heard.

Networked – A well developed circle of influence of interconnected positive relationships.

Persistent – The ability to endure in the face of adversity. It is a patient and relenting effort to achieve despite difficulties.

Self-Aware – The understanding and knowledge of who you are including your skills, values, interests, behaviors and character.

Self-Confident – The firm belief in your abilities. Seek professional help if this is an area of weakness – it will be worth it.

Self-Discipline – The ability to control and restrain impulses. Energy then can be focused and channeled toward your ambitions.