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Sixteen Attributes Sought by Employers


  1. Ability to Communicate - The ability to speak, write, and listen effectively.
  2. Intelligence - Common sense. The ability to understand an assignment, remember it, and follow it through to successful completion.
  3. Self-Confidence - The quality that lies somewhere between timidity and arrogance. The ability to take a stand and defend it.
  4. Willingness to Accept Responsibility - A willingness to take on the challenge of the hard job. To do whatever is necessary in order to accomplish the required task.
  5. Initiative - Self-motivation. The ability to learn an overall operation and work within it with little or no supervision.
  6. Leadership - The ability to guide and motivate others as demonstrated by leadership roles in collegiate, community, employment, or other organizations.
  7. Energy Level - The ability to be positive and goal-directed. Getting the job done regardless of the time required.
  8. Imagination - "Idea People." The ability to find solutions to problems, especially the problems that have no common or "textbook" solutions.
  9. Flexibility - The absence of rigidity. The ability to adapt to different situations, be capable of change, receptive to new ideas and situations, and evaluate a variety of concepts on how to perform a task.
  10. Interpersonal Skills - The ability to get along with others and make them feel good about themselves. The displaying of a pleasant, positive personality and a healthy self-image.
  11. Self-Knowledge - The ability to realistically assess oneself. Knowing who you are, what you want to do, what you're good at, where you want to live, etc.
  12. Ability to Handle Stress - The ability to effectively manage stress and to meet time requirements with poise.
  13. Goal Achievement - The ability to identify, work toward, and reach worthy goals.
  14. Collaborate - To project that we win by team effort and respect for each of us and all of us. Can be demonstrated through athletic, academic, and employment achievements.
  15. Vocational Skills -The possession of technical and general skills required for employment being sought.
  16. Direction - The ability to develop a life plan and know where you're going. To be able to define what you want in your personal and professional life and why.