TL; DR

Character traits are often an overlooked part of the job application process for many candidates seeking job opportunities.

Historically, summer internships were meant to be a bridge for a full-time position, however, today, internship positions are filled with people with ample previous work experience. The burning question: how are students supposed to get an internship without a previous internship experience?

Last year, one of our summer interns sent out a short survey to hiring managers. The survey was designed to ask what they typically look for from a college graduate applying for positions in their companies. The respondents were mostly mid-level managers in Fortune 500 companies with ample experience in hiring the right candidate for their team.

We found out that personality and character traits (9.05 out of 10) significantly outweighed other factors such as previous work experiences (5.4 out of 10) and competencies relevant to the positions (6.7 out of 10).

Companies are not necessarily looking for “good people” in general.  They are looking for people with specific character traits that would eventually bring value and growth to their organizations.

From the responses, we found that companies are looking for someone…

  • Who listens
  • Who develops and maintains good relationships
  • Who can contribute to their culture
  • Who has attention to detail
  • Who challenged themselves outside their coursework
  • Who recognizes their mistakes
  • Who is resilient

I have witnessed numerous occasions where someone’s character flaw destroyed projects, organizations, and even established companies. Even though it is possible to teach someone new skills, it is very difficult to develop and change someone’s character.

Here are some interview questions they used to screen the candidates with the character they were looking for:

  • Describe a time when you had difficulty with a coworker.
  • Describe a time when you had to complete a challenging task.
  • Describe a time when you made a mistake at work. What did you do when you found it?

Character isn’t something that is taught in schools. They are modeled through the behaviors of the respectable people around us. Today, traditional two-parent families and involvement in tight-knit communities – such as churches – are becoming increasingly rare. Now with schools and workplaces shifting online, it is harder for younger generations to find examples they can model after.

Character is also not something that you can learn through an online course.  As we spent the majority of the last 18 months in front of the screens, our collective ability to interact with others has somewhat deteriorated.

But I do believe that we can discover our character and refine them by setting ourselves a challenging goal, working together with others toward that goal.

Many students today are anxious about hard skills and certifications. Yes, they are important and necessary to get your foot in the door but skills themselves are not sufficient. Here is a question for all of you who are applying for your first job.  Are you being intentional in developing the character traits that you need to succeed in your career?