Work Temperament Checklist
Before you begin any job search you must take an inventory of your marketable employment skills and determine your work temperament preferences. To inventory of your skills should include:
- Hard skills (objectively measurable skills, such as ability to use Page Perfect 6.0 software)
- Soft skills (subjectively measurable skills such as ability to organize)
- Transferable skills (skills that can be used in a number of different jobs such as writing abilities or telephone etiquette skills, etc.)
An inventory of your skills will assist you in recognizing your "marketable assets". These assets can be either strengths or limitations depending on your employment goals. Overcoming your limitations and effectively marketing your strengths to employers is the key to achieving your goals.
This checklist is designed to make you aware of your work temperament attributes other than hard skills. See the "Skills Assessment" brochure for help with hard skills assessment.
Work temperament attributes can be found in your:
Personality Traits - friendly, outgoing, team player, solitary, introspective, etc.
Time Frame Preferences - morning or night person, work overtime or on weekends, flexible hours, etc.
Workplace Appearance - matching your likes to the business setting, color and style preferences, etc.
Below you will find sets of employment attributes. Please identify those traits which best represent you.
After you have selected those traits that match with your personality, think of past work (paid or unpaid) settings that match your selections.
By recalling past examples of employment and unpaid work related experiences you will begin to visualize those work settings that best match your preferred work environments. This information can help identify business environments where you feel most comfortable. Marketing your skills to these businesses will be easier because you will have already determined an environmental match.
To make a good match with any work environment you must recognize that personal appearance is of utmost importance. Often a company culture will dictate an unwritten dress policy. By not recognizing or adhering to this unwritten code you send messages such as: not a team player, lack of maturity, or not serious about the job.
How you dress sends a message in 30 seconds about your attitude, judgment, seriousness and understanding of business values. Putting on a new suit will not meet the unwritten company policy. This quick change illusion is quickly seen through by the company culture. It is important that you dress for success as a way of life by projecting a winning image.
Personality Traits (Check all that apply)
¨ Trustworthy
¨ Self Starter
¨ Friendly
¨ Can Keep confidences
¨ Understanding
¨ Compassionate
¨ Seek Perfection
¨ Confident
¨ Helpful
¨ Loyal
¨ Outgoing
¨ Team Player
¨ Sincere
¨ Too Self Critical
¨ Perfectionist
¨ Good Listener
¨ Personable
¨ Impatient
¨ Work at best alone
¨ Bitter
¨ Honest
¨ Caring
¨ Too sensitive
¨ Dependable
Take some time now and recall experiences that exhibit those selections that you have made. Ask yourself, which of the traits are important to the work I am seeking? Write down examples from your past to use on your resume or save as items you can use in an interview. For those selections which are negative, ask yourself, what have I been doing to change or modify those traits?
Time Frame Preference Traits (Check all that apply)
¨ Up early
¨ Long work days
¨ Punctual
¨ Sometimes lage
¨ Flexible starting time
¨ Flexible schedule
¨ Work 8-5 only
¨ Like deadlines
¨ Meet deadlines
¨ overtime OK
¨ Prefer mornings
¨ Always late
¨ No overtime
¨ No weekend work
¨ Set breaks at work
¨ Prefer evenings
¨ Up late
¨ Work weekends
¨ Work anytime
¨ Will stay late
¨ on call OK
¨ Set my hours
Ask yourself if you need to make some changes to your time frame preferences. Do your choices or current preferences closely match the work hours of the employer or job types you are seeking? What are the work hour requirements of most employers in the type of work you will be seeking?
Workplace Appearance (Check all that apply)
¨ Suit
¨ Shirt/Tie
¨ Dress
¨ Sport coat
¨ Casual
¨ Street Dress
¨ Blazer
¨ Uniform
¨ Coveralls
¨ Hat
¨ Shorts
¨ Dress Pants
¨ Dress Shirt
¨ Blouse
¨ Business Style
¨ My own style
¨ Neat appearence
¨ Fashionable dress
When considering your preferences for work place appearance, remember that the colors and styles of your wardrobe must be reflective of the business culture in which you will be seeking employment. If you’re in doubt, always play it safe by dressing conservatively and professionally.
Review your choices and reflect on the business environments where you want to be employed. Do your preferences match employer expectations?
