Employers in nearly every industry value workers who possess a good work ethic. Some primary characteristics of a good work ethic include discipline, reliability, and dedication.
You could be considered more employable if you have a good work ethic, which may lead to many job offers. You could also use your work ethic to position yourself for better job opportunities within your current employer.
Characteristics of a Good Work Ethic
If you have a good work ethic, you likely exhibit a particular set of behaviors and values that can make you stand out from other employees. For instance, you may place a high value on your professional success. In addition, you might also exhibit moral principles and believe in the importance of your job; that hard work is the key to attaining and maintaining a strong character.
The most common characteristics of a good work ethic include the following:
- Reliability
- Dedication
- Discipline
- Productivity
- Cooperation
- Integrity
- Responsibility
- Professionalism
If you strive to improve your work ethic, there are some skills that you could use to demonstrate so your exceptional skills stand out to your employers and coworkers. These can include acting professionally and dedicating yourself to your job.
Other essential skills that can improve your work ethic can include:
- Act as an ambassador of the company. Company ambassadors maintain a positive attitude toward the organization in professional and personal interactions. You could also seek out ways to increase business during your time off. An example of this is passing a potential client lead to a coworker.
- Prioritize your professional responsibilities. By prioritizing your profession, your excellent work ethic can also stand out. For instance, you could exhibit behaviors like maintaining good attendance at work, arriving early for meetings, and only taking personal calls when you are not on the clock.
- Seek professional development opportunities. There are many available resources and professional development opportunities that could help you improve your work ethic. In this case, you could take job-related classes at night or over the weekend, read industry publications, and attend informational seminars.
- Review your work. You should only turn in projects after double-checking them for accuracy and quality. Again, good time management skills can help you give each project ample attention and turn them in before the due date.
- Show respect to others. Showing respect can include speaking politely to and about others in the workplace, which includes managers and coworkers. You should also strive to keep your business interactions professional to show respect for others.
How to Highlight Your Good Work Ethic to Managers or Potential New Employers
If your goal is to move up in your current company or make a job change, you can highlight your good work ethic by emphasizing some values associated with the information on your resume and as you describe your previous job(s). You could also provide examples of your integrity by giving examples of when you admitted a mistake you made and took steps to fix the error.
