Management 13th Edition by John Schermerhorn,Daniel Bachrach

Exercise 24

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF
Conscientiousness is often at the top of recruiters' "must-have" lists.
Conscientiousness Is a Career Booster
Conscientiousness is the degree to which an individual is achievement-oriented, careful, hard-working, organized, persevering, responsible, and thorough. People who are low on conscientiousness tend to be laid back, less goal-oriented, less driven by success, and less self-disciplined. They are also often procrastinators.
Many employers tend to hire for attitude and train for skill. They try to identify future top performers by focusing on key personality characteristics that are likely to predict job success. Conscientiousness is often at the top of recruiters' "must-have" lists. Their search for clues about an individual job candidate's potential covers things like those shown in the box.
Are you someone whom others would describe as efficient, prompt, systematic, thorough, careful, practical, neat, and steady If you can check off each of these attributes as a positive personal characteristic that accurately describes you then you're on the right path when it comes to conscientiousness. This is a good path to be on. Conscientiousness often is associated with job success. Remember too that conscientiousness is easy to monitor. Its presence or absence will always be evident in the way you approach work and how you follow through with the tasks and challenges you face.
Conscientiousness is a personality characteristic that is positively related to work performance across a wide range of jobs. How about you Can your credentials meet a recruiter's conscientiousness challenge Why or why not

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF BETTER
Just how conscientious are you, not only in work and school situations but in your everyday life Take the conscientiousness test in the box. Ask: "How would others rate me on these same characteristics " Ask also: "Should I just accept where I am in terms of conscientiousness, or are there things I can do to change my behavior in ways that can make me more conscientious in the future " Put your thoughts about whether conscientiousness is one of your personal traits down on paper. Share it with someone who knows you well and ask whether they agree, or not. Honest feedback can be important to your professional development.