College is full of new adventures and stressful beginnings. However, almost universally, college students feel overwhelmed at the hope of being successful in our lives—whether it be from the pressure from parents to have a six-figure career or because you are just the type of person who is extremely tough on themselves.
In order to be the most successful version of yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. Below I have listed the top ten personality traits you will find in most people that have achieved success in their lives.
1. Always be on time.
One of the very first impressions a future employer has of you is your timing. Whether it be for an interview, phone call or your first day on the job—no one wants an employee that is never on time.
2. Dress the part.
When it comes to the clothing you are supposed to wear to work, (if you don't have a uniform) you should always dress to be taken seriously. My mom has always told me, "When in doubt, over dress." No future employers will ever look down on you for wearing a dress or a suit to an interview, chances are that is actually what they are expecting.
3. Come to work motivated.
The most successful people in our society go into work every day with an active mind. These types of people are always thinking about what could be improved in the work place to make things run more smoothly. Workers that walk into work every morning with an open, and also inspired, mind are usually the types of workers that go further in the industry.
4. Leave personal issues at the door.
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous personality trait. If you are coming to work motivated then there is no way you could also be harboring vengeful thoughts. However, if there is a problem with fellow employees, this may be something your boss needs to be notified of if things cannot be resolved.
5. Keep your eyes wide open.
Not in the literal sense, unless you are trying to get weird looks from people. Having your eyes wide open simply means to constantly be on the lookout for something else to learn or someone else to introduce yourself to. Make your presence known to those around you. Don't just walk in to work every day, clock in, do your job description and leave. This is the exact type of employee that does not make it very far in the industry.
6. Be curious.
This also goes hand in hand with the previous trait. Curiosity is a must when it comes to making it far in any industry. If you aren't the least bit curious or engaged in your career, then how can you expect to learn anything new or to improve the business at all?
7. Make sure you enjoy what you're doing.
This may seem like common sense, but if you don't thoroughly enjoy the place you work for then why would you even want to be successful at it? I believe we are all born with particular passions, and we are all born with particular skills. Sometimes these happen to be the same thing, and those are the people that (probably) don't even need to read this article. Passions are one thing, but if you don't have fun with what you are getting paid to do then there is really no point in even trying. There is someone else out there that will do that job ten times better than you because they are curious, engaged and enjoying the task at hand.
8. Be prepared to be wrong.
Just because you got the job and you are now working for a place where you could see yourself becoming extremely successful doesn't mean you know the end-all-be-all of everything there is to know about the industry or business. There is an old saying that goes, "You learn something new every day." Nothing has ever been more true. Especially in a work environment.
9. Be patient (to an extent).
Sometimes things take time. Sometimes things don't happen as quickly or exactly how you had originally anticipated. Timing is everything and in order to be successful you should always keep a little patience in your back pocket, wherever you go with whatever you do.
10. Come to work with ideas.
This goes along with coming to work motivated but takes it a step further to actually having an idea for improvements in the workplace. Just once a week, say Mondays for example, come to work with an idea prepared. A prepared idea is more than just a brainstorm. Be ready to answer questions that your boss may ask you about this idea. Basically, have a small pitch ready for something that inspired you to help better the business. Even if the idea is never heard by anyone else besides your boss, it is your boss that will see all the effort you are putting in each week.
There are many other traits that are apparent in any successful person. This is just a list of the top ten traits that I believe every successful person should acquire. One day we will all graduate and leave this cozy campus for the real world. When that day comes, just go ahead and reference back to this article, and I'm sure you will be just fine.
