There are many positive character traits for employees that you should keep in mind as you try to market yourself through your resume, cover letter, and job interview. Hard job skills and industry-related experience are valuable attributes, but it’s important to highlight your soft job skills and positive character traits as well.
Some people think of characteristics as merely a description of your personality, but this isn’t necessarily the case. When employers consider the question, what qualities should a good employee have? they are interested in your values, habits, perspectives, and work ethic. This is to say that although people exhibit natural inclinations regarding character traits and soft job skills, they are also cultivated and can be learned over time.
For example, someone may naturally be responsible, but that doesn’t mean that someone who struggles with personal accountability cannot consciously choose to be more responsible. Similarly, it’s possible to learn confidence over time. Just like someone can learn how to be punctual or practice their communication skills.
Demonstrating the characteristics of a great employee can be key in landing you your dream job. In this article, we will review the qualities of a good employee and how to best highlight these traits on your resume.
In this section, we will review 30 qualities of a good employee candidate. Take note of each of these traits and decide which ones apply to you that you would like to highlight in your job application. You may also want to take note of one or two traits that you would like to try to develop over time. This will be key when reflecting on your career goals.
Remember, personal and professional development often go hand in hand.
Qualities of a good worker often go hand-in-hand with soft employment skills. This is because soft job skills often present themselves as natural talents. While soft job skills often come naturally, they can also be cultivated.
Soft skills in the workplace are key to establishing healthy working habits and environments. Employers want to foster healthy workplace cultures and dynamics and prevent signs of a toxic work environment. This is why it is so important to highlight your positive character traits in your job applications. Overall, emphasizing your positive character traits will help you market yourself appropriately and increase your chances of landing meaningful employment opportunities.
Soft job skills are great attributes to include in your resume. This is especially true if you are writing an entry-level resume and need to find ways to supplement your lack of practical work experience. Consider some of the job skills below to include in your resume and highlight them in any upcoming job interviews.
There are several options for where to put soft skills on a resume; this applies to positive character traits as well. Most often, though, you will include these details in a “skills and certifications” section. If you are wondering how many soft skills to put on a resume or how many positive character traits to include, you should generally aim for about 5 or 6 skills and traits.
Whether you choose to write a chronological, functional, or hybrid resume may also influence where you decide to include these details. Review the different types of resumes to determine the best options available to you.
Identifying your positive character traits will help you immensely in your job search. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned professional or are trying to figure out how to write an incredible entry-level resume, knowing how to market yourself effectively is key.
Knowing how to answer the “tell me about yourself” interview question and highlighting your soft job skills will help job recruiters and prospective employers get to know who you are as a person and how that influences the type of worker you are. These are key considerations in determining whether or not a job candidate is a good “culture fit” for a workplace. This is why soft skills are important in the workplace.
If you are struggling to identify your natural strengths and career goals, you may want to consider career coaching and counseling. Here at Prepory, we have the resources and expertise to help you meet your professional goals, regardless of what they may be: reach out to learn more about our services.
In today's job market, showcasing positive character traits and soft job skills is essential. Employers seek candidates with industry-related experience and hard job skills, but also value those who demonstrate personal values, habits, perspectives, and work ethic.
The rules of crafting your college application essays are generally the same. Here’s what to not to do on your college application essays.
There are plenty of options for test-optional colleges in 2023. That said, learning how to find the right college for you can be a difficult process. Remember, even if you take the SAT and/or ACT, you do not necessarily need to submit your scores.
Test-optional and test-blind admissions have been on the rise since 2020. Some test-optional and test-blind colleges plan to make this change permanent. Other schools are transitioning back to their old standards. This is why it’s important to remain aware of admissions trends and what colleges are extending test-optional policies.
In this article, we will review the differences between test-optional colleges and test-blind colleges. We will also discuss some of the pros and cons of applying to test-optional colleges, as well as provide a comprehensive list of test-blind colleges. Not only will this help you stay organized during the college application process, but it will also help you clarify your standardized testing plans as you prepare for college application season.
What is test-optional admissions and how is it different from test-blind admissions?
Test-optional colleges do not require students to submit standardized test scores. That said, if a student chooses to include their SAT and/or ACT scores, the college will consider their scores. It won’t be a key admissions factor, but it will still play a role.
For example, if a college is trying to decide between two comparable applicants, but one student submitted impressive test scores and the other didn’t, the student who submitted test scores will likely gain admission over the other student.
So how is this different from test-blind colleges? Test-blind universities do not allow students to submit their test scores. Therefore, test scores do not play a role in the college’s decision-making process.
In short, the key difference between test-optional admissions and test-blind admissions is that test-optional colleges will consider test scores if submitted, whereas test-blind colleges will not even look at test scores.
Since the rise of test-optional admissions standards, many students have found themselves wondering, does test-optional hurt your chances? The answer to this question is fairly nuanced.
Test-blind colleges will never look at an applicant’s test scores. Test-optional colleges, however, will consider them if submitted. Therefore, submitting standardized test scores to a test-optional college may grant your application a competitive edge. Again, this is not the case for test-blind schools.
If you apply to colleges without test scores, it’s important to realize that the rest of your college application takes on more importance. Chiefly your high school GPA and evidence of course rigor. These are two of the most important factors that college admissions officers look for in an applicant.
Below is a list of test-blind schools for 2023. Some of the best test-blind colleges include California Institute of Technology, Pitzer College, University of California (Berkeley), University of California (Los Angeles), and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
| College | Location | Undergrad population | Testing policy | Acceptance rate | US News ranking |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | 987 | Test-blind through Fall 2023 | 4% | #9 in National Universities |
| California State Maritime Academy (CSU) | Vallejo, CA | 907 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 82% | #3 in Regional Colleges West |
| Cal Poly Pomona (CSU) | Pomona, CA | 26,974 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 61% | #14 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (CSU) | San Luis Obispo, CA | 21,093 | Test-blind through Fall 2022 | 33% | #2 in Regional Universities West |
| Cal State Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA | 9,367 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 85% | #60 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Cal State Channel Islands | Camarillo, CA | 6,947 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 79% | #28 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Cal State Chico | Chico, CA | 14,406 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 85% | #26 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Cal State Dominguez Hills | Carson, CA | 15,070 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 90% | #56 in Regional Universities West |
| Cal State East Bay | Hayward, CA | 12,462 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 73% | #331-440 in National Universities |
| Cal State Fresno | Fresno, CA | 21,776 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 97% | #250 in National Universities (tie) |
| Cal State Fullerton | Fullerton, CA | 35,401 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 59% | #166 in National Universities (tie) |
| Cal State Long Beach | Long Beach, CA | 33,605 | Test blind through 2022-23 | 47% | #137 in National Universities (tie) |
| Cal State Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 23,484 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 91% | #24 in Regional Universities West |
| Cal State Monterey Bay | Seaside, CA | 6,693 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 93% | #22 in Regional Universities West |
| Cal State Northridge | Northridge, CA | 34,275 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 73% | #32 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Cal State Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | 28,904 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 94% | #38 in Regional Universities West |
| Cal State San Bernardino | San Bernardino, CA | 16,704 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 91% | #194 in National Universities (tie) |
| Cal State San Marcos (CSU) | San Marcos, CA | 13,865 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 93% | #39 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Cal State Stanislaus (CSU) | Turlock, CA | 9,198 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 95% | #25 in Regional Universities West |
| City College of New York (CUNY) | New York, NY | 12,364 | Test-blind through Spring 2023 | 60% | #151 in National Universities (tie) |
| Dickinson College | Carlisle, PA | 2,173 | Test-blind through 2023 | 48% | #51 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie) |
| Hampshire College | Amherst, MA | 472 | Permanently test-blind | 75% | #120 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie) |
| Humboldt State University (CSU) | Arcata, CA | 5,201 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 91% | #32 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Loyola University New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | 3,365 | Permanently test-blind | 78% | #202 in National Universities (tie) |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL | 11,834 | Permanently test-blind | 70% | #331-440 in National Universities |
| Northern Michigan University | Marquette, MI | 6,611 | Permanently test-blind | 71% | #82 in Regional Universities Midwest (tie) |
| Pitzer College | Claremont, CA | 1,185 | Test-blind through 2025 | 18% | #33 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie) |
| Reed College | Portland, OR | 1,366 | Test-blind through Fall 2022 | 42% | #72 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie) |
| San Diego State University (CSU) | San Diego, CA | 30,865 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 38% | #151 in National Universities (tie) |
| San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA | 27,179 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 93% | #234 in National Universities (tie) |
| San Jose State University (CSU) | San Jose, CA | 28,288 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 84% | #16 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Sonoma State University (CSU) | Rohnert Park, CA | 6,587 | Test-blind through 2022-23 | 94% | #35 in Regional Universities West (tie) |
| Stonehill College | Easton, MA | 2,423 | Test-blind through Fall 2022 | 72% | #89 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (tie) |
| University of California–Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 32,143 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 15% | #20 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–Davis | Davis, CA | 31,657 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 49% | #38 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–Irvine | Irvine, CA | 29,449 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 29% | #34 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | 32,119 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 11% | #20 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–Merced | Merced, CA | 8,321 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 87% | #97 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–Riverside | Riverside, CA | 22,866 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 66% | #89 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–San Diego | La Jolla, CA | 33,343 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 34% | #34 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of California–Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | 23,091 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 29% | #32 in National Universities (tie) |
| University of San Diego | La Jolla, CA | 5,702 | Test-blind through Fall 2024 | 53% | #97 in National Universities (tie) |
| Washington State University | Pullman, WA | 24,278 | Permanently test-blind | 86% | #212 in National Universities (tie) |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA | 5,224 | Permanently test-blind | 60% | #67 in National Universities (tie) |
You may have noticed from the list above that most of the country’s test-blind colleges are located in California. Why is that?
After a 2020 ruling by an Alameda County Superior Court judge, the University of California suspended the use of standardized tests for admissions and scholarship decisions. According to the LA Times, Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman argued that “The barriers faced by students with disabilities have been greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 epidemic, which has disrupted test-taking locations, closed schools and limited access to school counselors.” Three years later, the University of California and California State University remain test-blind.
There are plenty of options for test-optional colleges in 2023. That said, learning how to find the right college for you can be a difficult process, and it’s best to increase your options by taking the SAT and/or ACT. (Remember, even if you take the SAT and/or ACT, you do not necessarily need to submit your scores.)
If you suffer from test-taking anxiety, review our article on how to prepare for SAT or ACT test day. You’ll also want to review upcoming SAT and ACT test dates so you prepare and come up with an SAT study plan and schedule. Remember though, applying to test-blind and test-optional colleges is a great option for many students.
If you have questions about what actually happens during the college admissions committee review or how to get into an Ivy League, reach out to learn more about our services. Here at Prepory, we have the resources to help you reach all of your college goals.
