What’s your personality worth?

When searching for a new job, we normally pay attention to information like experience, education and skills.  But what about our personalities?  Have you ever considered how your personality translates into a paycheck?

That’s the question the Career Assessment Site put to the test.  Using the Myers-Briggs personality test, they determined the traits that earn the most and those that earn the least. 

The most prevalent personality traits of top earners include being driven, forward thinking and decisive.  These are people who are focused on getting ahead and often don’t allow other people to steer them off their paths.  They’re also more often the people who are unafraid to ask for raises in pay or to take risks that may pay off for their companies and themselves. 

Top earners are also results-oriented and are quickly able to notice inefficiencies.  This allows them to streamline company procedures and maximize profits.  You may notice more questions in the interview process geared toward identifying these personality traits.  Questions that require you to highlight the outcomes of your previous job performance. 

The people who earn the most are also able to take criticism.  They understand that the goal of the organization is to maximize profits and the quality of services and that criticism is not meant to be taken personally.  They don’t allow insecurities to get the best of them or grudges to prevent them from doing the best work they can do.

Lastly, top earners are visible.  They don’t hide out in their cubicle and avoid interacting with others.  They embrace a team mentality and are eager to get involved in projects.  They also tend to be more optimistic which fosters persistence and an ability to rise after failure. 

The good news is that our personalities, while consistent, are not completely fixed.  This means, we can learn to behave a little more like our opposites intentionally.  For instance, introverts can learn to behave more like extraverts by learning to balance opportunities for visibility with their need to recharge after social interactions.  The effort may equal more change in your pocket.