Essential Trait for Job Search (& You Already Have It!)

What you need to succeed at work is something you already have: grit! My former Harvard classmate and now Penn professor/MacArthur grant winner Angela Duckworth has found that grit is a significant predictor of success. The ability to work hard and maintain focus for prolonged periods is key, even more so than pure intelligence.

Why do I already know you have have grit? Because you persevered through college and law school and passed the bar. (Don’t believe me? Take the grit test and see how you come out against the average American: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/.)

But what got you to your current spot — grinding through college and law school — will not directly get you where you want to go. Yes, learning how to analyze complex matters, assess risk, and speak to lawyers is important. But now use your underlying grit, i.e., passion and perseverance, to power your job search and achieve career goals. Figure out what job is best for you, fill in any gaps in skills, and get in the good graces of key players in that space so you will be considered for top jobs. This process takes focus and determination, which you have in spades!