Work Ethic in Action: Powering Your Career Change

workspace with laptop, open notebook and coffee

How would you rate your work ethic? How would your co-workers describe it? And why does it matter for your career change process? Simply defined, work ethic is a collective term that incorporates multiple character traits that represent your commitment to completing work thoroughly, consistently and with integrity. It is a set of values that guide your professional behavior. Let’s dig a little deeper.

The connection between work ethic & career change

Your decision to make a career change is a time of excitement and anticipation about what waits around the next corner. At the same time, it can feel like an overwhelming journey, filled with new challenges, uncertainty, and a steep learning curve. One of your best tools for powering through a career transition is a strong work ethic. Aside from fueling your day-to-day drive to stay on task, a strong work ethic may also be your most powerful asset when transitioning into a new sector or position. Switching jobs or making a career pivot into a new sector requires more than just expertise and skills. Your work ethic is a soft skill that will set you apart from competitors in the job marketplace. Let’s explore how to use a strong work ethic to your advantage. In this blog, we will explore:

• What a strong work ethic looks like

• Work ethic strategies that will help your career transition

• How to cultivate a strong work ethic
  

What does a strong work ethic look like?

A strong work ethic consists of many traits that employers value, such as commitment, adaptability and perseverance. Recently is has become a top skill that employers are looking for when hiring new employees. They want to know that new hires are willing to work hard, stay disciplined and remain reliable. Employers also want to see that you take initiative and will persevere when the going gets tough. In short, employers want to know that they can count on you. In addition to what it demonstrates to future employers, a solid work ethic is essential in your career change process. Without it, you may lose your momentum, let small challenges derail your progress, and spend time spinning your wheels to get nowhere.

In a Forbes article (2024), Castrillon identifies 3 important traits that demonstrate a strong work ethic: integrity, professionalism and accountability. Writing for Indeed (2024), Herrity lists 7 ways to demonstrate your work ethic. They include minimizing distraction, setting SMART goals based on feedback from colleagues and/or mentors, learning to prioritize tasks, and developing effective time management skills.

Depending on what you read or who you follow, demonstrating a strong work includes the following behaviors and values, whether you are changing careers or seeking a promotion.

• Integrity.

  • This is often described as doing the right thing when no one is watching because of your strong moral principles and honesty.

  • To what extent do you hold yourself to high ethical standards?

• Reliability.

  • Not only do you show up, but do you show up on time?

  • Do you consistently meet deadlines?

• Productivity.

  • Learn to prioritize tasks by their importance and develop effective time management skills.

  • Strive to exceed expectations of project completion (timing and quality).

  • Organize your work – daily and weekly. Take a few minutes at the start and end of each day to determine what you want to accomplish and then assess whether you did.

• Diligence.

  • Be sure to meet, or better yet exceed, the criteria attached to a project or task – quality, deadline, etc.

  • To what extent do you produce quality work?

• Accountability.

  • Take ownership of your work.

  • Complete work without needing much oversight.

  • Can people count on you to complete a task on deadline?

• Professionalism.

  • Uphold high standards of behavior and attitude in the workplace.

  • This includes your style of communication, how respectful you are to colleagues and clients, and how accountable you are for your work.

  • What commitment have you made to ongoing professional development and continuous improvement?

• Respect for your colleagues and the organization.

  • Keep a positive attitude toward the company and other employees.

  • Prepare for meetings in advance to avoid wasting everyone’s time.

  • Review your work (proofread) before submitting to the leadership team, coworkers and committees.

  • Be punctual.

• Self-motivation and initiative.

  • Strive to go above & beyond what is required (or expected).

  • Are you a self-starter or do you need consistent nudges to get your work done?

• Adaptability.

  • Be open to feedback and continuous improvement.

  • When solving problems, how quickly do you recover from mistakes?

  • When an unexpected assignment interrupts your agenda, how gracefully do you accept it?

• Resilience.

  • To what extent do you remain committed to your work during challenges and setbacks?

• Teamwork.

  • Be a team player. There is no “i” in team.

  • Support the efforts of your co-workers.

• Balance.

  • Take brain breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout

  • A strong work ethic includes taking care of your mental and physical health.

  While this is not an exhaustive list of character traits that define a strong work ethic, it may provide a framework for assessing your own work ethic. 

Work ethic strategies for your career change journey

Career changers share many common challenges in their quest to transition into a new field. Some of the most common challenges can be overcome with a strong work ethic. 

• Lack of industry-specific experience

  • Seek opportunities to demonstrate your commitment to your current profession or the one you wish to enter

  • Fill knowledge gaps

• Skill gaps

  • Focus on transferable skills

  • Pursue relevant certification or training to develop new competencies

  • Learn new skills by shadowing or volunteering

• Limited network in new sector

  • Get out and meet people (in person)

  • Find local networking events (for tips on networking)

• Overcoming imposter syndrome

  • Ask trusted coworkers for honest feedback about what you do well and what are your weak points

  • Set SMART goals according to their feedback

  • Build confidence by celebrating your successes

  • Re-frame negative thoughts with positive affirmations

  • Visualize success

Final thoughts

Ultimately, a strong work ethic will help you turn potential challenges into opportunities for growth and achievement; it is a commitment to excellence. The good news is that like any skill, you can learn new strategies. It requires practice, persistence, and patience; all of which will help you build a solid work ethic with consistent effort over time.

Pause for a moment to reflect on your own work habits and overall work ethic. How does your work ethic stack up against these traits? What story does your work ethic tell about you? What tweaks can you make to power your career change process?

If you are not sure how to portray your best work ethic on a résumé or in an interview, reach out and let’s have a conversation. I am here to help.