Grit — Personality Employers Want	
Grit — New Skill Employers Want (page 1 of 2)	
WHAT IS GRIT?
Grit is the ability to keep going and stick with a goal even when 
you experience roadblocks or failure – while keeping a positive 
attitude.  Talent and smarts are good — but to succeed, workers 
need the skill of grit.  In fact, workers with personalities that 
include grit often get more raises and promotions than talented 
and smart workers who are lazy (opposite of grit).  .
WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS HELP ME GET GRIT?  
Passion — Enjoy what you do and want to do it well.
Motivation — Desire and willingness to do something
Perseverance — Ability to keep going and going (like the Energizer bunny)
Resilience – Ability to bounce back, get up, and try again after failure
Discipline – Ability to do what needs to be done without being told to do it.
Optimism — Ability to look on the positive side of situations, people, and problems
DO EMPLOYERS TEST FOR GRIT?
Some employers test for physical grit — the military!  
Grit testing comes during Boot Camp — and extreme grit testing is use
d 
to select recruits for Special Forces such as Navy Seals, Army Green 
Beret, Army Delta Force, Marine Raiders, Marine Recon, and Air Force 
Pararescue.  Other employers who test for physical grit are city, county, 
and state police officer and fire fighting training camps.  
WHY DO EMPLOYERS WANT JOB SEEKERS WITH GRIT?
New hires with grit have good chance of  success, promotion, and of becoming a leader such as shift 
leader, assistant manager, or manager.  Grit is mental toughness that gives workers the skill to work 
gracefully (positive and polite) through a difficult situation or customer .  
Also, grit is the skill to view the difficult situation and customers as a 
learning experience  instead of failure.  Grit helps new hires learn their 
job tasks.  Grit helps workers enjoy learning new tasks.  Grit helps
you do what needs to be done even when the supervisor is not watching. 
HOW DOES A PERSON WITH PERSONALITY THAT INCLUDES GRIT THINK?
Job seeker without grit:  If that employer didn’t hire me, no one will.
Job seeker with grit: That job interview was great practice for my next interview.
Worker without grit:  I don’t want to talk to that customer ever again.
Worker with grit:  I look forward to making that customer a friend who li
kes our store.

Permission to use with usworkworld.com subscription.  	Grit — New Skill Employers Want (page 2 of 2)	
QUICK CHECK:	with grit will think.
9.  Give a good answer to the following interview 
questions:  a) Tell me of a time when you failed 
and what you did about it.  b) Tell me about a 
time you faced a challenge.  
10. To learn grit:  a) What do you enjoy?  b) What  do you understand?  c) What do you always do?
  d) What do you develop?  e) What do you 
 discover? 
11.  a) What is your learning plus your grit?  
  b) What is you skills plus your grit?
12. a) What is the name of a person you know who  has a successful job.  b) What is this person's 
job?  c) Do you think you can learn skills then 
practice to have a successful job in the future?
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ASKED TO SEARCH FOR GRIT
 
Q:  Tell me of a time when you failed and what you did about it.
A:  I failed algebra the first time, then I found a tutor and studied 2 hours 
per day, and got a B grade when I retook the class.
A:  At the karate tournament, I failed to make it to the finals.  I practiced hard for two months, and during 
the next tournament, I made it to the finals and won a trophy.
Q:	 Tell	me	about	a	long-term	project	you	stuck	with	and	finished.
A:  I restored a 1980s Chevy truck engine and body. I take the truck to car shows now.
A:  I worked with the yearbook staff to put together a popular yearbook for our school.
Q:  Tell me about a time you faced a challenge.
A:  I put together a slide show for my brother’s graduation from junior high school.  I gathered the slides, 
put them in order, then provided music to go with the slide show.  The slide show was a big hit at the 
graduation party.
 
HOW DO I LEARN GRIT?
Enjoy — Practice, practice, and more practice to become better at somethin
g.  
Understand  — That success takes time— and failure is a stepping stone to success. 
 
Always — Forgive yourself, then start again.  
Develop — The skill to spot something good in a difficult situation or person.  
Discover — Purpose (reason it is good) for everything you do.  
Know — That your grit is the main ingredient in the formula below —
                 YOUR LEARNING PLUS YOUR GRIT = YOUR SKILLS
                 YOUR SKILLS PLUS YOUR GRIT = YOUR SUCCESS                                     
1.  What is grit?
2.  What 2 things "more" do workers with grit get 
than talented/smart workers who are lazy?
3.  Define the following words:  a) Passion.  
  b) Motivation.  c) Perseverance.  d) Resilience.
  e) Discipline.  f) Optimism  
4.  Name one employer who tests for grit.
5.  New hires with grit have higher chance of what 
3 things?
6.  List 2 words that define "gracefully."
7.  Grit gives the skill to view difficult situation and 
customer as  what instead of  what?
8.  Give one example of:  a) What a job seeker 
without grit may think.  b) What a job seeker