Work Ethic Skills	
Work Ethic Skills (page 1 of 2)	
Foundation Work Skills
Foundation is the floor on which a house is built.  "Foundation work 
skills" are the skills on which a career is built.  Without a solid 
foundation, a house will fall down.  Without foundation work skills, a 
career will fail.  The TEN foundation work skills words are:  
attendance, character, teamwork, appearance, attitude, productive, 
organized, communicator, cooperative, and respectful.  
Foundation work skills are important in any job — from airline pilot to zookeeper .  For example, if a test 
pilot is an excellent pilot but does not get to work on time, the test pilot will be fired as a result of a poor 
foundation work skills — the skill of showing up to work on time.  
Work Ethic Skills
Foundation work skills are also called "work ethic" or "work ethic skills."  For example, if a test pilot does 
not get to work on time, the employer will say, "Our test pilot does not have a good work ethic."
Work Ethic - PLUS - Like to Learn - EQUALS - Career Success
Workers who have a good work ethic — and like to learn new skills — are 
rewarded by employers with more job responsibility, raises, and promotions.  
The process of earning responsibility, raises, and promotions is called 
"climbing the career ladder."
Climbing the Career Ladder
Step #1 — You get a job.  Now you can show that you have a good work ethic 
and also like to learn new skills and things about the job.
Step #2 — You get a raise.  Then keep a good work ethic and continue to learn 
new skills and things about the job.
Step #3 — You get a promotion.  To reward you for your good work ethic and 
learning skills.  
Step #4 — What may be the top job of your career  ladder?  It may be a high 
paying job as a supervisor or manager.
Work Ethic Skills are Transferable (Bring With You) Skills
Why should you try to climb the career ladder?  Because when you interview for a new job, 
the employer will offer you a higher salary.  You proved that:  1) You have work experience. 
2) You climbed the career ladder so you have good work ethic skills and like to learn.  3) You will transfer 
(bring with you) work ethic skills to the new job.  Work ethic skills are  used in all jobs.
Your TEN Work Ethic Skills
1)   Attendance:  You report to work on time and ready to work every time scheduled to work.  If you 
need time off, you tell the employer in advance so that another worker can be scheduled. When sick, 
you call the employer as soon as possible.  You take correct time for breaks and meal periods.

Permission to use with usworkworld.com subscription.  	Work Ethic Skills (page 2 of 2)	
QUICK CHECK:
1. What are "foundation work skills"?  
2.  a) What will happen to a career without 
  foundation work skills?  b) Write down 3 of the 
10 foundation work skill words?
3.  a) What are foundation work skills also called?  
b) What will an employer say about a test pilot 
who does not get to work on time?
4.  a) What PLUS what EQUALS Career Success?  
b) What is process of earning responsibility, 
promotions, and raises called?
5.  a) What is Step #1 on your career ladder?  
  b) What is Step #2?  c) What is Step #3?  
  d) What may the top job of your career ladder?
6.  a) Why should you try to climb the career 
  ladder?  b) List 3 things you proved when you 
climbed the careeer ladder.
7.  Attendance:  List 3 things to do to prove you 
have good attendance skills.
8.  What is character also called?  
9.  Define:  a) Loyal.  b) Reliable.  c) Trustworthy.  
2)  
Character:  Character is also called your personality or
  your reputation.  Your character includes: 
  a) Loyal:   Speak well of company, products, and workers.   
  b) Reliable:   Keep working even when not supervised.   
  c) Trustworthy:  Honest with property and information.   
  d) Initiative:   Do what needs doing without waiting to be 
told and always looking for more work to do and doing it.   
  e) Self-discipline:   Ability to control your feelings so that 
you do and say the right thing.
3)   Teamwork:  You work smoothly and smartly together with coworkers to do the job duties. 
4)   Appearance:  You wear correct clothing and hair style for the job — clean, neat, and teeth brushed.
5)   Attitude:  You have good thoughts and words about the company and workers.  Not a complainer.
6)   Productive:  You work at work.  You work accurately.  You follow rules and ways of doing things.
7)   Organized:   You plan the job before you start (what tools are needed and what time is needed) — so 
that the job is done neatly, accurately, and on time.  .   
8)   Communicator:  Your talk, writing, and social media are accurate, kind, and professional. 
9)   Cooperative:  You are friendly and kind towards others.  You handle criticism, complaints, and      
conflicts with calmness, politeness, and poise (turning hot anger situations into cool self-control).
10) Respectful.  You treat everyone you meet as an important person —  and with empathy (understand and respect another person's thoughts 
and feelings).
d) Initiative.  e) Self-discipline.
10. To prove you have teamwork skills, how do you  work with coworkers?
11.  How do you prove you have a positive attitude?
12. How do you prove you are a productive worker? 
13. How do you prove that you are an organized  worker?
14. How do you prove that you are a good 
  communicator?
15. How do you prove that you are a cooperative  worker?
16. How do you prove that you are a respectful  worker?
17. Define "empathy."
18.  Pretend you are the manager of a Computer  Sales & Service Store.  a) Of the 10 work ethic 
skills, write down 5 that you want to see in your 
workers.  b) If a worker was late to work every 
Monday morning, what would you do?  c) If a 
worker posted bad comments on social media 
about the computer repair service in your store, 
what would you do?