It is hard to find the right combination in an individual. It takes many qualities to make a successful individual. The top 10 qualities/skills employers seek include:

INTEGRITY: This may be the most important of all qualities. Employers want an individual who can stick to their word and complete any task and/or project the right way. This includes honesty and doing the right thing in any given situation. Integrity can confirm you dedication to your position.

CONSISTENCY: An individual cannot expect to be successful if he/she is great one week and terrible the next two weeks. A consistent performance is the basis of any success. If an employer does not know what to expect on any given day, they will not likely trust an individual.

RELIABILITY: This is, perhaps, an extension of consistency. A constant performance does not always equal reliability. An employer should be able to trust an individual to complete any task given. That task should also be completed within any given guidelines.

TIMELINESS: Be on time. There should be no need to explain this. Be early, never late. This displays a respect for the time table of a job. "The early bird gets the worm (project)." You also do not want to take a week on a task that should take you two days. Time management is such an important aspect of timeliness.

ORGANIZATION: It does not matter if a person is presenting a project, leading a meeting, providing basic information to a co-worker, or simply need a quick reference for a deadline; if he/she is not organized, he/she may look too messy to trust with anything important.

INITIATIVE: Take initiative. An individual will not know everything in an interview, or on the first day. Taking initiative on the first day or on the fifth year will prove dedication. No employer wants to have to coax an employee through each day/week/month/potential promotion. Initiative is the key to moving up and ahead.

RESPECT: Any given job will require working with a diverse group of individuals, whether it be a small group or a large one. Having respect for others also confirms integrity. The more people an individual can work with, the more versatile he/she is.

OPEN-MINDEDNESS: The career world is ever-changing. To keep up with technologies, processes, ideas, science, etc., companies have to evolve to keep up. Any individual needs to be open to change and to new ideas to keep things up-to-date and appealing.

BALANCE: With so many entities in life, an individual must be able to keep a good grip. Whether it involve balance of home and work, work and social life, or anything else where involvement is required; we have to be able to balance all of it in a relatively calm and equal manner. This ensures "all of the ducks are in a row."

EFFICIENCY: Getting things done right and utilizing all available resources almost guarantees efficiency. Completing a task does not ensure it is done efficiently. An employer will look for an individual that can not only use their time wisely, but can use resources and do the best job that can be done.

Every employer is not looking for exact same set of qualities. Knowing what you are capable of and being able to speak to it can make all the difference in the world. A person can be a perfect employee, but if he/she cannot articulate the skills he/she possesses, an employer may not be able to see a reason to hire. This leads to ARTICULATION and COMMUNICATION. Though, they can be combined as one, each of these are vital in success. There are more than 10 top qualities an employer will seek, you may just need to appeal to the 10 your potential employer are looking for. Try research before an interview.

Learn more about this author, Denise Frederick.
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