Get a personality

There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal (or as Michael Scott called it, "The Wall") that describes a trend in which employers keep an eye out for "personality hires," or people who add good vibes to the workplace.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be a ‘Personality Hire’?

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"With so many lonely, unhappy charges, bosses are desperate for good workplace energy. They say camaraderie is hard to build on hybrid schedules, so they prize upbeat employees whose energy is (hopefully) infectious.

Michael Zachary, a security manager at Pratt & Whitney, says he learned the value of a winning disposition in the Navy. He noticed qualities like collegiality and willingness to learn often proved more critical to new recruits’ success than natural talent.

Certain roles at the defense contractor where he works now are highly specialized and must be filled by the most technically qualified candidates, he says. But others, like data-entry clerks, could be performed adequately by dozens of applicants.

“In that case, I’m going to hire the nicest person to be part of the group,” says Zachary, 38. "

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The fact is, people like working with people they like, almost more than they like working with competent people on average.

While I don't recommend you bank your 1099 career solely on your personality, I do recommend that you at least get a personality. I've actually found that it's more important to be authentically you than it is to be particularly charming. People have good BS detectors. The worst thing you can be is a corporate drone type, no offense to the corporate drones.

So make sure you have good skills, but also learn to be yourself.

That's the best way to be a personality hire in the 1099 world.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.