General mental ability as moderator of personality traits as predictors of early career success

•IQ alone does not predict any of the success indicators.•IQ modulate relationships between personality and professional success indicators.•Personality traits are significantly associated with greater early career success.•Personality traits have incremental predictive validity over GMA.

In this paper, we examine the effects of general mental ability (GMA) and the personality traits defined in the big five model on extrinsic and intrinsic indicators of career success, in a sample of 130 graduates who were in the early stages of their careers. Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that GMA does not predict any of the success indicators. In contrast, the combination of GMA and three of the Big Five Personality traits, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness, is significantly associated with greater early career success and has incremental predictive validity.