Since 1912, when Charles Kettering invented the electric self-starter to replace the hand crank on automobiles, General Motors has been a leader in automotive innovation.

FORBES: How GM Lost -- And Found -- The Path To Innovation

Self-described as "a starter, not a finisher, " he sought a new chief executive four years later to get on the fledgling Internet.

FORBES: After the Bubble

On your search, you may find the most luck with smaller companies, especially those that advertise jobs with phrases like "self starter" or "multitasker, " says Mary Ellen Slayter, a career-advice expert at careers site Monster.com in Baton Rouge, La.

WSJ: Make a Second Job Work for You