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Personality Types

Who you are as a person is a big part of finding a compatible career.
Your individual strengths, weaknesses, motivators, communication styles, learning methods, and ways you relate with others all have an impact on how you operate at work. There are so many different jobs that involve different types of work, so it naturally follows that your personality type plays a role in determining what jobs fit you best and will provide the most fulfilling career.

Here are a few common personality dimensions that can provide insight into which careers might be a great fit for you:

Myers Briggs

The Myers Briggs framework is one of the most popular personality tests to-date. After taking a test, participants are assigned one of sixteen possible personality identifiers, made up of four different dimensions. Under Myers Briggs, everybody is ranked on a sliding scale of Extraversion to Introversion; Sensing to Intuition; Thinking to Feeling, and Judging to Perceiving.

Business Insider published an article that shares the jobs that are the best fit for each personality type. While it isn't comprehensive, it's very interesting to see which jobs it recommends and if they seem aligned with you.

Gallup CliftonStrengths Finder

The CliftonStrengths assessment is an online test measuring recurring patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior. It can be used to assess individuals as well as teams. After answering a set of questions, it evaluates test participants on 34 different themes, ranking them highest (strengths) to lowest (weaknesses).

One really positive aspect about this assessment is that it doesn't treat weaknesses as a limitations, but instead as an opportunity to identify the areas where you have the greatest potential for building strength. For example, if you rank low in "Discipline," you could focus on finding career opportunities that have a structured schedule to help you build discipline. Reversely, if you rate high in "Adaptability" you can feel more comfortable pursuing roles that have elements of unpredictability.

Enneagram

According to OnDemand Counseling, "The Enneagram of Personality is backed by research as a model of personalities broken down into nine types. The Enneagram links each of the nine personality types to one another within a circular diagram... the overall goal of the Enneagram is to use it as a human development system and incorporate it into modern psychology studies." 

Under this system, individuals fall under one of the nine numbered Enneagram types: Reformer, Helper, Achiever, Individualist, Investigator, Loyalist, Enthusiast, Challenger, and Peacemaker. Many people (including myself) have self-diagnosed their Enneagram Type (I'm a 3) without taking a test–but there are several tests available online.

The Enneagram Institute has published a list of descriptions for each type here. 

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Keep in mind, personality tests are by no means an exact science–it's not proven to work for everyone. These factors should only be one of many dimensions you use to evaluate career choices. Each of the different systems shared above provides a different perspective on who you are and how you operate. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what opportunities are aligned with your personality, strengths, and work style. 

Until next week!

- JS

Comments

  1. Chelsea RussellMarch 9, 2022 at 1:56 PM

    I'm someone who loves personality tests and I've actually taken all of these before (I'm an ENFJ and Enneagram 2)! It was super interesting taking a look at the Myers-Briggs article and see the roles listed for my type. It was almost strange how accurate it was for me. What great tools to take into consideration when selecting a career direction.

    ReplyDelete
  2. HRottierMarch 10, 2022 at 5:58 AM

    Love personality tests for me and all the people around me. I'm an ESTJ and an Enneagram 3. I haven't done the Gallup Clifton one, so I'll be heading off to do that ASAP. A couple of others that you might enjoy: The Four Tendencies (Upholder here and explains EVERYTHING about my teaching style😂) and The High 5 Test.

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