Key Messages
How Knowing Your Personality Can Help Guide You To The Right Career
Do What You Are is all about helping you find the career path that best suits your personality.
It looks at the likes, dislikes and behavioral traits of people around the world and offers insights into what type of work would be best for you based on those preferences.
It can even help guide individuals away from jobs that may not be the most fulfilling or interesting for them in order to pursue something that could be a better fit.
Having the wrong job can be like writing with your wrong hand – it’s just not comfortable.
With Do What You Are, you can quickly determine which personality type you have and how that may affect your work preferences.
And if you don’t currently like what your current role entails, you can use this book as a tool to explore other options that better match up with who you are as a person.
Additionally, Do What You Are also provides helpful advice about taking on an “encore career,” something else to consider as an alternate way of discovering what type of job or profession may make sense for where you’re at in life right now.
Why Finding A Job That Fits Your Personality Should Be Priority Number One
It’s no wonder why many of us are so dissatisfied with our jobs.
We often don’t take into account the impact of personality type on the satisfaction we get from our careers.
The notion of different personality types isn’t something recent, but it goes back to ancient Greece and further refined by renowned psychoanalyst Carl Jung.
Even more so, American woman Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers developed this concept even more with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®), which has 16 distinct personality types.
If you’re stuck in a job that doesn’t fit your personal preferences, it can be like trying to write a sentence with the hand you normally don’t use for writing – you’ll eventually finish the task, but it will be quite uncomfortable and not effective at all.
To be professionally successful and fulfilled, opting for a job that aligns with your personality is essential – if your work fits your personality type, then you may actually enjoy it rather than dreading having to drag yourself in each morning!
Take Arthur and Julie who worked as placement counselors at a recruitment firm making dozens of calls per day; while Arthur was talkative, energetic and thick-skinned and was able to take rejections well enough to thrive in this job, Julie wasn’t able to keep going due to her slow pacing, dislike of conflict and preference for details.
This is a perfect example of how much our personalities shape our professional lives, showing just how critical it is for finding success and fulfilment.
What Does The Mbti® Tell Us About How We Perceive And Interact With The World?
Discovering your personality type is all about understanding how you interact with the world and take in information.
On one hand, you can lean toward Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I), which concerns how you relate to others and find motivation within yourself.
On the other hand, you can be a Sensor (S) or Intuitive (N), which has to do with how you perceive and process new information.
For instance, Extroverts are often more comfortable in groups and like to think by speaking out loud when given an idea or problem to solve.
Conversely, Introverts prefer time alone and will often ponder an answer internally until they have a firm conclusion.
Sensors trust experience and facts that can be proven from the five senses of sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch in order to inform their decisions.
Whereas Intuitives look past the face value of something in order to uncover its underlying meanings.
They’re also more likely to build something guided only by intuition than instructions.
If it still feels hard to decide whether you fall into one category or another along these four preference scales – introversion/extroversion, sensing/intuitive – simply ask yourself: if I had to spend the rest of my life one way or the other, which would I prefer? You’ll find your answer soon enough!
The Last Two Aspects Of Your Personality Type: Comparing Thinking Vs Feeling, And Judging Vs Perceiving
Knowing your personality type requires considering the last two pieces of information: decision making and structure.
The first, decision making, refers to whether you’re a thinker or feeler.
Thinkers are more analytical and will follow rules without consideration for emotions, while Feelers may consult their personal values before making decisions.
It’s important to note that societal expectations of gender can push people towards one form or the other – so take time to really consider which style of decision-making comes more naturally.
The last element is between Judging and Perceiving.
If you prefer consistent order and closure, then you’re likely a Judger; if you want flexibility and spontaneity, then you lean towards being a Perceiver.
As an example, Judgers might commit to releasing a newsletter at set intervals regardless of the content quality whereas Perceivers might opt for more flexible scheduling but they always aim for perfect quality before releasing anything.
Now that you have an understanding of all four pieces – Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving – you know your personality type!
No Personality Type Gives You An Advantage Over Another—It’S All About Understanding Your Strengths And Weaknesses
Knowing your personality type can give you valuable insights into who you really are and how to best develop your potential.
By piecing together the results from Do What You Are, you can understand your inherent strengths and weaknesses, which can be particularly helpful when it comes to making decisions about careers and relationships.
But one important thing to remember is that no one type is inherently better or worse than another.
Everyone has their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, so rather than putting each type on a hierarchal ladder of superiority, it’s more productive to explore the distinct advantages and risks associated with each.
For example, an extraverted-intuitive-feeling-judging (ENFJ) person will often be described as ‘people-oriented’ because they tend to put the well-being of other people first and have strong people skills.
This may make them suited for leadership roles where being able to build strong relationships is key.
But at times they can become overly embroiled in drama or get caught up in others’ problems rather than focusing on solutions that help everyone out in the long run.
An introverted-sensing-feeling-perceiving (ISFP) person is usually gentle, patient and flexible – traits which make them a trustworthy team player however not all conflicts can be easily navigated by these types of personalities: their indirect way of expressing self means they tend to take criticism badly, which could mean they don’t reach the full potential they could have if they embraced constructive feedback more effectively.
Similarly an INTJ (introverted intuitive thinking judging) person might be blessed with insightfulness and independent drive but if these aspects are taken too far such as becoming boastful or setting expectations too high then great opportunities might slip away unnoticed.
On the other hand Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceivers (ESTP’s) – those who focus on action and present solutions – might end up neglecting long term plans or fail to consult the opinion of others when brainstorming solutions .
Therefore it’s most important when exploring your personality type from Do What You Are not just to recognize its differences from others nor indeed to believe any one type were inherently “better” than another but instead seek out an understanding on how best utilize each personal type in order for everybody reach our peak potential without playing down or glorifying certain traits over others
Four Key Personality Types And Their Influence On Career Choices
It’s no wonder that so many people feel as though they don’t belong – there is a huge amount of natural variation in human personalities!
However, all those different and unique personality types can be generally grouped into four basic temperaments.
The first two categories are known as Traditionalists and Experiencers.
Traditionalists are those with sensing judgment (S and J) in their personality type.
They like structure, order and consistency, which makes sense given their motto – “Early to bed, early to rise”.
These tend to be reliable workers who crave security and consistency, making them well-suited for jobs such as police officers (around 50 percent of all police officers are traditionalists!).
Experiencers on the other hand consist of those with sensing perception (S and P).
Their motto is “Eat, drink and be merry” which gives you a hint at the adventurous nature associated with them.
These people enjoy the thrill of change and unpredictability, making them better suited for exciting jobs like law enforcement or emergency responders where they must think quickly on their feet.
The Four Temperaments: Leveraging Strengths For A Harmonious Balance
When it comes to the four Temperaments, there are two more that need to be mentioned: idealists and conceptualizers.
Idealists share both the N and F preferences.
They live by the motto “To thine own self be true” as they seek personal growth, knowledge, and authenticity.
They are drawn to meaningful endeavors that explore new possibilities and try to make sense of the philosophical or spiritual aspects of life.
Their strengths include being open-minded and accepting of people, having a knack for bringing out the best in others, being able to come up with creative solutions and dealing well with criticism.
On the other hand, conceptualizers share both N and T preferences.
Their motto is “Be excellent in all things,” because they like seeing potential great possibilities everywhere.
They want to be agents of change in order to bring about improvement.
The strengths of conceptualizers lie in their ability to plan and design innovative solutions as well as confidence and cleverness in recognizing complex patterns and trends.
It’s helpful to note that these four temperaments often come together as one harmonious group.
For instance, consider what is required for an organization like a hospital – you’d have traditionalists handling finances, idealists dealing with human resources, a conceptualizer leading marketing & planning efforts, and an experiencer managing day-to-day operations for an effective team!
Ultimately, various temperaments create a cohesive balance that brings about optimal results.
Knowing Your Personality Type Is Just The Beginning Of Knowing Yourself
Knowing your Dominant Function can go a long way in helping you find satisfying and enjoyable work.
Your type’s Dominant Function is the strongest aspect of your personality, so when you are able to use this function at work it will be easy and pleasurable for you.
If you’re an ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTP or ESFP, chances are that your Dominant Function is related to Sensing.
You may take great pleasure in collecting and analyzing facts.
If that’s your strong suit then research positions might be right up your alley!
For INFJs, INTJs, ENFPs or ENTPs, the Dominant Function is Intuition.
Those with this function tend to have a good imagination and they shine when they can exercise their creativity and originality – think jobs in advertising!
ISFPs, INFPs, ENFJs or ESFJs – if this describes you, then it’s likely that your Dominant Function involves Feeling.
This makes sense as these types tend to care deeply about their own personal values and gain satisfaction when their work has a human focus – like an advocate for customers or those in need.
Lastly, if you’re an ISTP, INTP, ESTJ or ENTJ then Mathcing Pattern Thinking is probably your strongest asset!
This means that tough decision making comes easy for you which is why legal work may be satisfying for this type.
So whatever type of work you’re looking into remember to identify what aspects of your personality match with it – Knowing your Dominent Function can help make the choices easier!
How Your Personality Type Can Pave The Way To A Satisfying Career
When it comes to finding a career path that is satisfying, it starts at an early age.
From ages six to twelve, your Dominant Function starts to become clear and by ages 12-25 your Auxiliary skills or interests will start to emerge.
As you continue to age, these interests change and the key is to stay on top of those changes.
A good career path should anticipate changes in your interests as you age.
For instance, Marty was an ISFP which made him a dominant feeler with an auxiliary sensor but shortly after his thirtieth birthday he started to question the underlying meaning of things due to the development of his intuition as his third function.
Knowing and being aware of these interests can allow for a successful transition into careers as one’s interests shift and evolve over time.
Know Your Personality Type And Strengths To Find Your Perfect Career Path
When it comes to finding the perfect career, it’s important to take into account both your strengths and interests.
Knowing your personality type can help you do this.
With the Do What You Are book, you will gain self-awareness that comes with knowing your four-letter personality type and your potential strengths and weaknesses.
Once you have identified your personality type, you can start incorporating this knowledge into a job search by focusing on what matters most to you.
For example, if you have an ENFP personality type – meaning extroverted, intuitive, feeling and perceiving – then you may seek out creative jobs that allow for challenging work with different people, new skills to learn and recognition for being imaginative.
Taking this further by considering what interests you specifically could lead to potential job roles such as journalist, art director or costume designer for the creative types; public relations specialist or market research analyst for those leaning more towards marketing; or rehabilitation counselor, special education teacher, social worker or anthropologist if education is more up your alley.
By listing out the reasons why these jobs would be a great fit for your strengths and passions, it will give you case studies to refer back to when discussing why you’re perfect for the role during an application or interview.
Going a step further than simply finding yourself an interesting job opportunity is also getting some real-life insight into these jobs – because what sounds good on paper doesn’t necessarily translate in reality!
Consider connecting with someone who currently has the role or has done it previously in order to get direct feedback about what is involved in their day-to-day tasks.
This way when it comes time for taking that big leap of faith towards a new career path -you’ll feel confident that all aspects have been taken into consideration and success is bound to prevail!
It’S Never Too Late To Explore An Encore Career And Find Work That Suits Your Personality
It’s never too late to make a career shift and start doing fulfilling, satisfying work.
Whether you’re nearing retirement age or just looking for something new, it’s time to start finding something that better suits your personality!
As health care costs and life expectancy rates rise, more people of all ages are deciding to continue their careers past the expected retirement age.
In fact, 40 percent of Americans are planning to “work until they drop.”
A career change later in life is often referred to as an encore career, and many Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 plan on having one.
If you can relate, gaining insight into your personality type and Dominant Function will help make this inevitable change of course smoother for you.
Take Jay for example; he was well-settled working as a financial analyst when he joined his family’s business manufacturing industrial sewing machine parts at 46.
He then decided to switch gears and become a teacher; while the transition wasn’t always easy, it was the right choice for him since being an ISTJ (dominant sensor) meant that he enjoyed teaching history because it was filled with facts and details that enabled him to engage with his students.
As a Traditionalist ISTJ, Jay also wanted to believe in what he was doing and see results from his efforts – something he could clearly achieve every day through teaching.
So if you feel like you’re stuck in a career rut or are simply ready for something new – take heart knowing that it’s never too late to shift paths!
With some knowledge about yourself under your belt, you can find work that truly aligns with your passions and experiences great satisfaction from it!
Wrap Up
The overall message from Do What You Are is that knowing your personality type and using it to your advantage can greatly improve your working life.
This book steps you through the process of finding out what type you are and how to use it to make your job easier, more enjoyable, and more profitable.
To do this, the book recommends that you get in touch with your primary or Dominate Function and then explore educational and training options.
With access to job training and continued education online, you can quickly expand on what you already know about yourself to improve your working life even further.
