Can Your Personality Give You Career Satisfaction?

By Chris Delaney

Let Your Personality Choose Your Career. Do you love or hate your job? A recent survey found that over 80% of workers are disengaged with their career. You spend around a third of your life in work, about 90,000 hours. This is a long time to be disengaged.

 

To spend the majority of your week at work doing something you don’t enjoy simply doesn’t make sense - you want to find something that’s gives you a buzz, something that you’re happy each morning to get out of bed for. Most people accidently “fall” into a career they dislike, and often due to financial situations feel that they are stuck in rut. And others wrongly believe that you can’t get paid for something you would enjoy doing.

 

The truth is you can get paid for a role that would inspire you. Most people just find this hard to figure out. We all have a mixture of personality traits, something make us stress while other things motivate us. For one working in a messy environment is highly stressful, for someone else the same workplace is stress free. We are all different and our personality preferences can be math to positions, companies and working environments so that you can be at your best in a work context.

 

What personality do you have? You will need a Pen and Paper for this next exercise.

 

Below are four questions all about different aspects of your personality for each question you have to choice a letter-you will need to write down your selected letter.

Each question covers a different part of your personality, as you read the questions you will quickly realise that you have/use both personality style answers-for each question you need to pick your preference. Try writing your name down with your Right hand and then try it again using your Left, only one will feel natural.

When answering the questions think what your preference is, what is natural to you, what do you do the most.

 

Which are you more like?

Are you more Extrovert (E)

• You think out loud • A good talker • Like to give your opinions • Often seen as excitable • Need to fill in gaps and pauses

Or are you Introvert (I)

• Think before you speak • Prefer quite • Keep your thoughts private • Enjoy your own time • A good listener

PICK EITHER E or I

 

Are you a Sensing Individual (S)

• Do you look for Facts • Are you Practical and Sensible • Keep thing realistic and real • Use what you know and have learnt • Use straight forward language

Or Intuitive (N)

• Do you look for possibilities • Do you spot patterns • Do you go with your hunches • Enjoy learning new things • Lose track of time easily

PICK EITHER S or N

 

Are you a Feeler (F)

• Are you in touch with your feelings • Do you enjoy giving praise • Are you driven by emotion • Like to be of service to others • Find it hard to say No

Or Thinker (T)

• Do you follow your head • Like a lively debate • Like to hear both sides to a story/argument • Like rules, regulations and principles • Can make tough discussions without becoming emotional

PICK EITHER F or T

 

Are you a Judging Individual (J)

• Like to plan and organise things • Enjoy finishing tasks • Like to feel in control and on top of things • Like neatness and tidiness • Like structured lives

Or a Perceiving Individual (P)

• Like to see how things turn out • Go with the flow/like to explore • Like to start task /rather not use list • Don’t mind untidiness • Keep your opinions open

PICK EITHER J or P

 

Now you have your 4 letters match these to the type of job roles which best suit your personality:

• ISTJ – An Organiser who enjoys procedures and systems.

Manager, Architect, Surveyor, Engineer, Accountant, Prison Officer, Roadside Breakdown Assistant, Air Cabin Crew, Plumber, Postal Delivery, Bricklayer, Driving Instructor, Tiler, Car Mechanic.

 

• ISFJ- An Organised Protector and Carer.

Librarian, Carer, Public Sector Roles, Administrator, Health Service Worker, Nurse, Advisor, Primary School Teacher, Dental Assistant, Financial Services Worker, Call Centre, Stagehand, Officer Worker, Teaching assistant, Childcare Worker

 

• ISTP-Needs to be satisfied at work, enjoys finding out about the world around them.

Photographer, Legal work, Law, Armed forces, Fire Fighter, Engineer, Car Racer, Actor, Camera Operator, Garden-Centre Worker, Forestry Professions, Mechanic, Farm Worker, Roadie, Bus Driver

 

• ISFP-A Practical job role that they find interesting.

Outreach Worker, Musician, Vet, Farmer, Tree Surgeon, Youth Worker, Customer Care, Hospitality, Florist, Gardener, Artist, Care-Worker, Forestry, Inspector, Park warden, Bus Driver, Delivery Driver

 

• INFJ-Supportive job role, ideally in a caring industry.

Counsellor, Linguistics, Youth Worker, Teaching assistant, Journalism, Secretary, Library Assistant, Physiologist, Speech Therapist, Archaeology, Marketer, Waitress/Waiter, Hairdresser, Administrator, Sports Massage

 

• INFP-A “people” job role, where you can meet and listen to others.

Counsellor, Archaeologist, Physiologist, Careers Advisor, Advocator, Mentor, Researcher, Reflexology, Alternative Therapy, Youth Worker, Marriage Guidance, Care Worker, Photographer, Support Worker, Student Advisor, Welfare Advisor

 

• INTP-An “ideas” job role where you can take an idea and look at other possibilities/outcomes.

Engineer, Inventor, Web Designer, Internet marketer, Surveyor, Software Designer, Town Planner, Scientist, Architecture, Laboratory Assistant, Sign writer, Mechanic, IT Repair

 

• INTJ-Managing and organising ideas and information.

Solicitor, Engineer, Surveyor, Market Researcher, Dental Hygienist, Biotechnologist, Politician, Self-Employed, Technical Support Worker, Welder, Web Designer, Tyre Fitter, Helpline Worker

 

• ESTJ- Management, Leader; gets task done quickly.

Business Manager, Self-Employed, Dentist, Police Officer, Fire Officer, Human resources, Primary School Teacher, Accountant, Marketer, Window Cleaner, Painter and Decorator, Plumber, Carpenter, Sales Executive

 

• ESFJ-Providing friendly services to others.

Nurse, Teacher, Advice Worker, Hospitality, Speech therapist, Conference Organiser, Event Organiser, Chef, Travel Agent, Customer Service, Hotel Porter, Administrator, Secretary, Front of Office worker, Call Centre, Stage Hand

 

• ESTP-A job solving problems.

Paramedic, Actor, Presenter, Planner, Surveyor, Engineer, Gas & Oil Production, Scaffolder, Brick Layer, Machinist, Window Cleaner, Theme Park Worker, Taxi driver, Warehouse Worker

 

• ESFP-Using your natural rapport with others to solve practical problems.

Counsellor, Hospitality Manager, Taxi Driver, Management, Journalist, Estate Agent, Travel Agent, Paramedic, Youth worker, Carer, Armed Forces, Miner, Criminologist, Retail, Bar Person, Chef

 

• ENFJ-A job using people skills to develop ideas.

Journalist, Counsellor, healer, Advocate, Lawyer, teacher, Public Relations Post, Travel Agent, Human Resources Assistant, Media role, Trainer, Holiday Representative, Tour Guide, Advisor, Teaching Assistant

 

• ENFP-Using imagination to understand move people forward.

Carer, Mentor, Counsellor, Secondary School teacher, Advertiser, Speech Therapist, DJ, Chef, Sports Massage, Youth Worker, Physiotherapist, Care Worker

 

• ENTP-A job creatively solving problems.

Architect, Inventor, Photographer, Politian, Comedian, Musician, Charity Fundraiser, Negotiator, Journalist, Architect, Prop Maker, Tour Guide, Actor, Media, Designer, Web Designer, Clothes designer

 

• ENTJ-A management job role, managing people and/or resources.

Entrepreneur, Financial Officer, Public sector, Media, Retail Management, Caterer, Chef, Leader/Manager, Journalist, Market Trader, Politician, Window Cleaner, Park Warden

 

Remember the above list of job roles are not intended to be limited and are there to give you a better understanding of the job roles that suit your personality type preference. We can all train ourselves to undertake any job role and be successful in this career. By picking a job career that suits your personality type you will naturally enjoy and do well as the job duties will suit your personality preference.

 

Image courtesy of iosphere / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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