While most of us sit in lockdown with not much else to do, we usually end up doing a lot of thinking! It's that interesting time in life where we find ourselves questioning everything, from jobs to relationships to how we look at the world. But mainly, many people have discovered how unhappy they are with their work. This pandemic has revealed how much we hate our jobs and our bosses.
As a result, people are quitting in droves. Take this data from America: about 4 million people quit their jobs in April alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s the highest quit level since the agency began publishing these rates in December 2000.
So why's this happening? While a huge part of this is due to job satisfaction, research from UpSkilled shows that personality fit is a leading factor. The better your character traits mesh with your career, the more productive and positive your job performance will be.
This is very important to consider if you're changing jobs due to the pandemic. It might be the ideal time to take a personality test.
Firstly, you need to take your test. Have fun and answer truthfully for the best results!
Personality typing is a system of categorising people according to their tendencies to think and act in particular ways. Personality typing attempts to find the broadest, most important ways in which people are different, and make sense of these differences by sorting people into meaningful groups.
The most popular and well-known system of personality typing was developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Briggs, in the 1960's. Myers and Briggs built on the personality theories of Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung as outlined in his book, Psychological Types, and developed one of the world's most popular personality assessments, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator®.
These are the Personality Types- Carl Jung formulated eight personality types, which are the basis for the Briggs Myers' 16 personalities. The eight types are:
- Extraverted Thinking
- Introverted Thinking
- Extraverted Feeling
- Introverted Feeling
- Extraverted Sensation
- Introverted Sensation
- Extraverted Intuition
- Introverted Intuition
According to Jung, we all have complex psychologies and there can never be ONE pure type. Jung never intended to label people. If you identify as an Extraverted Thinker (ET), for example, your less developed Introverted (I) or Feeling (F) side will still reside in your unconscious.
Jung referred to these less developed traits as ‘repressed.’
Read more about Carl Jung's personality types here.
Here are the main personality types: broken down.
Builders (AKA ‘realistic’)- Builders, or ‘doers’, are no-nonsense individuals who prefer physical interaction with their environment to abstract work. They like using their hands. Builders are often (but not always) male, and include most athletes, agricultural workers and carpenters. When mixed with other personality types, builders may pursue careers such as dancers (realistic/artistic), chefs (realistic/artistic/enterprising) or experimental scientists (realistic/investigative). What’s the highest-earning job for a realistic type? Engineering is a great path! TAKE HOME: This personality type shouldn't primarily be focused on university, aim for a career in the trade industries for maximum job satisfaction.
Thinkers (AKA ‘investigative’) Think about it this way: What do all the great scientists, researchers and academics have in common? A love of thinking outside the box is the primary sign of a thinker! This could be in any field, such as humanities, medicine or technology. Thinkers relish taking on theoretical and logical tasks. They love a good puzzle. In Holland, they were originally labelled ‘intellectual’. But it's important to note that although race typically has little effect on the test result, Asian candidates have tended to score higher on the investigative scale than others. Career options? Thinkers make good doctors, psychologists and consultants, all of which have high-income potential. TAKE HOME: Thinkers need to decide on their careers without outside influence. Usually, a parent or partner will urge them to undertake such a career.
Creators (AKA ‘artistic’). We all know at least one of these gifted individuals. This is how you know if you fit into this category: can never see yourself having a desk job or corner office? Dread the 9-5 like the plague? You're a creator. Creators are artistic, and artistic types excel in accepting spaces where their originality, creativity and visualisation skills can be set free. Most of the famous people in the world are creators and have found success in film, music and television. Career options? Musicians, dancers, painters, graphic designers, journalists, editors, directors and so on. TAKE HOME: Unfortunately, most creatives are doomed to low salaries, especially at the beginning of their careers.
Helpers (AKA ‘social’). Helpers boast possibly the most unique talent of all: compassion. Your stereotypical ‘social’ type is a people-person who enjoys teamwork and values relationships highly. Helpers excel in high-cooperation, socially aware roles like counselling, psychiatry and teaching. Not to be sexist, but helpers are most usually women and are the first choice for therapists. Men who are helpers usually become personal trainers or PE teachers. Nurses often score highly on this personality type. Customer service/client-facing roles are best for helpers, they have to be in constant face to face communication. TAKE HOME? The best-paid social jobs are almost always going to be in sales or management. But really, any job that requires you to manage people and you’re winning!
Persuaders (AKA ‘enterprising’)Ah, the persuaders! When you think of persuaders, think of the Vikings! Like helpers, persuaders draw energy from teamwork and connecting with individuals. But while helpers are empathetic, persuaders enjoy the feeling of power and influence over others, achieving goals and risk-taking. They are, all in all, the perfect CEOs. Career options? Persuaders excel in promotional, sales, development and organisational roles. Lawyers and politicians often boast high ‘enterprising’ scores, as do successful business people. TAKE HOME: Persuaders make the best entrepreneurs!
Organisers (aka ‘conventional’). ‘Conventional’. Not a word most people want to associate themselves with. Fear no because there’s no more valuable skill in this world of uncertainty than the ability to file, systematise and streamline processes. Organisers make up the majority of the technician, actuarial and analyst workforce. They operate in a dizzying range of sectors, from the military to the legal and medical industries. They specialize in numbers and systems, like cryptocurrency founder Satoshi. Remember, there’s nobody more dependable to whom businesses can turn to in a crisis. Career paths for organisers? It would be hard to beat a job in accounting, cyber security technicians and data analysts. TAKE HOME: Demand for organisers has never been higher, with remote work and digital security jobs everywhere. Women in tech are all the rage right now.
So, hopefully, you've done the personality test and have some understanding of who you are and what your strong points are. This test and the subsequent understanding of your character will be the starting point of your next career, a fulfilling career. Even if you want to go back to university, remember it's never too late! If you want to change your life for the better, it starts with YOU!
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