As a child, my teachers often
asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
The
standard career choices recited by many school-aged children were: Doctor. Lawyer. Fireman. Teacher. Nurse.
( I
was born in 1970; long before Hip Hop Mogul, Blogger, Internet
Entrepreneur, Momanager, Hillary for President and other 21st century career
choices were available.)
Like most of my peers, I
picked a job based upon my aspiration and not my abilities. With
a solid 15 years in the career coaching game, I've learned 3
valuable tips that can help anyone find the best job for their
personality.
Look to your childhood for clues
about your innate talents
I was a shy child who preferred
books over Barbies. I used
my crayola crayons to color neatly within the lines; loved oil
painting and participated in plays and musical theatre. Every childhood oratory and writing contest I entered, I won.
As the inquisitive motor-mouth who asked my mother a million
questions
about politics, theater, music and fashion, you would think that
a career in writing or the arts would be the obvious choice for
me. Guess what? I decided to become a
physician.
My memory was outstanding and my aptitude for
science was pretty amazing. Couldn't stand the sight of blood, but I
boldly chose medicine for the
stability, prestige and the money. Instead of pursuing
neurosurgery, I should've nurtured my inner Maya
Angelou, Alice Walker or Joan Didion.
Finding the best job for your personality leads
to happiness
A proper match
between your job and your personality plays a major role in
ensuring job satisfaction. Even as a successful recruiter, I struggled
with certain aspects of headhunting. As an introvert the
constant interviewing was emotionally draining and the stress of
battling competitive salespeople vexed my peacemaking nature. When the dotcom bubble burst and I found myself
on
layoff island, I decided to finally find the best job
for my personality type.
Take a personality assessment
test to find your career bliss
Large
corporations often use personality assessment to predict future
employee performance. Personality tests match individuals
to career interests and often measure productivity, job
preferences and natural talents. Test results given
should not be
considered absolute. Considering other factors: education,
passion and income goals are equally important.
For my job transition, I used a
free online test at
Assessment.com
to determine my ideal career path.
Use these resources to help kick start your personality-based
career:
-
Career Key :The
Career Key gives you professional help you in
choosing a career, making a career change, and choosing a
college major or training program. (free)
-
Keirsey Temperament Sorter:
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter IIŪ (KTSŪ-II) is a powerful
70-question personality instrument that has been used by
more than 35 million people in over 120 countries since it
was first published in 1978. (fee)
-
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI): A personality questionnaire designed to identify
certain psychological differences according to the
typological theories of
Carl Gustav Jung as published in his 1921 book
Psychological Types . (fee)
-
Princeton
Review Career Quiz: 24-question quiz to estimate
your personal interests and usual styles. Registration is
necessary for getting the results. (free)
So you didn't discover your
personality-based career as a child. It is never too late to
find the job you were born to do. Take a trip back in time to assess
your innate skills.
If you could draw like Michelangelo or dance like Bob Fosse at
the age of 5; reconnect with the talent of you childhood. If you so desire, adjust your career choice accordingly.
I
finally released my inner
freelance writer at the age of 37. I've
never been happier or more fulfilled. If I can find the best job
for my personality, without persecuting myself for time wasted, you can too.
