If you’re stuck in a job you hate, it’s usually easy to think of the reason why you hate it (or several reasons). Your manager is never satisfied, the job isn't what you thought it would to be, the pay is poor and not getting better, your co-workers are not the vibe — the list goes on. Sometimes solutions for a sucky job aren’t obvious, but knowing your personality type can help you figure out what’s going wrong.
Academic research using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment shows that people who have similar personality types to their co-workers have higher levels of job satisfaction — and are likely to stay in their jobs for longer. Research also show that the strength of this working relationship differs between different occupations. At the Myers-Briggs Company, we’ve built on this research alongside our own data to help place each personality type across a wide range of occupations. Even if you haven’t completed the MBTIOnline careers report, knowing your personality type and preferences can help you decide what your next career move might be. Here's what you need to know!
A Quick MBTI Refresher
The MBTI framework looks at four aspects of personality:
- Whether you are energized by and prefer to focus your attention on your external environment (Extraversion, E) or your internal world (Introversion, I)
- Whether you take more notice of information that is solid, practical and based on the evidence of your senses (Sensing, S) or instead on the big picture, possibilities and ideas (Intuition, N)
- Whether you prefer to make decisions on the basis of objective logic (Thinking, T) or on how people will be affected and how this relates to your values (Feeling, F)
- Whether you prefer to live in an organized, structured, planned way (Judging, J) or in a more spontaneous, emergent way (Perceiving, P).
We each have a preference for E or for I, for S or for N, for T or for F and for J or for P – giving 16 different possible personality types. For example, personality preferences for Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging would be considered an ISTJ.
Online, you’ll find lots of lists of the "best" jobs for each personality type. However, your personality has as much to do with how you fit with the culture of an organization and with the nature of the job itself. Think about what you like and dislike about your current role; don’t just consider the formal content of the job, also think about the physical and psychological aspects of your working environment.
- Extraversion: Are you looking for a job where you can meet more people, and/or a workplace with more of a "buzz" about it than you have now?
- Introversion: Do you need somewhere quieter, where you are interrupted less, or would you like to be able to work from home more often?
- Sensing: Do you need a job where the rules are clearer?
- Intuition: Would you prefer a job where the rules are less restrictive?
- Thinking: Are you looking fora job where you are rewarded for your competence, and not necessarily for being a team player?
- Feeling: Do you want a place where you feel more at home, somewhere more aligned with your values?
- Judging: Are you looking for a more structured, planned, ordered, organized workplace?
- Perceiving: Would you like somewhere where you aren’t constrained by schedules and rigid plans?
Let's Get to Work
As well as thinking about the characteristics of the job and of the organization that you are looking for, knowing your MBTI type can help with the job search process. Here are some things to look out for, depending on your type:
- Extraversion: You’re energized by meeting people, so use this aspect to network, engage recruiters and others in conversation, and work on your elevator pitch. Just remember to listen and let the other person talk as well.
- Introversion: Networking may not come naturally to you, but it can be useful. Treat it — and prepare for it — as you would for an interview. Perhaps create a list of recruiters and other useful contacts, and get in touch, proactively, by email or social media in the first instance.
- Sensing: Your natural work style is likely to build on what you already know and use the methods that have worked in the past, but don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things, explore new ideas, and be open to new opportunities. Your skills and experience might make you suitable for roles you hadn’t thought of!
- Intuition: You're likely to be open to new possibilities in life. Use this to explore new and different job opportunities, but make sure you get the facts and the details right when you put together job applications.
- Thinking: Focus your search on roles that will give you opportunities for professional growth and financial success. Do, however, consider the wider background and values of the organizations you apply to; even those with a Thinking preference can be affected by a toxic company culture.
- Feeling: It’s likely very important that the values and ethos of any organization you join match your own. Find out as much as you can about the values of the companies you are applying to. Don’t just look at what the organization says about itself; resources like Glassdoor reviews can be very useful.
- Judging: As you like to organize your life in a structured, planned way, apply this to your search. Have a job search plan, keep track of deadlines for job applications, put networking events in your diary, and so on. However, if an interesting opportunity comes up out of the blue, go with it – not everything has to be planned!
- Perceiving: it’s great to be spontaneous and adaptable, but in order to be successful in finding a new job, planning and organization really does help. So, although it might seem like a chore, sit down and write out a plan for your job search – with realistic dates for each attached, as a way to help you keep on track. Keep up to date with deadlines for applications, interviews, and so on. A little pain now will help in the long term.
Knowing your personality type can help you both to really understand what you are looking for in a new job, and to go out and get it.
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John Hackston is a chartered psychologist and Head of Thought Leadership at The Myers-Briggs Company where he leads the company’s Oxford-based research team. He is a frequent commentator on the effects of personality type on work and life, and has authored numerous studies, published papers in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences for organizations such as The British Association for Psychological Type, and has written on various type-related subjects in top outlets such as Harvard Business Review.
Header photo by Alexander Suhorucov / PEXELS
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