Whether you’re hunting for a job or planning a career change, it’s important to factor in your personality to find what suits you well. This will help you stick with it, perform better and stay motivated to move up the ladder. When you look for a job based on your character and lifestyle choices, you may be amazed at what you find. Here are five tips for picking a career based on your unique personality:
1. Use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Formula
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Formula is a well-known personality test that is widely used by companies to determine whether their prospective employees are a good fit for available job positions. It’s based on four different “orientations,” including extraversion, introversion, judging and perceiving, and four different mental functions—sensing, intuition, thinking and feeling. Through a series of questions you can answer on their online test, you’re told which of those attributions apply to you. For example, if one of your attributes is “Feeling,” you may consider a career that connects with people on a deeper level, such as therapy or marriage counseling.
2. Play to Your Strengths
Another type of test you can take is a strengths test, such as the CliftonStrengths assessment from Gallup. It’s important to be self-aware of your strengths so you can use them to your advantage in your career. Once you find out your strengths, you want to pick a career that allows you to use your strengths. Knowing your strengths also helps you describe yourself in job interviews and explain how you can contribute in a team setting.
3. Consider Your Social Needs
Are you a person who needs your “alone time?” Or are you energized by having people constantly around to talk with? Your social needs are a big deciding factor in choosing a career that suits you, because while some jobs require you to spend time by yourself for long hours, others need you to be constantly interacting with colleagues or customers. If you’re a people person, you may do well in public relations, marketing and sales, or customer service jobs, for example. If you like to do creative projects on your own, you may enjoy freelancing, which could even allow you to work from home. If you’re a tech-oriented introvert, programming may be your cup of tea.
4. Choose Your Lifestyle
Work is part of your lifestyle, so another factor in choosing your career is how (and where) you want to live and work. If you want to travel and work abroad, you might consider a career with lots of travel opportunities. Or, being at home with your family may be important to you. In today’s hyper-connected world, there are more and more opportunities to work remotely. Whatever your lifestyle needs are, you’re likely to find a position that suits your personality from the wide selection of jobs at Amway.
5. Think About the End Consumer
Every career or job is a part of providing a solution for a need people have. Ask yourself: If money wasn’t part of the equation, what would you dream of helping the world achieve? Maybe you’re passionate about animal welfare and should consider becoming a veterinarian. Or, maybe you want to help children get a better start for their future and would love being an educator. Whatever it is, think about who you want to help and how you want to help them, and the right career path may come to mind.
Getting on the Right Path
Choosing a job or career isn’t just about the salary. You want to look at the big picture and find a fit that matches your lifestyle choices, social needs and strengths. When you make a careful selection, you’re not just getting a job. You’re stepping foot on a long-term career path that can fulfill you for years to come.
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