Personality and Careers
The best place to begin your career search is with yourself. What kind of person are you? A doer? A thinker? a creator? A helper? A persuader? An organizer? Since you will spend more hours in your adult life working than in any other activity, you should choose a career based on your interests. So, get to know yourself and look for jobs that fuel your interests and personal strengths.
CHECKLIST OF INTERESTS
The checklist of interests given below may help you decide what type of career area you would enjoy. Read each of the statements carefully. It is very important that you do not think about whether you have the training experience or education to do the activity. This is a checklist of interest, not of skills. Beside each activity put an “X” if you would like it.
____ 1.Working with machines and equipment
____ 2.Making decisions
____ 3.Being creative
____ 4.Leading and influencing people
____ 5. Volunteer
____ 6. Running your own business
____ 7.Find ways a business can save money
____ 8.Work with your hands
____ 9.Be a committee chairperson
____ 10.Designing computer games and programs
____ 11.Travel
____ 12.Make arrangements over the phone
____ 13.Help sick people get well
____ 14.Take a dance class
____ 15.Perform a play
____ 16.Fix machinery
____ 17.Run for public office
____ 18.Work outdoors
____ 19.Study the environment
____ 20.Play games that require strategy
____ 21.Use your physical coordination
____ 22.See tangible results of your work
____ 23.Debate political and social issues on TV
____ 24.Work on a farm/ranch or help save a rain forest
____ 25. Perform science lab experiments
____ 26.Learn about and study the economy
____ 27.Get involved in a charity or community organization
____ 28.Conduct religious service
____ 29.Manage an art gallery
____ 30.Do research
____ 31.Set up a stereo system
____ 32.Write a short story, play or novel
____ 33.Work in a politician’s office
____ 34.Build a model
____ 35.Repair an engine
____ 36.Identify a constellation of stars
____ 37.Use your street smarts to develop solutions to problems
____ 38.Work with senior citizens
____ 39.Set up a budget for running a company
____ 40.Use a high tech medical instrument
____ 41. Design a new line of clothes
____ 42.Keep accurate records of a business
____ 43.Sell products on commission
____ 44.Write for a newspaper, magazine, book
____45.Operate heavy equipment
____ 46.Study nature and pollution of the environment
____ 47.Bargain at a flea market
____ 48.Write a screenplay for stage or movie
____ 49.Write up graphs with charts and statistics
____ 50.Build cabinets or furniture
____ 51.Do fast-paced, high-pressured sales
____ 52.Play a musical instrument or sing
____ 53.Work with babies and children
____ 54.Read science fiction
____ 55.Redecorate your room
____ 56.Work with animals
____ 57.Meet new people
____ 58.Read science magazines and study how-to guides
____ 59.Talk to groups of people
____ 60.Organize an activity for a group of friends
____ 61.Applying mechanical principles to practical situations
____ 62.Study foreign languages
____ 63.Develop your own routine and structure
____ 64.“Market” a new product, idea or service
____ 65.Learn by and through your own experience
____ 66.Take a pottery class
____ 67.Play trivia games
____ 68.Use your memory for names, places or dates
____ 69.Sway other people’s opinions and views
____ 70.Act as a mediator to resolve dispute
____ 71.Help to correct or alleviate pain in others
____ 72.Spend “quality” time with your family and friends
EVALUATE YOURSELF
Below circle every number you checked off. For example, if you selected “Work outdoors” circle the number 18.
D 1, 8, 16, 18, 21, 22, 31, 34, 35, 45, 49, 58 _____ D DOER
O 2, 7, 11, 12, 42, 47, 50, 57, 59, 60, 67, 68 _____ O ORGANIZER
C 3, 10, 14, 15, 29, 32, 41, 44, 48, 52, 55, 66 _____ C CREATOR
T 19, 20, 25, 26, 30, 36, 39, 40, 46, 54, 61, 62 _____ T THINKER
P 4, 6, 9, 17, 23, 37, 43, 51, 63, 64, 65, 69 ______P PERSUADER
H 5, 13, 24, 27, 28, 33, 38, 53, 56, 70, 71, 72 ______H HELPER
DOERS
Doers like to do. They excel in detail work and in mechanical areas. People in this category like to make things with their hands or with tools, or have a skill in a craft like woodworking, sewing or carving. Doers enjoy physical activities such as swimming, biking and jogging. And most important of all, doers like
getting things done!
DOERS career possibilities: carpenter, bookkeeper, statistician, athlete, legal secretary, plumber, roofer, computer operator, photo developer, medical records tech, word processor, dental assistant, medical assistant, insurance agent, electrician, heavy equipment operator
THINKERS
Thinkers like to figure things out. They are fascinated by how things work, and tend to like math. Thinkers are curious, and ask questions like, "Where does the universe end?" They tend to reason things out logically, and they test out things they don't understand.
THINKERS career possibilities: fire inspector, judge, professor, geneticist, insurance appraiser, historian, economist, financial manager, marine biologist, editor, computer programmer, police detective, archeologist, pharmacist, accountant, chemist, surgeon, astronomer, scientist, systems analyst.
CREATORS
Creators like to come up with new ideas or invent new ways of looking at old ideas. They have vivid imaginations, and usually spend their free time playing a musical instrument, writing a poem or song, or painting a work of art. Creative types often are good at telling stories or jokes. They make great innovators, explorers, pathfinders. They tilt the work for new perspectives and often cause paradigms to shift.
CREATORS career possibilities: sculptor, designer, actor, singer, dancer, landscape architect, interior designer, musician, disc jockey, newscaster, screen writer, poet, columnist, graphic designer, make-up artist, cosmetologist, writer, cartoonist, comedian, screen writer, marketing supervisor.
HELPERS
Helpers are caregivers. They like to help other people and thrive in making the difference in other people's lives. They excel in service to others. They tend to share the feelings of others and act as mediators when disputes arise. Helpers often follow the leading of their emotions rather than their intellect, and get a good feeling from making someone else happy. They are the heart of America.
HELPERS career possibilities : animal caretakers, conservation worker, human services worker, social worker, teacher, emergency medical tech, physical therapist, counselor, caseworker, doctor, vet, dietician, travel agent, psychologist, nurse, chiropractor.
PERSUADERS
Persuaders study and analyze situations and try to get people to see their point of view. Persuaders are skilled at swaying the opinions of others. They usually have deep sense of self confidence and react with strong opinions when controversial topics are discussed. Persuaders often grow restless with routine and structured jobs; they work best when they are free to figure things out by themselves.
PERSUADERS career possibilities : stockbroker, lobbyist, corporate executive, coach, lawyer, insurance sales agent, principal, general manager, public relations rep, retail salesperson, advertising sales agent, leasing agent, real estate agent, telemarketer, radio & TV announcer.
ORGANIZERS
Organizers like to make sure everything goes according to plan. Whether or not they are the designers of the plan is not as important as making sure that everything runs error-free and on schedule. They are good at coordinating people, places or events, tend to have lots of friends, and socialize a great deal at school or around the community. Organizers often enjoy playing group games with others and can remember names, places, dates and trivia.
ORGANIZERS career possibilities: file clerk, school administrator, shipping clerk, air traffic controller, mail carrier, city manager, stock clerk, nursing administrator, department manager, urban planner, farm manager, treasurer, buyer, personnel manager, social director, hostess, librarian.
For more info go to: