FInding a Career to Match Your Personality
Have you felt trapped in the jobs you've had in the past? Like you're on a treadmill, just running at full speed, but never getting ahead? Maybe it's because your career doesn't match your personality. When you find the right job for you, it won't be just a job; it will be something you look forward to. You'll actually want to get the weekends over with so you can get back to it. Use the tool below to find what job you were meant to do.
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List the Things You Have Experience Doing
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This list will include everything you've ever done, whether you particularly enjoyed it or not. Think in terms of job tasks, not job titles. For example, don't write down that you were a dispatcher; write that you operated radios, took customer orders, calmed down upset customers and scheduled field crews. If you don't have a lot of job experience, think about tasks you have done on an informal basis. For example, if you have sold band candy, you have dealt with order-taking, soliciting and delivery. If you have babysat for your younger brother, you have changed diapers, made bottles, played with children and prepared meals.
Make a List of the Things You Like to Do
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These may or may not be activities you had on your first list. Remember to think in terms of job tasks rather than titles. This list will likely tell you a lot about your personality, so don't confine yourself only to things you think will make money for you. Rather, think only in terms of enjoyment. If your most favorite thing to do is read books, put that down. If you like to crochet, add that to your list. Give some thought to how you spend your leisure time, and list those things in this column.
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List the Things You Are Good At
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Whether you have decided you are good at something, or whether someone else has told you that you are good at it, include all of these things on this list. Think back to things you have done--either at home, work, school, church or anywhere else--and list the things you have been complimented on. Have people admired the way you keep your car nice? Has anyone ever told you your hairstyle was very chic? Do people like your taste in clothes? Add all of these things to your list. Chances are, the job tasks you are good at are also enjoyable, so this list may be a bit similar to your second list.
List the Things About Which You Are Passionate
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This last list includes the things you feel you must do. These are things you would rather die than stop doing. Maybe you feel compelled to go to bingo every Thursday. Maybe you can't stop thinking about your dog. Perhaps you feel a calling to teach children about sign language. Whatever things you are passionate about belong on this list.
Compare Your Four Lists
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With any luck, you will find a few jobs that are on all four lists. These define the areas where you should begin to focus your career search. If you have nothing that is on all four lists, look for three matches. If you don't have any matches, it likely means that you have a lot of different interests and can be happy in just about any career. If that's the case, you may find the most benefit from the last section of this exercise.
Define Your Lifestyle Values
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In this step, you try to identify the parts of your future career that are the best match for your lifestyle and personality. For example, if you have young children, you may not be able or willing to travel. If you are involved in your community, relocation may not be a possibility. You may be a morning person or a night owl. Perhaps you can't stand the thought of being cooped up inside all day, or maybe you love the heat/humidity/cold/snow or other weather situation where you live. Use these lifestyle considerations to further refine the type of career you should seek to provide the best match for your personality.
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