How to Use Myers-Briggs Personality Typing in Career Guidance

Many people feel confused about what sort of work to go into, or how to find their way out of a job they hate. Career guidance is often based on learning more about yourself, what makes you happy and what drives you nuts. One popular tool for this assessment is the Myers-Briggs personality typing system. You can use it for self-help or to give advice to someone else. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• results of Myers-Briggs personality assessment

1. Using a test or other evaluation, determine the Myers-Briggs personality type. Read books or articles online for understanding of this personality type, and how it differs from other types. See the eHow article "How to Understand Myers-Briggs Personality Types."
2. Evaluate the needs of a career or job in a field. In the music field, for example, an individual might become a teacher in private lessons or in a school, a performer in various kinds of venues, a technical specialist in recording or sound systems, or a music lawyer or executive. Each specific career path within this field has different demands and requirements.
3. Consider the individual's introversion or extroversion, and look for an appropriate balance of group or alone time. For example, an introvert might be happy in an orchestra, provided there was a great deal of isolated practice time, or time giving or receiving private lessons. An extravert would be happier teaching in a school than giving private lessons out of a home office. Many people do not stop and think about how their energy is best used in relating to others, and end up feeling drained or empty.
4. Consider the range of intellectual use in an actual job. Dominant Intuitives may become bored in careers that do not allow them to experiment and improvise. Sometimes college preparation for a career allows exploration of new ideas, but the actual practice of the career is more routine.
5. Consider emotional demands. Dominant Feelers are happiest in careers that are based in values of morality and sympathy. Without this grounding, they may feel that their job doesn't matter. Dominant Thinkers are happiest in careers that are based in values of pragmatism and efficiency. In music, Feelers will be drawn to beginning teaching levels, or to music performance interpretation. Thinkers may be happier in music engineering or business, as well as performance.
6. Consider the typical decision-making demands of the job. Dominant Judgers may be happier in careers that require a never-ending stream of decisions and judgment-calls. Teachers grade, discipline and plan, so teaching can be a very successful career for Js. Dominant Perceivers are happier in careers that require repetitive tasks, such as sales or mechanical repair. Intuitive Perceivers are happiest in jobs requiring analysis or imagination. Perceivers feel stressed when having to make many decisions in a row.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to read some of the books that consider this subject in more depth, such as "Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career For You Through Personality Type," by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron
• Don't make hard and fast rules when counseling someone about a career, but do present these questions and options. Most people have not considered the needs of a particular job and how it may work with their own long-term needs. Just presenting the issues can be very clarifying!

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