MBTI Careers - Be and Do What You Are

FOUNDATIONS OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT

<blockquote>The MBTI identifies four different preferences that affect the ways people develop and act.  We’ll discuss them in detail in a moment, but first let’s look at the term “preferences.” 
 

To better understand the concept of preferences, clasp your hands together, noticing which thumb is on top. Then clasp them together again, putting the opposite thumb on top. Most people find that they are most comfortable or prefer to have either the left or right thumb on top. While they can certainly do it the opposite way, it is not as natural or comfortable. 

It is the same way with personality preferences. While we can, for example, get and use energy from both ends of the preference continuum, one way feels more natural and comfortable than the other. So the first concept to remember is that: 

The MBTI measures our personality preferences–those ways that we naturally and comfortably prefer to handle life. </blockquote>

Personality Type and Medical Specialties - a powerpoint presentation delineating the work preferences of the MBTI types.

Career Satisfactions for ESTJs (free ESTJ career pdf here)
 
An ESTJ enjoys doing work that:

Career Satisfactions for INFJs

An INFJ enjoys doing work that:

Download the pdf Career Satisfactions for INFJs.

INFJ Profile (<– download a pdf of INFJ Profile). 

How to Spot an INFJ (<– download another pdf of INFJ Profile). 

From [career fulfillment]:

“INFJs have an imaginative and idealistic approach to life. They are caring and compassionate, with an inner sensitivity and depth. This gives them great insight into both themselves and others, and a gift for understanding people’s feelings and motivations. Highly creative, their naturally reserved nature nonetheless causes them to shun facing the limelight directly.

Privacy is important to INFJs, and they need to have their own space in order to ‘recharge their batteries’. Although INFJs are warm, friendly and easily approachable, they need time to get to know other people before being able to share their often complex thoughts, feelings and insights.

INFJs are caring and committed to both their own and other people’s growth and development on many levels, including economically, mentally and emotionally.

INFJs seek to live by their ideals, which may be humanitarian, artistic, social or even spiritual, and are happiest when engaged in activities that tie in with their strong values and beliefs. They typically apply their gift for language to the written word, which is invariably rich with metaphor, meaning and imagery.”

Personality Profile from personalitypage.com:

“INFJs place great importance on havings things orderly and systematic in their outer world. They put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in their lives. On the other hand, INFJs operate within themselves on an intuitive basis which is entirely spontaneous. They know things intuitively, without being able to pinpoint why, and without detailed knowledge of the subject at hand. They are usually right, and they usually know it. Consequently, INFJs put a tremendous amount of faith into their instincts and intuitions. This is something of a conflict between the inner and outer worlds, and may result in the INFJ not being as organized as other Judging types tend to be. Or we may see some signs of disarray in an otherwise orderly tendency, such as a consistently messy desk. INFJs have uncanny insight into people and situations. They get “feelings” about things and intuitively understand them. As an extreme example, some INFJs report experiences of a psychic nature, such as getting strong feelings about there being a problem with a loved one, and discovering later that they were in a car accident. This is the sort of thing that other types may scorn and scoff at, and the INFJ themself does not really understand their intuition at a level which can be verbalized. Consequently, most INFJs are protective of their inner selves, sharing only what they choose to share when they choose to share it. They are deep, complex individuals, who are quite private and typically difficult to understand. INFJs hold back part of themselves, and can be secretive.But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people’s feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress.Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubborness and tendency to ignore other people’s opinions. They believe that they’re right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there’s always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. They believe in constant growth, and don’t often take time to revel in their accomplishments. They have strong value systems, and need to live their lives in accordance with what they feel is right. In deference to the Feeling aspect of their personalities, INFJs are in some ways gentle and easy going. Conversely, they have very high expectations of themselves, and frequently of their families. They don’t believe in compromising their ideals. ”

Series: Understanding Personality Type

The 16 types and their career skill-set preferences

Simple career tests: Look at the expression of different dominant functions below and ask yourself, which one describes what I do best in life?

In this series I will be describing each pair of preferences in some detail, including:

1. The main characteristics of people with each preference
2. Their special contributions in the workplace and their challenges
3. The problems that can arise from difference
4. How to maximise your contribution at work and minimise your stress

Part 1. Introduction.

The principles behind the MBTI are:

Part 2. Extraversion or Introversion.

In the second article in our series, Anita Houghton asks you to consider where you focus your attention–inside or out.

Part 3. How do you like to take in information? Sensing and intuition.

In the third article of her series, Anita Houghton explains the two different ways in which people take in information and how both kinds of information processing can complement each other.

Part 4. How do you make decisions? Thinking and feeling.

How people prefer to make decisions either on the basis of logical analysis (thinking) or what matters to the people involved (feeling), and how both approaches are needed for good decision making.

Part 5. How do you like to live your life? Judging and perceiving.

Shedding light on how we like to live our lives in the external world, whether organised and scheduled, or spontaneous and flexible.

Part 6. How personality type relates to job satisfaction.

In the sixth article of her series, Anita Houghton explains how your overall personality type can dictate what you enjoy and what you’re good at in work.

Part 7. What do type dynamics tell us about life stages and stress reactions?

Common sources of stress for different character types:

Extraverts: Too much time alone, solitary tasks
Introverts: Too many new people, not enough time alone
Intuitives: Too many details, lack of autonomy
Sensors: Uncertainty, lack of clarity, too much change, complexity, need to make long term plans
Thinkers: Emotional situations, disregard of logic, poor results from careful planning, hurting others’ feelings while in pursuit of goals
Feelers: Conflict, giving too much, violation of core values, perception that a problem is their fault, hurting someone despite best intentions
Judgers: Unexpected events disrupting careful plans, disorganisation, overwork
Perceivers: Tight deadlines or too much structure, situations where all options are closed

Part 8. Type and teams.

How your personality type affects how you work in a team.

Part 9. The importance of having all types in a workforce.

Just as damaging as choosing one preference over another is the expectation that individuals can excel in all the preferences. The ideal culture is one where there is a good understanding of personal preferences at all levels of the organisation, where all types are valued for what they do best, and where different kinds of people can work together in ways that are complementary. A diverse culture will attract a wide range of types, capitalise on all their talents, and provide a more congenial and productive working environment—and, of course, better service for clients.

Values in health care: a spiritual approach

The spirituality component of holistic health is difficult to define, qualify, and quantify; and how does one practise “spirituality” in health care? To help answer these issues, a group of healthcare professionals has developed a programme that aims to address these issues.

Consultant psychiatrist and programme director Sarah Eagger explains, “A group of us started meeting together in 2000 to explore how a spiritual dimension of whole person medicine could be integrated into the current healthcare system. We explored how best to help others and ourselves identify and apply core values in health care.” Four years of effort has culminated in the launch of “Values in Healthcare: a Spiritual Approach”—a spiritual development programme for all healthcare disciplines.

Core values

Values can be described as our core beliefs or the principles by which we live, or how we aspire to live. Who has inspired you and influenced your life and work? What values or qualities did they demonstrate? Compassion, kindness, practicality, dependability, integrity, humour, and honesty may be some of them. The BMA has identified a number of doctors’ core values, including: “competence, integrity, confidentiality, caring, compassion, commitment, responsibility, advocacy, and a spirit of enquiry.”[6]

Values affect how we live and work. One cause of NHS stress is when we are unable to honour values because of constraints or demands. For example, if you value listening to people but do not have the time to listen in the way you would like, or if you value family time but find your workload is too great to allow the time or energy you need. The Values in Healthcare programme aims to help healthcare workers identify their values and develop ways of reflecting them in their professional and personal lives.

Experiential, supportive, and inclusive

“Spiritual skills don’t necessarily come automatically,” explains Sarah Eagger. “So we decided we would detail a series of workshops in the programme, with the aim of “experiential” learning. Values in Healthcare focuses on the provision of spiritual tools, such as visualisation, appreciation, meditation, listening, reflection, creativity, and play.”

An underlying principle of the programme is “physician heal thyself.” General practitioner and programme contributor, Craig Brown, explains, “By supporting and helping healthcare professionals enhance their spiritual health, patient care naturally improves.” As well as addressing personal values like peace and compassion, the programme aims to equip healthcare workers with skills relevant for the workplace including cooperation, listening, respect, calmness, and humour.

Although focused on spirituality, the programme has not been directed at any particular “religion.” Sarah Eagger says, “We’ve kept the whole spirituality extremely broad so that it will appeal across the board. People from different religions have looked at it and found it inclusive.”

What’s the verdict?

The programme has received input from a variety of individuals drawn from healthcare professions and settings worldwide. A recent pilot involving a small number of healthcare workers in the United Kingdom showed a self reported reduction in stress and anxiety and improved self worth and wellbeing following the programme.

Compassion versus targets

A lack of whole person health care and spirituality may have contributed to some current healthcare problems. Certainly, this idea is supported by increasing numbers of patients using complementary therapy. Professor David Peters thinks it’s affecting healthcare professionals too: “Compassion and imagination are too often forced to give way to targets and performance measures. So doctors and nurses are losing the confidence they once had that they made a difference to their patients. Some are even leaving the professions.”

As with all aspects of medicine, when it comes to whole person medicine and “spiritual health,” we must seek, explore, and carefully examine the evidence. Spiritual health is difficult to measure but we could all benefit from taking a moment to reflect on values that drew us to, and continue to keep us in, medicine. Whatever values you hold, make sure they are your own. As for me, I’ve always found the principle of do as you would be done by a good place to start.

Full article: Whole Person Healthcare

There is no such thing as a wrong career decision; but, some are better than others.

What makes any decision stressful is the idea that there is a single right choice and that getting it wrong will be disastrous.

If you make a good career decision, though, you’ll find yourself enjoying what you do, not just coping. You’ll feel fulfilled, your talents will be used to the full, and you’ll shine. And that will benefit you, your clients, and the organisations you work with.

No such thing as the perfect career either.

But just as important as knowing that there’s no wrong career is knowing that there’s no perfect career either—there are always going to be bits of a job you don’t like.

Go in with your eyes open.

The secret is finding an agreeable balance between the aspects of a job that play to your strengths and the aspects that don’t. To find that balance you need a good understanding of yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses, together with knowledge of what a particular job or career is going to demand.

Use your knowledge of your preferences and strengths to make a better-informed career decision. (Know your MBTI personality type preferences.)

Download the whole article for choosing a medical specialty at Career Advice: There is no such thing as a wrong career

The importance of research in planning your career [click to download the full pdf]. Excerpt:

How Most People Plan Their Careers

While you would have thought that people would plan something as important as their career much more carefully than when buying a piece of equipment, a surprising number of people take rather less trouble, resorting instead to methods such as:

These are all high-risk strategies, and I should know, I’ve used most of them.

If you want to maximise the chances of finding a career in which you will thrive, and which will be grateful to have you, you need to do some research.

The three essential areas of career research:

1. gathering information
2. networking
3. experience

More: How to do just about anything.

Career Satisfactions for ISFJs from Do What You Are: ISFJ career profile.

An ISFJ enjoys doing work that: 

• Requires careful observation and meticulous accuracy, where I can use my ability to remember facts and details 
• Lets mework on tangible projects that help other people, often requiring great accuracy and attention to detail 
• Lets me express my compassion and devotion by working hard behind the scenes, but where my contributions are recognized and appreciated 
• Is done in a traditional, stable, orderly, and structured environment, where the results are practical and service-oriented 
• Requires that I adhere to standard procedures, use practical judgment, and follow through in a careful, organized way 
• Lets me focus all my energy on one project or one person at a time, working on products or services that have observable end results 
• Gives me a private work space so I can concentrate fully for extended periods of time and with a minimum of interruptions 
• Lets me work primarily one-on-one, helping others, or with other people who share my personal values and beliefs 
•  Requires me to be organized and efficient in completing my assignments 
• Does not require too frequently that I present my work in front of groups of people without having adequate time to prepare well in advance.