Professional Career Choices
Practical applications of personality profiling
About the author of 3DPersonality.com
Perhaps one of the most revealing ways we express our personalities is through our professional career choices. And paradoxically, one of the most significant indicators of how satisfied we are in life involves how we spend our work-a-day lives — our job satisfaction. It is so significant, in fact, that it is not just a one-time choice, but an ongoing contract renewal that allows for significant career corrections over time as the work environment changes, and as we change.
Matching Personality to Career
Anyone interested in advanced career training, an online college, an advanced business degree, or other business career programs should first look for a match between his or her personality type and the future position being considered. In 1985, John Holland set up a system of six broad groups for classifying careers and the types of people who fit them well.
- Realistic. These careers are applied and practical. They include such occupations as airline pilot, carpenter, geologist, mechanical engineer, and pastry chef. Realistic jobs are for doers, and they are for folks who like to see the tangible results of their work.
- Investigative. Scientific and deductive, these careers have a definite analytic dimension. Examples include anthropologist, economist, surgeon, veterinarian, and psychology careers. These professions attract the problem solvers and those who play with puzzles. They are good at organizing data and analyzing information.
- Artistic. These careers are creative and sometimes unconventional. They include actor, architect, composer, dancer, painter, photographer, reporter, and graphic designer. Often folks in this group like flexible work schedules and dislike routine. They are not only creative, but also somewhat temperamental and unpredictable.
- Social. Jobs in this group have a strong requirement for interpersonal interactions. They include counseling, politics, professional athlete, and social worker. Those who train for these jobs are interested in teaching or in helping others.
- Enterprising. These careers offer the opportunity for independence and leadership and often allow for increased earnings. Jobs in this category include lawyer, manager, real estate agent, sales representative, and teacher. People who do not want to be bored by a fixed daily routine are drawn to these kinds of diverse job settings.
- Conventional. These jobs are structured, predictable, and orderly. They include accountant, financial analyst, administrative assistant, programmer, and many technology careers. Those who like to manage and analyze data do well in these kinds of jobs.
It is generally believed that people will have better job satisfaction when there is a good fit between their personality profiles and their job requirements.
References
More real world examples of personality typing:
Employee Performance Management
Team Building
Customer Relations
About the primary author of 3DPersonality.com: Dr. R. Jean Maddigan is a professional social scientist who has been interested in personality systems for over a decade. Read more on her background.
