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In this newsletter we'll look at two personality types and specific jobs for both. The purpose here is not to list all the jobs that might be interesting. Instead, we're going to focus on what about the jobs appeals to each type. I picked opposite types to illustrate the differences and why one career could appeal to one type yet be a poor choice for another. Other combinations have been covered in past newsletter issues.
We'll start with ISTPs. For this type I selected the career of electrical engineer. What makes this career attractive for ISTPs? Some of the factors include practical application of science, the reliance on data and facts versus feelings, technical know-how, use of tools, and hands-on and sensory experience. A focus on details is important, as well as a firm grounding in the necessary skills. While ISTPs can learn theory when needed, they are more often attracted to the application of that knowledge than its pursuit. They tend to be more craftsman-like in their work as opposed to a researcher. ISTPs often enjoy pragmatic problem solving work, particularly if it involves critical analysis of facts. When studying electrical circuits, it matters little how a circuit "feels." More important is the ability to focus on complicated details and follow the pattern to find the error or logical next step. Being realistic is important. Idealism and fantasy are not required. The idea of building or producing a tangible product is often attractive to ISTPs, who can take pride in their achievements. Many are curious folks, who enjoy learning how things work, and how to use them for practical purposes. Many are also keen observers, which is a real advantage in working with highly detailed materials. As you can see, many of these factors are real advantages when working as an electrical engineer.
Let's contrast the above with a career suitable for an ENFJ: minister. I purposely picked a career that was not a normal office or corporate job. It's true that ENFJs show up in those careers as well. This time we're going to look outside the box that many people create for themselves when thinking about career possibilities.
Now this is a career some might never consider. However, there are good reasons it works for ENFJs. For example, ENFJs tend to be warm, sympathetic types. Often, they are good at organizing people, things, and events. They usually have a strong orientation towards people and their intellectual, spiritual, and emotional development. Compassion and energy are two other words often used to describe ENFJs. Many are good at promoting harmony and fellowship, and can be quite tolerant of a variety of opinions. Many are enthusiastic and work quite well with groups. As a group, ENFJs are likely to be good at understanding and working with others. Others have a good grasp of possibilities (Intuition), which can help them counsel others and solve problems. Many are charismatic communicators and public speakers, able to connect with many different people. They can be quite persuasive and influential and can be excellent leaders. ENFJs are usually quite comfortable dealing with abstract subjects (such as god). After reading the above, you can see how these qualities could be a real advantage for a minister. Helping people grow and develop frequently creates great satisfaction for ENFJs. Note the great contrast with the previous occupation of engineer. Ministers provide a service that is quite different from engineering work, which is one reason it's a good choice for ENFJs.
You might be one of these two types and never have considered either profession. That's perfectly okay. It's more important to see what makes these jobs attractive to these types. If you ask enough people, you're bound to find every type represented in every profession. For example, one study on Protestant ministers showed about 0.6% were ISTPs, while ENFJs made up about 16% of the group. Conversely, in a study of electrical engineers, around 9% were ISTPs and about 2% were ENFJs. Again, finding a career that matches your interests is more important than picking one from a list for your type.
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About the Strong Interest Inventory: The Nature, Athletics, and Mechanical Activities Basic Interest Scales
The Basic Interest Scales (BIS) on the pages 1 and 2 of the Strong Profile show how your interests match those of people working in various careers. Your BISs show the things you like to do, as opposed to just interest you. This month we'll look at three BISs on the Strong and which careers they match. You'll notice these three BISs are all from the Realistic General Occupational Scale. We'll look at the jobs that match these BISs to give you a better idea of where you might enjoy working.
Let's start with the Nature BIS. The six professions with the highest scores on this scale are Horticultural Worker, Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Forester, Gardener/Groundskeeper, Biologist, and Veterinarian. In contrast, the lowest six professions on this scale are Business Education Teacher, Marketing Executive, Life Insurance Agent, Bookkeeper, Advertising Executive, and Accountant.
For the Athletics scale, the highest scorers were Physical Education Teacher, Athletic Trainer, Agribusiness Manager, Parks and Recreation Coordinator, Community Service Organization Director, and Physical Therapist. The lowest scores were found among Translators, Fine Artists, Physicists, Interior Decorators, Librarians, and Art Teachers.
On the Mechanical Activities BIS, the highest scoring professions are Auto Mechanic, Electrician, Carpenter, Agribusiness Manager, Plumber, and Engineer. The lowest are Child Care Provider, Public Relations Director, Advertising Executive, Speech Pathologist, Life Insurance Agent, and Secretary.
You'll notice that the same professions cluster in the highest and lowest scores. Agribusiness Managers score high on all two scales, while Advertising Executives score low on two other scales. This makes great sense, as the Realistic scales are most dissimilar to the Artistic scales, followed closely by the Social scale. This makes it quite difficult for those who have high scores on both scales to find a job that combines both scales. One profession that combines Realistic with Artistic is Landscape Gardener.
It's important to remember the matches on your BISs are frequently a better indication of where you might like to work than the General Occupational Themes. That's because your answers are compared to people who are working in these particular professions.
One of the many uses of the FIRO-B is to help teams work together better. Conflict is unavoidable whenever people come together, particularly in a work environment. This month we'll look at several common types of conflict and which FIRO-B results likely indicate this could be happening to your team.
For example, let's look at the case where some people seem to be overworked and others aren't carrying their share of the workload. This often called "free riding," meaning that some people go along for the ride without contributing to the group effort. This will be the case most often when both Expressed and Wanted Control are low. If this happens in your group, you might ask yourself if you're contributing to the problem. You might avoid group tasks because you disagree with the leader or don't like the leader's control. Others pull back because they're uncertain about their skills and abilities, so seek to avoid responsibilities that might reveal their shortcomings.
Another case involves those situations in which some team members feel undermined by others. This can happen in teams with low levels of Total Inclusion and low Expressed Control. Many times this can result from unclear or diverging goals. If this appears to be happening in your group, ask yourself if you understand and appreciate what the other team members want and expect from the group. Others may seek to maintain their individuality at the expense of the group.
Other groups struggle with trying to get new ideas taken seriously by the group. This can happen when there are high levels of Expressed or Wanted Control. One subgroup or person can dominate the rest of the team and have undue influence over the decision making process. If you are in this role, ask yourself if you are giving everyone a fair chance to influence the process and decisions. As more people contribute, there is increased acceptance of the group's decisions. It feels less like an imposed decision from above. More acceptance increases the likelihood that the decisions will be implemented by the team.
There are other team scenarios we'll cover in future issues of the newsletter.
As some of you know, it's easy to test your group online. There is a discount for groups over 10 people. We can set you up and have your people take their tests in a short while. Their results will come via e-mail, as for regular clients. If you'd like to find out more, just send an e-mail with the number of people and which test(s) you'd like. Write to or call (858) 571-3931. Past clients have included U.S. Post Office, Bank of America, Dow Chemical, Kaiser Permanente, and others.
Looking for a speaker or trainer for your next conference or workshop? Why not include a presentation about Myers-Briggs, personality types, conflict styles, leadership, or team building? Include testing your group online as part of your program. Call or write to find out how you can have a fun, practical, and insightful presentation for your group. Call (858) 571-3931 or write: