MBTI and career choice
There are many, many articles about the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) on the web. Some of them useful, but not always and as with anything you need to consider the writers personal agenda.
Recently I’ve come across a video where John Foley is quite disparaging about the MBTI and seems to have a very narrow view of the assessment and how it can be used. His key message seems to be that you don’t need to take tests; it’s all about gaining experience. And if you fail at a job you get more experience.
His video is here: http://www.battlenature.com/myers-briggs/
I’m all for people gaining work experience, and I encourage my clients to undertake informational interviews and job shadowing, but how do you decide what to do?
The MBTI is very helpful for self understanding but can also indicate particular jobs that suit a particular personality.Â
When I undertake a MBTI feedback session I provide my clients with a list of jobs relating to their specific 4 letter code. For example, as an ENFP I encourage them to explore Creative careers such as journalist, Interior decorator or photographer; Marketing or Planning careers such as Public Relations or creative director; Helping careers such as counsellor or teacher; Health orientated jobs such as dietician or massage therapist and entrepreneurial opportunities such as consultant sales or small business owner.
This can be really helpful for someone who has no idea on the sort of job they want to do and gives them some sense of direction. Of course this alone is not enough, most people don’t have a depth of understanding of what a job involves, but they can use relevant websites to find out, for example  http://www.prospects.ac.uk.
How has the MBTI helped you in making career decisions? Do you have any questions, please comment and I’ll be happy to talk further,
Denise x
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July 6th, 2007 at 9:50 am
I personally find the MBTI quite interesting. Through my work, I meet a lot of people who make a career change decision on a career break, so I think experience is useful too. But the MBTI can save a lot of time!
July 18th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Thanks for the comment, we really need to take a holistic perspective don’t we!
The MBTI helps with self understanding and can suggest possible career paths but experience is also essential to refer to - both what we have done before and want to do more of and what we want to move away from.