17PART I
Overview of
Personality
and Career
Why Use Personality to Choose a
Career?
Many psychological theorists and practicing career counselors believe that you will be most
satisfi ed and productive in a career if it suits your personality.! ere are two main aspects of
a job that determine whether it is a good fi t:
!! e nature of the work tasks and the skills and knowledge you use on the job must be a
good match for the things you like to do and the subjects that interest you. For example,
if you like to help other people and promote learning and personal development and if
you like communication more than working with things or ideas, then a career in social
work might be one that you would enjoy and do well in.
!! e people you work with must share your personality traits so that you feel comfortable
and can accomplish good work in their company. For an example of the opposite, think
of how a person who enjoys following set procedures and working with data and detail
might feel if forced to work with a group of conceptual artists who constantly seek self-
expression and the inspiration for unconventional new artistic ideas.Personality theorists believe that people with similar personality types naturally tend to
associate with one another in the workplace (among other places). As they do so, they create
a working environment that is hospitable to their personality type. For example, a workplace
with a lot of Artistic types tends to reward creative thinking and behavior.! erefore, your
personality type not only predicts how well your skills will match the demands of the work
tasks in a particular job; it also predicts how well you will fi t in with the culture of the work
site as shaped by the people who will surround you and interact with you. Your personality
type thus aff ects your satisfaction with the job, your productivity in it, and the likelihood
that you will persist in this type of work.