Earlier this month, career-advice blogger Penelope Trunk discussed the “cliché that everyone thinks they’re a strategist.” Her main point is that although many people think of themselves as strategists, only a few people can truthfully make this claim.
Penelope then mentions the Myers-Briggs personality type as an important tool for understanding your personal strengths and weaknesses. There are several online versions of the assessment, but my favorite is a simple yes/no 72 point questionnaire at humanmetrics.com. Altogether, there are sixteen different combinations within the Myers-Briggs framework, and every person can be categorized as either extroverted/introverted, intuitive/sensing, feeling/thinking, judging/perceiving.
I have taken many different versions of the Myers-Briggs tests over the years, and I think all but one peg me as an INTJ, or “introverted-intuitive-thinking-judging.” The polar opposite of INTJ is ESFP (”extroverted-sensing-feeling-perceiving“), which is described on Wikipedia as “warm, sympathetic, and tactful.” (My motto: “Tact is just not saying true stuff. I’ll pass.” Name the source without resorting to Google and you get 10 cool points.)
Having known my Myers-Briggs status for at least a few years, I was at least familiar with the basic traits of an INTJ. However, I was surprised when Penelope suggested that only INTJs are true strategists.
“Penelope, clearly you do not know me,” I thought. I’m a certified INTJ, and I hate strategy games like chess, Risk, and Monopoly.
And in my real life, I’m leaving my first post-college job after only six months. Obviously not the life-plan of a strategic mastermind.
But slowly it dawned on me: I might be the most planning-obsessed person I know this side of OCD. Maybe I am more strategic than I think.
Before making the decision to leave my current job, I agonized over the details for months. I created a spreadsheet with my weekly expenses to determine how long I could last if I somehow lost the job before finding a new one, although I had no reason to believe I would be forced out.
I interrogated friends who had temped to see if it might be a good fit. The concept of ‘trying-on’ jobs before committing to one intrigued me, but ultimately I decided that I’d prefer a permanent position.
I also went on a slew of interviews. For each I had pre-written questions for my interviewers, and I also had notes commenting on the companies’ business models. Then after the interviews, I made a pro/con list for each position, such as benefits, commuting time, friendliness, and potential career growth. I discussed this list with my friends and family, but in true INTJ fashion I came to a decision largely on my own.
In fact it was about two months before I accepted my new position. I kept thinking of new important questions to ask my prospective employer, and naturally I weighed the offer against my current position, other offers, and other potential offers in the near future.
To boot, my new job involves big-picture internet project planning, whereas my current position is largely concerned with the minutiae of day-to-day operations. I now believe I was subconsciously seeking a more strategic, ’systems-building’ role.
After all this self-reflection, it seems Penelope is right: I am a strategist, even if I don’t always see myself as one (and even though I suck at chess). If I knew this about myself sooner, I might have initially found a job that was a better fit for my personality.
How can Myers-Briggs help you from making the same mistake I made?
- Take the test to discover your type. It’s even better to take multiple versions of the test as you’ll be more confident in the results.
- Read the various Myers-Briggs type descriptions on the internet, especially the career sections, but take them with a grain of salt. These web sites are meant to offer suggestions and insight, but they’re written for a lowest-common-denominator audience so don’t take them too seriously.
- Analyze your current situation and future plans. Ask yourself:
What are some of the strengths required by my current job?
Do I possess these strengths?
How can I minimize situations that expose my weaknesses?
Are these strengths I wish to develop further? (If so, USE THEM!)
Is there a career path I hadn’t considered that might be a better fit for my particular set of strengths and weaknesses?
What are you waiting for? Go take the test, and then hurry back and let me know how you scored!
[Aside: I'm particularly interested to learn if the Myers-Briggs typology distribution differs for straights and the homogaysexuals. Does anybody have any idea?]
Buffy, right?
Hey, so I read that Penelope Trunk article and I was like, there’s a cliche that everyone thinks they’re a strategist? I didn’t know that. I thought the big thing in life is everyone thinks they’re creative. (I am an INFP = an ARTIST. kthnx. i can haz ur kreativitiez.)
To really get your type you need to do the research or have an assessment by a professional– it was never designed for multiple choice and many of the tests out there use Kiersey’s temperament sorter which has the same 16 types but is subtly different and even contradictory (when it comes to mixed types you can have them in kiersey you can’t in MBTI).
I think they’re a great guideline for finding things you would enjoy but you just have to be careful of limiting yourself based on your own definition. As we get older, we evolve out of some of the more narrow interests of our type and become more well rounded people as less developed parts of ourselves come into their own.
OH! And In answer to your other questions … I’m an INTP and….
The only lead on a difference in gays might be a higher number of F’s for men and T’s for women… These are usually based around masculine and feminine characteristics which are more fluid among gays. (For men 60% are thinkers whereas only 40% of women are and it’s a common experience for thinking women to feel marginalized or like they need to “fake” being a feeler)
@ melissa - I don’t hear “creativity” so much as “innovate!” and “think outside the box.”
@ mike - You’re completely right. I didn’t mean to give the impression that these assessments are the end-all and be-all of planning your career path.
I would have thought the difference might be in P/J. Teh gayz seem so judgmental, after all ;)