Choosing the right career can be a difficult decision, with heaps of questions bouncing around the topic. Will I be happy at this job? How good will the pay be? Will this job even be around in a few years?
The first step for most of us will be fulfilment; having a fulfilling career that suits you is the best way to a successful future. If you enjoy your work, you’re more likely to advance within your career path; it’s as simple as that.
One of the ways you can start considering your future employment prospects is by weighing up your personality and how you could suitably pair it with a career. A great place to start is with personality quizzes — we’ve all been there, answering seemingly random questions to determine what type of traits we have. But how do these quizzes work? Which ones can help you get an idea of what you’re best at? Perhaps you’re an extrovert, suitable for working with people or in leadership roles. Alternatively, you may be more introverted, pursuing a more independent position. In this article, we’ll cover all manners of determining what career is right for you, from personality quizzes to identifying your different skills.
What Personality Type Am I
The online quiz world is bustling with options; this variety of choices can get confusing when comparing results and getting a clear answer. Many quizzes online are made by people simply bored at home, but we’ve compiled a list of the top three best and most helpful online quizzes — with scientific backing to save you the trouble of sifting through countless Buzzfeed tests.
At the top of our list, we have the 16 Personalities test based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). First released in the 1940’s by Isabel Myers and her mother, Katherine Briggs, the MBTI is a questionnaire based on the Carl Jung theory of personality types. The MBTI seeks to sort personality types into four different categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling and judging or perceiving. However, the 16 Personalities quiz has adapted these to new classes with the mind, energy, nature, and tactics. Your combination within these classes then gives you one of 16 personality types. These categories can be defined as such:
- Mind: This category refers to a measure of how an individual “recharges” their batteries, whether through social interaction or spending time alone. This category further extends to how you interact with the world. The two types under this category remain introversion and extraversion.
- Energy: This category includes two types, observant and intuitive. Observant refers to collecting information through their senses, where intuitive depends on gut instinct and abstract theories.
- Nature: This category includes two types, thinking and feeling. This category refers to how people make decisions, comparing emotion-based decision-making to informational.
- Tactics: This category refers to how we receive the world around us, with judging referring to those who make firm decisions as opposed to prospecting individuals who are more inclined to adaptability.
The 16 Personalities test further expands on the MBTI with the NERIS model, which combines MDTI with the Big Five personality traits model. This combination means the 16 personality test includes an additional category: Identity. Identity measures, whether you are an assertive or turbulent person, identifying your confidence.
Next on the list is the 10 question quiz “Are you an extrovert, introvert or ambivert?” developed by organisational psychologist Adam Grant. This quiz offers a quicker, more general answer, defining an individual as an extrovert, introvert or ambivert. Ambiversion refers to a mixture of extroverted and introverted tendencies, which we’ll go into more detail about later.
At a more complex level, we have the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) developed by Hans and Sybil Eysenck. This questionnaire consists of 48 questions and uses three categories to measure personalities: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/stability, and psychoticism/socialisation. We’ve covered extraversion and introversion briefly in the Myers-Briggs test. Neuroticism and stability refer to a scale on emotionality, whilst psychoticism relates to levels of aggression. This test will give you one of four temperaments: sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric.
Ultimately, quizzes are a fun and exciting way to find out a little more about yourself. These tests offer some of the best introspection into your personality type, but most importantly, how extroverted or introverted you are.
Introverts vs. Extroverts
If you’ve completed one (or all) of our top three tests, you should now know whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. Introversion and extroversion are the most basic measures of personality, developed by Carl Jung in 1921. Unfortunately, Carl’s theories have been warped with time. These days you might think of introverts as quiet hermits, disinclined to participate, but this is entirely wrong. Introverts are just as successful within leadership roles as extroverts, with a notable example being Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and famous introvert.
Realistically, the primary driver in career productivity isn’t a single individual’s personality type but how they behave in a team. Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, found that extroverted managers with more introverted employees saw 16% higher profits than extroverted managers with extroverted employees who recorded 14% lower profits. Carl’s original theory also placed introversion and extroversion at two ends of a sliding scale, where you could be any amount of both. This means, whilst you may identify more strongly as one or the other, no one is truly only extroverted or introverted.
This is why we have the word ambivert. Ambiversion refers to a combination of both personality types. Ultimately there are advantages and disadvantages to possessing features of either or both personality types, such as:
- Introverts are more likely to make decisions and judgements under time pressure with reference to vital information and will avoid impulsive decision making.
Introverts excel in internet-based environments where they feel more comfortable expressing their personality.
Introverts are more likely to practice active listening, with a focus on understanding what others are communicating.
However…
Introverts do need more time alone to recharge their batteries.
Introverts are averse to conflict and may find it challenging to communicate their difficulties in the workplace.
Introverts may struggle at receiving critique. - Extroverts find it easier to work with distractions and in loud environments, and in some scenarios, welcome them.
Extroverts enjoy team environments and, in many cases leading, with 96% of managers identifying as extroverted.
Extroverts find communicating their feelings and experiences a lot easier than introverts.
However...
Extroverts are more prone to reckless decision making and may take unnecessary risks.
Extroverts struggle to work alone, finding isolation to be draining.
Extroverts have less introspection than their introverted counterparts and might struggle to read a situation and listen to others.
Introverts and extroverts have many strengths and weaknesses, but no one personality type is better than the other. Whilst either personality type may be inclined towards a specific career path, the true power in introverts and extroverts lies in their ability to self-evaluate and understand the needs of their coworkers. By understanding your personality type’s strengths and weaknesses, you can identify your soft skills and how they might get you into your dream job.
What Skills Do I Have?
One of the most important factors when determining your future career path is your employability skills. The first and easiest skills to define are soft skills. Soft skills, also known as “people skills” or “interpersonal skills”, refer to natural skills rather than language or tool-based proficiencies. According to LinkedIn, the top five most in-demand soft skills of 2020 are creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability and emotional intelligence. These skills can directly tie into your personality type. For example, an introvert may be more inclined to emotional intelligence due to higher self-awareness and active listening. In contrast, an extrovert may be more willing to collaborate, with an affinity for group situations. A few more soft skills you may want to consider are:
- Communication
- Organisation
- Problem-solving
- Dependability
Anyone, extroverted or introverted, can use these skills and many more, but you may have more experience with some rather than others due to your personality type. When considering your dream job, take some time to write down your soft skills and think about how they could be applied to different career paths.
Soft Skills vs Hard Skills
On the other end of the spectrum, there are hard skills. Where soft skills relate more to your skills with others, hard skills refer to your measurable proficiencies and certifications using language, technology, and software tools. Whilst these skills are essential, it has been found by the Carnegie Mellon Foundation study that “75% of long-term job success depends on the level of soft skills employees” have. Hard skills are more likely to be something you achieve through work experience and study. These skills can include:
- Microsoft Suite
- Adobe Suite
- Responsible Service of Alcohol
- Barista Skills
- Bilingual
- Typing Speed
TAFE Gippsland can help you to acquire the hard skills needed for the job you want. We’ve provided some handy course suggestions below for extroverts and introverts, where you can consider how your personality and soft skills will help you succeed.
Jobs for Extroverts
Here are three examples of extrovert-friendly courses offered at TAFE Gippsland. If you don’t see your dream job here, don’t worry! There are plenty more courses and opportunities available for you to discover in our courses portal, or through our Skills and Jobs Centre, where we can run you through all of your options:
- Diploma of Nursing
- This certification offers extroverts a pathway into nursing, where they can employ their people and group skills to operate within a team of dedicated healthcare professionals. Provided over 18 months at our Bairnsdale, Leongatha, Morwell and Warragul locations, this diploma prepares students with the skills to work in healthcare and perform clinical assessments. There are also limited opportunities to study under the Free TAFE program for eligible students. Check out the course entry requirements and syllabus here.
- Certificate III in School Based Education Support
- Another great study area for extroverts is education. Education Support is ideally suited for those who love working with children in the fast-paced school environment. This certification offers a career pathway into Teacher’s Aide work. We go into more depth on education support work here. This certificate is delivered over 18 months at our Bairnsdale and Warragul locations. It is also offered under the Free TAFE program. The only requirements for entry are a clear police check, working with children’s check and a minimum age of 17.
- Certificate III in Hairdressing
- Those more inclined to work in the world of beauty might consider a pathway into hairdressing. A dream for extroverts - who get to chat while working! Offered over a two-year duration at our Bairnsdale, Leongatha and Traralgon locations, this course equips students with the skills required to join the creative workforce as a qualified hairdresser. The only requirements for entry are a language, literacy and numeracy skills check, as well as a pre-training review and interview.
Many of our courses at TAFE Gippsland offer various levels of certification and potential on-the-job training, so be sure to check in with our helpful education staff for any information you need!
Jobs for Introverts
For our more introverted students out there, we have a selection of certifications, which are suited more to those who labour over fine details and enjoy quieter environments. As previously mentioned, the options available at TAFE Gippsland are plentiful, so if you don’t see anything that piques your interest here, take a look at our other courses, or get in contact with our Skills and Jobs Centre.
- Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing
- Those who are clever with words & prefer writing over talking, might be interested in this certification, offering pathways into journalism and creative writing. Delivered over 11 months through online teaching methods, this course covers key writing elements, punctuation and grammar. To confirm entry into this course, all we need is a telephone or face-to-face interview and a 1000-word original writing sample.
- Certificate III in Horticulture
- Introverts can get back to their roots with this certification offering various pathways to work in the great outdoors & the skills to identify and look after plants. This certification is delivered over 36 weeks at the Bairnsdale Trade Centre and Morwell locations. We take an in-depth look at the many pathways into Horticulture in our informative article here.
- Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
- The detail-oriented and mathematically minded might consider a certification in Accounting and Bookkeeping. This course is delivered at our Sale and Warragul locations. Students must attend an information session/interview online before enrolment for entry into this course and are recommended to attain a level 4 LLN.
Many of our courses at TAFE Gippsland offer varying levels of study and delivery methods, including apprenticeships where available. Whatever your personality type, the true force behind your success is you and the level of passion you apply to your work. Knowing your personality type through fun quizzes and lists can help direct you to many suitable career paths, but you can pursue whichever path you desire by harnessing and understanding your strengths and weaknesses.
At TAFE Gippsland, we pride ourselves on our ability to foster and guide the talents and passions of our students into successful careers. We welcome all personalities, so whether you’re an introvert, extrovert or ambivert, let us help you succeed today!