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Career Research

For many teenagers, one of the hardest questions to answer is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" People may seem to be asking you this question all the time. They are asking you to pick your major in college, decide where you want to go to school, decide what you want to do with your life... The question you might have is, "How the heck should I know???"

While some people seem to know from early on exactly what career they want to pursue, you should keep in mind that many successful adults went through a crazy and totally unplanned path to get to their current position in life. So, in choosing your own career and in picking your major, what should you do?

One approach would be to simply relax, find something you like doing now, major in it in college and get a job. Then be on the lookout for new opportunities and take them when they arise. That would be a completely valid approach. Another approach would be to do some research on different career possibilities, so that you can see what's out there. There are thousands of jobs that you have never even heard of before, and one of them might be perfect for you.

The latter approach will be the focus of this series of activities that will serve as the starting point for the next portion of your Senior Project. The Internet has many excellent career resources--and you'll have the opportunity to utilize some of them to research a career that has some current appeal to you. As a result of your research, you may either find that elusive "perfect fit," or, perhaps, you'll rule out at least one possibility. Either way, hopefully, your efforts will prove worthwhile.

Personality instruments are tools that give continuing insight into ourselves and others. They are frequently used to help individuals see their preferences, potential strengths and weaknesses, and how they relate to different occupations. They can be a powerful tool in helping an individual select a potentially satisfying occupation and/or field of study.

One of the most well-known personality instruments is the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory. This personality instrument deals with four very strong categories for taking in and processing information, plus interacting with the world. It is based on the work of the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.

The assessment tool is used to identify your basic personality type. You may then use this information to direct you to different careers. Before you take the assessment, it is important to be aware of some important points:

• The Myers-Briggs tool measure preferences, not skills. We can all do things we do not prefer. This is about what you do when you have your druthers.
• There are no right or wrong responses, only those that fit you and those that do not!
• One personality type is not better than another. Each has a richness and potential as great as the others.
• You are the final judge. After reading the descriptions of the various types, you'll be able to weigh whether a specific description fits you. If not, feel free to change to a different category that better reflects your temperament.
• Finally, the Myers-Briggs Personality Test is a self-reporting instrument. It is only as valid as the responses you indicate. You might want to retake the instrument, making sure your responses are true to who you are rather than how you "wish" your were or think you "should" be.

That established, proceed to the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. Select the letters that best describe you. Next verify the accuracy of the four letters you arrive at by clicking on and reading the description of your specific four-letter tag. (Other sites that have background information on the various tags are available here, here, here, and here.) Remember you are the final judge of your personality type. After reading a description of your 4-letter type, ask yourself how well it describes you. If you feel that the descriptions of your type do not fit you, go back and try swapping a letter or two to get a better fit.

Keep repeating this process, until you are comfortable with the resultant description. Most people find a true fit can be found by changing only one letter, if that. If some confusion still exists in your mind, you might ask the assistance of someone who knows you very well.

If you want to take the time, you can also take this informal Jung Typology Test or this Temperament Sorter Personality Instrument to get additional input on what your temperament type is.

Once you've determined your appropriate four-letter tag, click on the letters of your tag listed on the bottom of the Myers-Briggs Personality Test page to view what careers are most compatible with your individual temperament. It is important to remember that these do not list all the jobs possible under the headings. And it is very important to remember that people can, and frequently do, fill jobs that are dissimilar to their personality...this happens all the time...and sometimes works out quite well. (For additional sites that correlates temperament tags to possible careers, click here and here.) On an index card I will provide you, please jot down what your four-letter tag is. Also, list 3-5 different careers from the provided temperament lists that sound appealing to you. We will use this information as the basis for subsequent activites.