Personality type influences career choices. No wonder, the concept of personality type is used in several settings such as career planning and progression. Therefore, taking stock of personality traits is important in vocational volition.
Then, we all have strengths and weaknesses, which deserve development and improvement. In matters personality, people can be talkative, quiet, inquisitive, introspective, practical, idealistic, systematic, empathetic, organised, spontaneous, et cetera. This uniqueness in personality explains the essence of inter-dependence in all flesh and blood. Meaning, no human being is self-sufficient. We all need to tap into the strong personality traits of other mortals in this wide old world. Martin Luther King put it aptly, “We are tied together in a single garment of destiny.”
Broadly, pertaining personality, we have extroverts and introverts. Extroverts are talkative people who gain energy in social situations. They make quick decisions. They have a buoyant spirit. They are enthusiastic people that thrive in team-oriented work settings. Conversely, introverts are quiet and reserved. They enjoy silence and solitude. They think before they speak, and prefer working independently. Therefore, a creative high school student who is an extrovert can think of becoming a thespian (actor or actress). Then, a student who evinces excellence in languages and is an introvert can dream of being an editor because of the solitude nature of such a job.
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Moreover, the great debate about career choices and personality type points us to The Career Typological Theory (Holland 1997). While gelling this brilliant thought, he captured 6 personalities types influencing career choices: Realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising or conventional (RIASEC). He argued, people search for environments that will enable them express their attitudes and values. Interaction between personality and characteristics of the environment influences career choices. The closer the match of personality to the job, the stronger the satisfaction.
Digging deeper, realistic people are doers. They are people who like working with things – tools and machines – in outdoor activities. They rely on physical strength and correct co-ordination. An engineer is a classic case. Investigative people are thinkers. They love information, logic and concepts. Lawyers fit in this category. Artistic people are creators. They like expressing their deep feelings and ideas. They bank on imagination. They are creative and innovative. They cherish the magic of classic music, drama and art. Again, this is where we have thespians (actors and actresses).
Finally, we have social people who are helpers. They are warm and caring. They enjoy helping others. This is where we find nurses, teachers and counsellors. Enterprising people are purely persuasive. They show their shine and sheen in business. I can cite marketers and entrepreneurs in this category. Conventional people are astute organisers. They tend to be well-organised with little or no imagination. They love jobs with raft of rules and regulations, structure and order. They enjoy managing people, rather than helping them. They love to dominate people. This is where we find chief executives, managing directors and principals.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer is a career educator. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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