How personality type influences career choice 

The writer is a career coach. vochieng.90@gmail.com.

Personality type influences career choices to a great extent. This is why the concept of personality type is used in several settings such as career planning. Therefore, taking stock of personality traits is important in vocational training.

We all have strengths and weaknesses, which deserve improvement. In matters personality, people can be talkative, quiet, inquisitive, introspective, practical, idealistic, systematic, empathetic, organised and spontaneous. This peculiarity in personality explains the exigent need for inter-dependence in all flesh and blood. Meaning, no human being is self-sufficient. We need to tap into the strong personality traits of other mortals. Martin Luther King put it aptly, “We are tied together in a single garment of destiny.”

Largely, 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 become a thespian (actor or actress). Just as a student who evinces excellence in languages and is an introvert can dream of being an editor.

Moreover, the debate about career choices and personality type points us to the Career Typological Theory (Holland 1997). While gelling this brilliant though, he captured six personalities influencing careers: Realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising or conventional (RIASEC). 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.

Delving deeper, realistic people are doers. They are people with a predilection for working with things – tools and machines – in outdoor activities. They rely on physical strength and correct co-ordination. A track driver is a classic case. Investigative people are thinkers. They love information, logic and concepts. They excel in the use of abstract thought. Lawyers fit in this category. Artistic people are creators. They like expressing their deep feelings and good ideas. They tend to use their 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. 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.

YOU MAY ALSO READ:

Book talking about how to move from good to great

By Victor Ochieng’

Get more stories from our website: Education News 

To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke

You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE  and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.

>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories

 
Sharing is Caring!
Don`t copy text!