We all know someone who just can’t seem to find a job or industry that suits them. Some of us even are those people. I think a lot of this comes down to an individual’s personality and if it vibes well with the “day in the life” requirements of the specific role. Obviously, you can’t have someone who is super-impatient doing slow, exacting work the same way you can’t have someone with a short temper working in a customer service role that calls for patience. So, then how do you pick a job that lines up with your personality?
Know Yourself
If the person in question is you – start by taking a look at your Self and understanding your personality traits. Consider things like whether you prefer physical work or if you’re more creatively minded, how well you handle stress, if you’re a people person and how well you adapt to different types of people… all of these things matter when thinking jobs and careers. Choosing a job that fits well with your personality is about knowing your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re patient and have an eye for detail, you can start in admin (in any business you might be interested in), and work your way up and around that business – or you might consider enrolling in a Forex training course from somewhere like Learn to Trade and trying something like stock market analysis. If you’re a person who prefers to be active, avoid sedentary jobs and aim for something in more physical industries like fitness / personal training.
Know What You Want
Of course, you’ve probably also got an idea of what you’d love to do; everyone has a dream job, right? Think about what’s stopping you from doing that. Do you need a qualification? Further education? Are you just afraid to take a chance? Gretzky said you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take – if there’s something you’d rather be doing, figure out the steps you need to take to get there and go. Little steps in that direction, just keep them coming.
But what if you’re on the other end of the spectrum and genuinely don’t know what you’d like to do? Ask yourself what you’d like to get out of any job you work in. I recommend reading Ken Robinson’s “The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything”. Are things like job security and satisfaction important to you? Would you just be happy to get the right cash? Knowing what you want a job to do for you might point you in the right direction if the job itself isn’t an obvious starting point.
Keep Searching
You shouldn’t ever feel like you’ve got to pick the right career path for your personality right away. Chances are it’s going to take some experimentation; as of 2015, it’s been revealed that the average person will work seven different jobs in their lifetime. What this means is that you aren’t the only one trying to figure out where you belong career-wise. In order to figure out which job makes the best possible fit for your personality, you’re going to have to take risks, maybe even jump into something that you might not feel like you’re quite qualified for. You won’t know if the job’s a good fit until you try it and, if it’s not, then you go back to the drawing board and try something else.
If you remember the above steps as you attempt to choose the right career path for your personality, hopefully you’ll be able to guide yourself into a gig that reflects your values and gels well with your personal style. Have you ever struggled to find a job you felt comfortable in? What did you do about it? Share in the comments below.
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