Relaunch: My Career Coach (Part 2)

One of the first things my new Career Coach did after listening to me ramble on and on about my unfulfilled plans and goals, was ask me to take a Myers-Briggs test.

Most people are familiar with Myers-Briggs, because it is well-regarded test to help assess an individual’s personality type. After identifying that type, it is presumably easier to zero in on jobs that would fit. Funny, but at first, the results of the test sounded like my horoscope, which usually goes something like this: “You are a Gemini. You are restless and gregarious. You seek adventure and you are a good friend. Your earth sign is air and your lucky number is 5.”

But unlike a random one-size-fits-all horoscope, the Myers-Briggs bases its conclusions on a multi-question test assessing a person’s actions and feelings in various situations. Therefore, I am not only a Gemini. I am also an ENFP. And (very) strangely enough, they’re somewhat similar.

The “E” stands for Extraversion, the “N” for Intuition, the “F” for Feeling, and the “P” for Perceiving. Without getting too deeply into these categories, (since you might already know, and/or can research them elsewhere), an ENFP is typically an enthusiastic innovator with a lot of imagination for starting new projects, but not so hot at follow-through. (Wow, do those people know me??) As it turns out, ENFPs are also energized by being around other people and are good with inter-personal skills. (Figures, I have a job that requires me to be alone much of the time.)

Then Coach asked me to do something kind of strange. She asked me to sign my name on a piece of paper. After I did, she asked me to switch the pen to my other hand (I’m a lefty, so I switched to my right) and sign my name again. Sticking my tongue out like Charlie Brown, I concentrated on trying to write my name, and it still came out looking like a preschooler’s attempt.

Coach explained that this exercise was to illustrate that there are things that come naturally to me, like being creative and people-oriented. But there are also those that I struggle with, like marketing myself or following through on tedious details. But I have to make myself do the things that don’t come easily, she said, even though I don’t like them, in order to be successful. It’s not that I should berate myself for the things I suck at. (Even though I often do.) Just as I was born left-handed, I was born with certain skills. And without others.

So, my challenge right now is to do the things I don’t like, in order to get to the things I do. Of course, the thing I want most is to have an interesting, creative job, where I can work with interesting, creative people. But unfortunately, the thing I hate most, is looking for it.

- Callie