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I recently read Natasha Alli’s article on aptitude tests and it took me back a couple years to when I was required to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test as part of an Organizational Behaviour class in university.
The test is broken down into four dichotomies that each consist of two opposing preferences: Extraversion vs. Introversion; Sensing vs. Intuition; Thinking vs. Feeling; and Judging vs. Perceiving.
For me, it was surprisingly accurate. I actually scored in between two of the 16 possible combinations: somewhere in the middle of an ENTP (Extraversion, iNtuition, Thinking, Perception) and an ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment), with the addition that I was, in fact, not too far off from an ENTJ as well.
But what, if anything, do these seemingly random letter combinations mean? Are they actually capable of extrapolating my inner workings and from that determine what career path I am to enter?
The reality is that no letters can tell you better than yourself what you were born to do. All they can do is help and assist you down the path, hopefully verifying what you’ve known all along.
The MBTI confirmed I’m extrovert who thinks pragmatically and acts decisively and quickly. I’m a leader that requires an engaging, creative and challenging environment to thrive. I am a sociable multi-tasker who loves to communicate, collaborate and demands the best.
I already knew most of this, but there is certainly some power in having it reaffirmed by a third-party. I embrace all of these aspects of myself because I believe they culminate in the rather complex tapestry that is me. And we are all complex, unique individuals which no test can accurately measure.
I was about to graduate at the time I first took the MBTI. I was ready to embark on my professional career and I had recently decided that marketing held the most promise for me.
As an ENTP, it fit wonderfully. The fast-paced, ever-changing landscape of marketing appealed to me. However, as an ESTJ, marketing was not a suggested career path.
I think, like all new grads, I was searching for validation that I was making the right decision to ensure my endeavours post-grad didn’t go up in flames. But even though the MBTI seemed to know me pretty well, it was also telling me two very different things.
It’s important to remember that this test should not be taken as gospel because it can only attempt to scientifically measure the intangible properties of each individual’s unique personality. I remember thinking that as long as marketing was somewhere in the all the clutter of the MBTI I would remain steadfast with my decision.
And now, almost two years after graduating from university, I’ve learned that I ultimately made the right choice not because I listened to a test but because I listened to myself.
To take a version of the test online for free to determine your MBTI, click here and answer the questions. Once your MBTI type has been determined, you can do more research on your type by searching the four-letter combination in Google.
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Comments
01.05.10
I believe the Meyers-Briggs test is a powerful way to learn more about your tendencies and understand how they relate to others and your habits, but it's not a guide on how to live your life and choose your career by any means, just a reference.
01.05.10
I actually needed the MBTI to remind me who I was. For a long time I was thinking about a career where essentially I'd be in a lab by myself all day. I was having all kinds of anxiety because this path didn't seem right, but I couldn't put my finger on why it was wrong. My dad had retired from the military a couple years before so he still had a copy of Do What You Are. We pulled up my profile (ENFJ) and my dad said, "Well know wonder you're anxious, you're extroverted. You'd start talking to yourself and creating imaginary friends you're so extroverted." As soon as I got on the path to Marketing, it was like a new day. I can now have real and internet friends instead of imaginary ones :)
01.05.10
I read a management book in grad school last semester that stated point-blank that the best managers are TJs, and that while all sorts of MBTI combos are in the workforce, TJs are the most successful (and then proceeded to only talk about the strengths of TJs). My ENFJ self died a little bit inside (there's the F for feeling for you!) until I realized that these categories can be very helpful personally, but that I think folks should be careful not to take them too far in the workplace.
I like that you didn't fit into only category, but you identified as a combination. I tend to be skeptical of anything that attempts to pin-point a person-- because there will be many times when it's wrong. (I'm an extrovert, but I need my down-time, too)
In short, I like the conclusion that you reach in this post: that you made the right choice because you listened to yourself and not to the test. (Though, in a test that is supposed to test you personally, I can see how things can get messy!)
01.05.10
As someone who uses the MBTI extensively in helping people work and play well with others, here are a couple of things I have observed through my years of doing this work:
First, in response to Colleen's point, in virtually any given occupation you will find all 16 MBTI preferences represented. Having said that, you will also find a greater frequency of certain MBTI preferences in each field. And yes, there are a high number of TJ's in management. However, that statistic does not mean that only TJ's need apply for management/leadership positions! The reality is that people with any one of the type preferences can play an effective leadership role - how it is played will vary by style preferences. And by the way, Dwight D. Eisenhower's preferences were believed to be ESFJ and Roosevelt and Churchill picked him to be the Supreme Allied Commander of the D-Day Invasion of Normandy and he later became a two-term President of the United States. ESFJ's gift is getting very different people to work together and Eisenhower was probably the only leader who manage the egos of General George Patton and Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. And I'll add that I do see many ENFJ's in leadership positions as well.
Second, in response to Emily's comment, "Do What You Are" is a very useful book. Those who have a preference for Extroversion do often find it challenging to work for long periods of time by themselves (as in a lab) and really benefit from thinking out loud (as in a marketing team) with others. When you get results from the MBTI that seem to be consistent with your gut reaction, then it is probably a good idea to pay attention to the congruence of the data.
01.06.10
@Emily You certainly have an inspirational story to tell when it comes to this test which works to dismantle some of the skepticism surrounding it.
@Colleen Thanks for the kind words. The great thing about it is that it was eerily accurate for me to be in MULTIPLE categories!
01.12.10
@Dr. John Drozdal - you hit the nail on the head.
One thing you need to be careful with when it comes to MBTI is not to stay stuck in your box.
Lots of preference based tools attempt to tell you what you are or are not, but people change and grow. To say that ENFJ's should be x and ESFJ's should be y is a scary thing. One of the limitations of MBTI is that it is limited to 16 types. Most versions of the tool do not speak to variations in intensity. For example, ENFJ speaks to Extroverted Feeling with Introverted Intuition, but it doesn't discuss the intensity within those types. (what is also scary is that according to MBTI both Intuition and Feeling could not be extroverted - which isn't accurate)
Someone in an ENFJ position could arguably be more extroverted than another ENFJ, or they may rely more heavily on a feeling based decision vs. that gut intuitive based decision making process. MBTI does not present this difference in intensity. So to use it to make career decisions could be difficult as it is not painting a necessarily accurate picture. However it does give some great insight into your preferences.
My suggestion is to recognize that you will be attracted to positions that let you use your preferences as much as possible. You may struggle with accounting, but love creative marketing - who knows, as long as you enjoy what you do.
I work with a preference based tool that builds on MBTI and understands intensity, called Insights Discovery. It won't be able to tell you what job to do, but it may help paint an even better picture of yourself or give you some great development areas. Let me know if you'd be interested in doing it, and you could then make an even more educated decision on the impact of personality tools.
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