We Need To Know Ourselves Better Before We Choose Our Careers

Forty to fifty years.

That's how long most of us will spend working. And if you're in the wrong job - the kind where Sunday evenings have their own specific dread, where you watch the clock and wonder how it's only 2pm, where you come home tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix - that's not just professional dissatisfaction. That's a significant portion of your actual life being taken away from you.

The right job enhances our lives. It feels personally fulfilling because it nourishes the most important aspects of our personality. It suits the way we do things and reflects who we are. It lets us use our innate strengths in ways that come naturally to us, and it doesn’t force us to do things we don’t do well.

We are in the right job, when we:

• look forward to going to work

• feel energised most of the time by what we do

• feel that our contribution is respected and appreciated

• feel proud when describing our work to others

• enjoy and respect the people we work with

• feel optimistic about our future

To achieve this, we need to first understand our preferences and then find a job accommodating it.

Some jobs provide warmth and stability, some are risky and challenging, some are structured, some aren’t. One job may require a lot of socialising, while another may require quiet concentration.

A career you actually love - one that fits who you are rather than who you thought you should become - is within reach for most people. The reason more people don't find it is that they've never stopped to seriously think about what they actually need from work.

The texture of it. The pace, the structure, the relationships, the purpose.

This is what this book tries to help with, and it argues that Myers-Briggs is the tool to do it.

The Tool: Myers-Briggs

The book uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - or more precisely, the Jungian personality theory. The system is built on four observable dimensions of how people tend to operate: consistent patterns in where we direct our energy, what information we trust, how we make decisions, and how we organise our life.

The four dimensions work like continuums, not categories. We sit somewhere on the spectrum of each one, with a natural pull toward one end or the other. Taken together, our four preferences produce a personality type (one of sixteen) and that type turns out to be surprisingly predictive of what kinds of work environments, tasks, relationships, and challenges we find energising versus draining.

The Four Dimensions

How you recharge and where your energy comes from: Extraversion vs Introversion

The first dimension is about where you direct your attention and energy — outward, toward the world of people and activity, or inward, toward your own thoughts and inner life. Extraverts focus their energy on the world outside themselves. They seek out people, enjoy interaction, and tend to process ideas by talking through them. Extraverts often need to talk to think. If you ask an Extravert a question, they'll usually start answering before they've finished deciding what they think, because for them, thinking happens out loud. They're energised by being with others, tend to know a lot of people, and are generally comfortable at the centre of the action. They ask themselves: "How do I affect this?"

Introverts direct their energy inward. They need time alone to recharge, because that's where their thinking happens. Introverts tend to understand the world before they experience it: ideas get worked through internally, baked fully before they're presented. If you ask an Introvert a question, you might get a pause, because the answer is being assembled somewhere you can't see. They prefer smaller-scale social interaction, and they tend to pursue fewer interests than Extraverts but with much greater depth. Get an Introvert talking about something they care about, and you'll be there a while. They ask themselves: "How does this affect me?"

Extraverts:

• Are energised by being with other people

• Like being the centre of attention

• Act first, then think

• Tend to think out loud

• Are easier to read and know as they share their personal information freely

• Talk more than listen

• Communicate with enthusiasm

• Respond quickly and enjoy a fast pace

• Prefer breadth over depth

• Focus their attention and energy on the outside world of themselves

• Enjoy loads of interaction with other people

• They need to experience world to understand it

• Have many interests but not on a deep level

• Enjoy being a large companies of people

Introverts:

• Are energised by spending time alone

• Avoid being the centre of attention

• Think first, then act

• Think things through inside their heads before sharing them

• Are more private, prefer to share personal information with select few

• Listen more than talk

• Keep their enthusiasm to themselves

• Enjoy slower pace

• Prefer depth to breadth

• Have fewer interests but go deep into them

• Prefer being around small groups of people, ideally one-to-one

• Typically reserved

What you notice and what information you trust: Sensing vs Intuition

Sensors trust what they can see, measure, and document. They're present-oriented, grounded in what's actually happening right now. They want concrete facts, step-by-step instructions, and personal experience before they act. They would absolutely read the manual.

Intuitives trust their hunches. They read between the lines, look for patterns and meaning beneath the surface, and are more interested in what something could become than what it currently is. Ask one for directions and they might gesture vaguely and say "it's sort of north." Ask them what they noticed about a situation and they'll tell you what it meant, not necessarily what literally occurred.

Both see the same world. They just notice different things in it.

The practical tension this creates in organisations is worth noting: Sensors focus on realities, Intuitives focus on possibilities, and both tend to be quietly baffled by the other. The Sensor thinks the Intuitive is impractical and never quite lands anywhere. The Intuitive thinks the Sensor is too literal and can't see the bigger picture. Both are partially right about each other, which is what makes this dimension such a rich source of workplace friction — and, when managed well, genuine complementarity.

Sensors:

• Trust what is certain and concrete

• Like new ideas only if they have practical applications

• Value realism and common sense

• Like to use and hone established skills

• Tend to be specific and literal; give detailed descriptions

• Present information in a step-by-step manner

• Are oriented to be present

• Focus on realities

• Enjoy the here and now and are content to let things be

• Typically take practical approaches

• Like details and see clearly what’s before them

• Good at noticing and remembering facts

Intuitives:

• Trust inspiration and inference

• Like new ideas and concepts for their own sake

• Value imagination and innovation

• Like to learn new skills; get bored easily after mastering skills

• Tend to be general and figurative; use metaphors and analogies

• Present information through leaps, in a roundabout manner

• Are oriented toward the future

• Focus on possibilities

• Anticipate the future and tend to agitate for a change

• Rely on their sense of direction (ignore maps and manuals)

• Have no interest in details and tend to look for underlying patterns (go for the “bigger picture”)

• Good at interpreting facts or gleaning insights

How you make decisions: Thinking vs Feeling

Thinking is not more rational than Feeling. Feeling is not more emotional than Thinking. They're both legitimate decision-making processes. but they prioritise different things.

Thinkers step back and apply impersonal analysis. They weight evidence, follow logic to its conclusions even when those conclusions are uncomfortable, and pride themselves on consistency. They see flaws before strengths. They think they're being helpful when they give direct feedback. They are often confused when someone cries.

Feelers step toward. They consider how people are affected, what matters to the individuals involved, what feels right in the full human context. They value harmony and empathy. They can sometimes sacrifice their own view for the sake of keeping the peace - which is a strength until it isn't.

Both have blind spots. Thinkers can be analytically correct while missing the human impact entirely. Feelers can be relationally attuned while making a call that doesn't hold up to scrutiny. The goal isn't to be one or the other - it's to know which one you lead with, and to compensate accordingly.

Thinking:

• Step back; apply impersonal analysis to problems

• Value logic, justice, and fairness; one standard for all

• Naturally see flaws and tend to be critical

• May be seen as heartless, insensitive, and uncaring

• Consider it more important to be truthful than tactful

• Believe feelings are valid only if they are logical

• Are motivated by a desire for achievement and accomplishment

• Prefer decisions that make sense logically

• Are objective and analytical in the decision-making process

Feeling:

• Step forward; consider effect of actions on others

• Value empathy, compassion and harmony; see the exception to the rule

• Naturally like to please others; show appreciation easily

• May be seen as overemotional, illogical, and weak

• Consider it important to be tactful as well as truthful

• Believe any feeling is valid, whether it makes sense or not

• Are motivated by a desire to be appreciated

• Make decisions based on how much they care or what they feel is right

How you organise your life: Judging vs Perceiving

Judgers like things settled. Decisions made, plans set, open loops closed. They work first and play later - and genuinely struggle to enjoy the playing if the work isn't done. Their lists have items crossed off. They take deadlines seriously because they see time as finite.

Perceivers prefer to stay open. Closure feels premature. Why decide now when something better might appear? They start projects with genuine enthusiasm, explore widely, and may have several things running simultaneously in various states of completion. They'll insist they can find anything on their desk, which is technically true - it just takes longer than they'll admit.

Neither is better - just different working environments. And very different failure modes under pressure.

Judgers:

• Are happiest after decisions have been made

• Have a “work ethic”: work first, play later (if there’s time)

• Set goals and work towards achieving them on time

• Prefer knowing what they are getting themselves into

• Are product oriented (emphasis on completing the task)

• Derive satisfaction from finishing projects

• See time as a finite resource and take deadlines seriously

• Work desks are typically very neat and well organised

• Prefer a planned and orderly world

• Like to be in control of what is happening

• Tend to see things in black and white

• Not very adaptable and don’t like surprises

Perceivers:

• Are happiest leaving their options open

• Have a “play ethic”, enjoy now, finish the job later (if there’s time)

• Change goals as new information becomes available

• Like adapting to new situations

• Are process oriented (emphasis is on how the task is completed)

• Derive satisfaction from starting projects

• See time as renewable resources and see deadlines as elastic

• Work desks are typically considered less organised (might contain several works in progress, messages that need answering, etc)

• Like their world to be flexible, allowing a lot of opportunities for spontaneity.

• Feel constrained by structure and prefer things to be free-flowing

• Tend to delay decision-making

• See issues in shades of grey and enjoy the unexpected

Verifying Your Type

There are four broader temperament groups worth knowing:

Traditionalists (SJ) - the people who hold organisations together. They value order, duty, hierarchy, and doing things right the same way every time. The stabilisers.

Experiencers (SP) - action-oriented, present-focused, remarkable under pressure. They notice exactly what needs to happen right now and do it without getting paralysed by theory. The firefighters. The trap: they lose interest once the crisis is resolved and the boring maintenance phase begins.

Idealists (NF) - the people-developers. On a perpetual search for meaning and authenticity. Gifted at helping others grow, excellent communicators, natural empathisers. The risk: they idealise situations, avoid necessary conflict, and can become overwhelmed by other people's problems.

Conceptualizers (NT) - the architects of change. Independent, knowledge-hungry, driven by competence. They see possibilities and can design systems to reach them. The trap: arrogance, impatience, and a sometimes startling indifference to how they come across.

To start, you simply place each personality dimension above on the continuums below to estimate which 4 dimensions constitute your personality type. Understand that you’re unlikely to be a pure Sensor on Intuitive, for example, but you may have a tendency or preference towards one of them (e.g. people who prefer Sensing come in eight different varieties, depending upon their other preferences-and it is the combination of preferences that matters)

(E)-----|-----(I)

(S)-----|-----(N)

(T)-----|-----(F)

(J)-----|-----(P)

You may guess your actual type right away, but you’ll need to get it verified.

Career Satisfaction Based on Temperament

Psychologist Keirsey determined that four combinations of type preferences correspond to the four temperaments people have posited throughout history:

Traditionalists (SJs) - people who prefer both Sensing and Judging

Experiencers (SPs) - people who prefer both Sensing and Perceiving

Idealists (NFs) - people who prefer both Intuition and Feeling

Conceptualizers (NTs) - people who prefer both Intuition and Thinking

Each of the 16 personality types falls into one of these categories - people with the same temperament have a great deal in common and tend to share certain core values but they are not the same. People of each temperament come in four different varieties, where their extraversion or introversion, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving give them very different personalities.

Knowing your four-letter type is useful. But the deeper layer is understanding which functions - Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, Feeling - you use most powerfully, and in what order.

Every type has a dominant function - the captain, the thing you do most naturally and most often. It's where your greatest strength lives. A dominant Intuitive doesn't just notice patterns occasionally - patterns are everywhere, all the time, whether they want them to be or not.

Then there's the fourth function - the opposite of your dominant, and the source of your greatest vulnerability. Under pressure, we all get dragged there. Dominant Feelers fall apart when forced to be coldly impersonal for too long. Dominant Thinkers get derailed by situations that are purely about feelings, with no logical handle to grab.

Knowing this isn't an excuse for avoiding growth. It's a map for where to place yourself - and where to be careful.

Traditionalists (SJs) — ESTJ, ISTJ, ESFJ, ISFJ

The motto for Traditionalists might well be: "Early to bed, early to rise." They are the most traditional of the four temperaments. They value law and order, security, propriety, rules, and conformity. They are driven by a strong motivation to serve society's needs. Traditionalists respect authority, hierarchy, and the chain of command, and generally have conservative values. They are bound by their sense of duty and always try to do the right thing — which makes them reliable, dependable, and, above all else, responsible.

Most Traditionalists are happiest in occupations where the structure is clear and the expectations explicit. Those with a Feeling preference will strive for harmonious affiliations with others and seek opportunities to do work that lets them help others in tangible ways.

Traditionalists need to belong, to serve, and to do the right thing. They value stability, orderliness, cooperation, consistency, and reliability, and they tend to be serious and hardworking. Traditionalists demand a great deal of themselves on the job and expect the same of others.

Strengths:

• Prefer to deal with proven facts and use them to further the goals of the organisation to which they belong

• Take great pride in doing something right the first time and every time

• Good at seeing what needs attention and at getting the job done with the available resources as efficiently as possible

• Once committed, always follow through.

• At their best, they are solid, trustworthy, and dependable.

Potential weaknesses:

• Not interested in theories or abstractions

• The future doesn't attract their attention as much as the present

• Long-range planning is usually not one of their strengths

• Sometimes make decisions too quickly

• Tend to see things in black and white rather than in shades of grey

• Risk being unable to change or adapt quickly

• Tend to resist approaches that are new, different, or untested

• Want to see proof that a solution will work before seriously considering it

• At their worst, can be inflexible, dogmatic, and unimaginative

A good job:

• One that involves a relatively high level of responsibility within a stable company that has a clear-cut chain of command.

• In organisations that have a fair number of rules and standard ways of doing things.

• In an environment where both regulations and rewards are certain.

• Have colleagues who share their dedication and respect for authority and who pull their own weight.

Traditionalists usually make good managers. They appreciate the need for structure and are often the mainstays of organisations, either in leadership or support positions. The role they most often play is that of the stabiliser - the maintainer of traditions and the status quo.

Experiencers (Sensing Perceivers) - ESTP ISTP ESFP ISFP

Experiencers are the most adventurous of the four temperaments. They live for action, impulse, and the present moment. They focus on the immediate situation and have the ability to assess what needs to be done now. Since experiencers value freedom and spontaneity, they seldom choose activities or situation that impose too much structure or too many rules. They are risk-taking, adaptable, easygoing, and pragmatic. They admire skillful execution in any field or discipline. Many are thrill seekers who like living on the edge.

At work:

• Active and free to act on their impulses.

• Focus on what can be accomplished in the here and now.

• Value heroic deeds and masterful acts

• Like moving from one challenge to the next

Like Traditionalists, Experiencers also come in two varieties, STPs and SFPs. Like their SFJ friends, some SFPs don’t fully agree with the description of Experiencer temperament because it doesn’t include their natural desire to help others or make decisions that are congruent with their values. Experiencers are most satisfied in careers that are relatively free of excessive rules, planning, and structure, SFPs usually want to respond primarily to the needs of others and feel their work is making a difference to people in ways that are immediate.

Strengths:

• See clearly what is happening and are agile at seizing opportunities

• Excellent at recognising problems and approaching them with flexibility, courage, and resourcefulness

• Not afraid to take risks and improvise

• Enjoy making changes in response to some immediate need or crisis

• Prefer to deal with facts and problems rather than theories or ideas

• Are keen observers of human behaviour and can be good negotiators

• Efficient and use an economy of effort in achieving their goals

• Tend to be skilful with tools and instruments (things they can physically manipulate)

• At their best - resourcefull, exciting, and fun.

Potential weaknesses:

• Not predictable to others

• Fail to think things through carefully before acting

• Not much interested in the theoretical, abstract, or conceptual

• May fail to see important connections or patterns linking events

• Tend to lose enthusiasm once the crisis phase of any given situation is over

• Don't always follow established rules and they sometimes avoid commitments and plans

• At their worst, they are irresponsible, unreliable, childish, and impulsive

A good job:

• One that provides autonomy, variety, and action

• Work that brings immediate results

• Tasks that can be executed skilfully and successfully

• Something that gives joy and pleasure

• Wouldn’t mind in the role of corporate “firefighter”

Idealists (NFs) — ENFJ, INFJ, ENFP, INFP

The motto of Idealists might well be: "To thine own self be true." They’re the most spiritually philosophical of the four temperaments. It's as if they’re on a perpetual search for the meaning of life. They place a very high value on authenticity and integrity in people and relationships and tend to idealise others. Idealists focus on human potential and are often gifted at helping others grow and develop - a task that gives them great satisfaction. They are often excellent communicators and can be thought of as catalysts for positive change.

Idealists enjoy using their natural ability to understand and connect with other people. They are naturally empathetic and focus on the needs of the people involved in their work - for example, employees, colleagues, patients, or clients.

Strengths:

• Know how to bring out the best in others and understand how to motivate others to do their best work

• Excellent at resolving conflicts and at helping people work together more effectively

• Have the ability to help people feel good about themselves and their jobs.

• Good at identifying creative solutions to problems.

• They communicate well in speech and writing and can generate enthusiasm for their ideas and actions. At their best, they are charismatic, receptive, and accepting.

Potential weaknesses:

• Have a tendency to make decisions based exclusively upon their own personal likes and dislikes.

• Have trouble staying detached.

• They tend to take other people's problems to heart and can become too involved and overwhelmed.

• Sometimes they are too idealistic and not practical enough.

• Not particularly good at disciplining or criticising others, although they have a great capacity for self-reproach.

• Sometimes they’ll sacrifice their own opinion for the sake of harmony.

• At their worst, they can be moody, unpredictable, and overemotional.

A good job:

• The one that is personally meaningful, rather than simply routine or expedient.

• They value harmony and do not flourish in a competitive or divisive arena.

• They prefer organisations that are democratic and that encourage a high degree of participation from people at all levels.

• Gravitate toward organisations that promote humanistic values or toward jobs that allow them to help others find fulfilment.

• They are often found in human resources or personnel positions, as well as in teaching, consulting, counselling, and the arts.

Conceptualizers (NTs) — INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, ENTP

The motto for Conceptualizers might well be: "Be excellent in all things." They are the most independent of the four temperaments, driven to acquire knowledge and setting very high standards for themselves and others. Naturally curious, Conceptualizers can usually see many sides to the same argument or issue. They are excellent at seeing possibilities, understanding complexities, and designing solutions to real or hypothetical problems. Their role is often that of the architect of change.

Conceptualizers enjoy using their abilities to see possibilities and analyse them logically to solve problems. They are interested in constantly acquiring knowledge, either for its own sake or for a strategic purpose.

Strengths:

• Have vision and can be great innovators

• Can see possibilities as well as the big picture

• Can conceptualise and design necessary changes within an organisation

• Excel at - and enjoy - strategising, planning, and building systems to accomplish their goals

• Understand complex, theoretical ideas and are good at deducing principles or trends

• Enjoy being challenged, are demanding of themselves and others, and can usually accept constructive criticism without taking it personally

• At their best, they are confident, witty, and imaginative

Potential weaknesses:

• Can be too complex for others to understand

• They have a tendency to overlook necessary details

• They can be deeply sceptical and often challenge rules, assumptions, or customs

• They sometimes have trouble with authority and can be seen as elitist

• Often fail to see how they affect others

• May not be interested in either harmony or the importance of feelings

• Can be fiercely competitive

• Will sometimes not bother with a project or activity if they don't think they will excel at it

• At their worst, they can be arrogant, remote, and in a world of their own

A good job:

• Provides autonomy, variety, plenty of intellectual stimulation

• Gives an opportunity to generate ideas

• Challenging

• Surrounded by very capable supervisors, colleagues, and employees.

• Many Conceptualizers value power and gravitate toward powerful positions or people.

• Often found in leadership positions - in college-level teaching, upper management, the sciences, computer fields, medicine, or law

The Hierarchy of Functions

Each personality type has a "hierarchy of functions." This hierarchy ranks your functions from strongest to weakest. Although you grow and change and develop your abilities over time, your hierarchy of functions stays the same throughout your life.

The second ingredient in the formula for Career Satisfaction is understanding which aspects of your personality are strongest and which are weakest. Although all of your preferences play important roles, certain preferences within each personality type are more powerful than others. Since you want to operate from a position of strength at work, it makes sense to identify carefully which preferences you use most easily and most successfully.

The hierarchy runs as follows:

1. Dominant Function

2. Auxiliary Function

3. Third Function (opposite of #2)

4. Fourth Function (opposite of #1)

For each personality type, there is one function that is the most important characteristic of that type - the captain of the ship. We call this the dominant function. Any one of the four functions (Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, or Feeling) can be dominant, but for each personality type there is only one, and it always stays the same.

The next function is called the auxiliary function. Again, there is only one auxiliary function for each personality type, and it never changes.

The dominant and auxiliary functions always refer to how you take in information (either Sensing or Intuition) and how you make decisions (either Thinking or Feeling). Since everyone needs to use both processes, the dominant and auxiliary functions never refer to the same process. If your dominant is an information-gathering function, then your auxiliary is a decision-making function, and vice versa.

The third function is always the opposite of the auxiliary. The fourth function is always the opposite of the dominant.

Your dominant function is the one in charge. It leads and directs your personality. Although everyone uses all four functions to some extent, the dominant function is the one you use most often and most naturally. People who share the same dominant function have a great deal in common.

• If Sensing is your dominant function, you are a Dominant Sensor - not just a Sensor, but a Super Sensor. Dominant Sensors pay extremely close attention to the facts and details of their experience. They trust and value above all else the data their five senses bring them, and their fundamental view of the world depends upon exactly what they see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.

• If Intuition is your dominant function, you are a Dominant Intuitive - a Super Intuitive. Dominant Intuitives are much more interested in meanings, possibilities, patterns, and relationships than in specifics or facts. They look at a situation and see implications and alternatives above all else.

• If Thinking is your dominant function, you are a Dominant Thinker - a Super Thinker. Dominant Thinkers are driven to make decisions based upon logic and impersonal analysis. Their immediate and strongest inclination is to come to a conclusion by looking at a situation objectively.

• If Feeling is your dominant function, you are a Dominant Feeler - a Super Feeler. Dominant Feelers are most comfortable making decisions based upon their own personal values. They have a strong need to empathise and go through life constantly evaluating what is most important to themselves and to others.

Your greatest strengths are reflected in your dominant and auxiliary functions. Conversely, you are at your weakest when you use your fourth function - and, to some extent, your third function as well. It is exhilarating to be able to use your natural strengths, and it is very stressful to be made vulnerable by your innate weaknesses.

There are obvious advantages to knowing your natural strengths. Once aware of your talents, you can seek out situations that allow you to use them to best advantage. You'll be confident of your own potential for success, and it will be easier for you to choose work that will be stimulating and satisfying.

There are also obvious and practical advantages to recognising your weaknesses. Acknowledging your innate weak points can help you avoid the types of circumstances or the kind of work that places you at the mercy of your lesser functions. Once you know where your own landmines are hidden, you know where to tread carefully. In unavoidably difficult situations, you can at least prepare an appropriate course of action while you are still relatively calm.

We are all stressed by having to use our fourth function too often or for too long:

• Dominant Feelers are at their weakest when they have to be impersonal and logical (use Thinking)

• Dominant Thinkers are at their weakest when called upon to deal with other people's feelings (use Feeling)

• Dominant Intuitives are driven crazy by having to attend to facts and details (use Sensing)

• Dominant Sensors are at sea when obliged to find hidden meanings (use Intuition)

Using Your Dominant and Auxiliary Functions

The third ingredient of the formula for Career Satisfaction has to do with the way you naturally prefer to use your dominant and auxiliary functions. How you use them (that is, whether you extravert or introvert them) makes a tremendous difference in how these functions work best for you and how much you will enjoy using them. To achieve maximum satisfaction and effectiveness, you need to use your dominant function in your favourite world. Using it in the "wrong" world is more difficult; the result will not be as satisfactory, and you are likely to experience a lot of stress as well.

Knowing that your dominant is Intuition, for example, is important because it identifies the most central aspect of your personality. But your preference for Extraversion or Introversion is what determines how you like to use your dominant - in the outer or inner world. Introverted Intuitives and Extraverted Intuitives each need to use their Intuition in their most comfortable world to find satisfaction.

Both INTJs and INFJs must have work that makes use of their gift for seeing inner meanings, implications, and possibilities. They also like to get things done. It's important to them to find a way of expressing their perceptions — their unique, inner vision of how things could be must somehow be translated into reality. It's not unusual for college professors to be introverted Intuitive types, since this job allows them not only to ponder but also to express all kinds of intellectual possibilities. However, the INTJ professor would probably teach in the sciences (to use the auxiliary function, Thinking, to see the underlying principles at work), while the INFJ professor would probably teach in the humanities (to use the auxiliary function, Feeling, to help students develop and grow through understanding).

For ISFPs and INFPs, Feeling is dominant and introverted. ISFPs extravert their auxiliary function, which is Sensing, and INFPs extravert their auxiliary function, which is Intuition.

Both ISFPs and INFPs need to feel good about what they do. They please themselves first, and others second. Although their work often has to do with helping others, it must first and foremost be something they believe in wholeheartedly. A possible career choice for introverted Feeling types would be physical therapy. However, the ISFP physical therapist would probably focus more on the mechanics of helping correct physical problems (to make use of the auxiliary function, Sensing), whereas an INFP physical therapist would probably focus more on each patient's total well-being, looking to help the client understand and work through the psychological or spiritual factors involved with their pain (to use the auxiliary function, Intuition).

Type Development: The Fourth Ingredient

The fourth ingredient in the formula for Career Satisfaction is type development - the lifelong process during which we may gain access to all the Type preferences, even our weakest or least comfortable. This process occurs naturally in everyone, but it can also be undertaken deliberately. Good type development allows you to make the most of your natural abilities, enables you to make better decisions, and helps prevent you from being sabotaged by your innate weaknesses.

Although we grow and change with age, we don't change our personality types, and our dominant and auxiliary functions remain the same. However, within each type it is possible — not just possible, but preferable — to develop a well-rounded personality.

We've found that most people don't start to do this in earnest or with great success until closer to the age of forty, or even after. This timing coincides with another phenomenon that can occur at this age: the mid-life crisis — or, better put, the mid-life reevaluation. The connection between type development and mid-life reevaluation is more than coincidental.

For the first half of our lives, we use primarily our dominant and auxiliary functions. We rely on them, we trust them, and they work well for us. After many years, we are generally proficient at using both. At this point, having reached the top of the proverbial hill, we may also reach some disturbing conclusions: first, that there may not be that much time left ahead, and second, that there isn't much challenge in spending the remaining years exactly as we spent our earlier years. It is not uncommon for people to reassess their values at mid-life and to change their priorities. Unconsciously, we seek to round out our personalities and to become more effective and capable. We start to develop our third and, later, fourth functions.

Mid-life doesn't always bring profound changes. Many people quietly develop new interests or activities or simply start to live their lives a little differently. At mid-life, we often become more open to other interests, other points of view, and other ways of doing things. We may become more flexible in our attitudes and may start to pay attention to things we once overlooked or considered unimportant. Some people will simply develop hobbies associated with their third function (for example, a sign of developing Sensing may be a new interest in exercise). Others will be drawn to the mental perspective associated with their third function.

If you have experienced good type development throughout your life, you should be able to use all of your functions (Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling) after the age of fifty or so, calling up the right one for the right situation. Your dominant and auxiliary functions are still the source of your greatest strengths, and your third and fourth functions require more supervision, but you'll have a wider range of skills at your command.

Interestingly, in the process of using all the functions, you'll find that you also gain access to all the type preferences, including the attitudes - Extraversion, Introversion, Judging, and Perceiving. If you're an Introvert, you may find that you are more comfortable with Extraverted activities such as meeting new people or widening your area of interest. And if you're a Judger, you may find you are better able to use Perceiving - for example, to relax, play, and spend more time experiencing life instead of needing to control it.

Evidence of Type Development

Developing Sensing: In general, people who are developing their Sensing start to focus more on the present moment, taking things day by day. New attitudes may include becoming more aware of how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel; a new appreciation of nature; becoming more interested in facts and details and more precise and accurate; becoming more realistic and more concerned with how long projects take and with the realities of getting them done. New interests may include: cooking, building, arts and crafts, listening to music, exercise, hiking and camping, gardening, reading nonfiction, careful attention to details, greater interest in numbers.

Developing Intuition: In general, people who are developing their Intuition become more open to change and to seeing things in new ways. New attitudes may include becoming more interested in underlying meanings and in what symbols represent; developing or deepening an interest in spiritual matters and the meaning of life; becoming more open to using imagination; thinking about how people or things are related to each other; focusing on the big picture. New interests may include: art and design, religion, research and study or returning to school for an advanced degree, problem solving and brainstorming, inventing, creative writing, reading fiction, travel to learn about different cultures, long-range planning and thinking.

Developing Thinking: In general, people who are developing their Thinking become better able to stay objective when considering data. New attitudes may include a greater emphasis on fairness and equality even at the expense of harmony; a new awareness of cause and effect and the logical consequences of actions; becoming more critical in evaluating people and things; greater interest in efficiency and competency. New interests may include: strategy games (Scrabble, chess), debating, consumer awareness, political interests, elevating one's standards, being aware of others' standards, striving to be consistent, the rights of others, negotiating and arbitration.

Developing Feeling: In general, people who are developing their Feeling gain a new awareness of how their actions affect others. They often reassess their priorities in more human terms. New attitudes may include providing more emotional support for others and showing concern for people's needs; cultivating friendships and sharing personal experiences and feelings; greater interest in communication and listening skills; greater appreciation for the contributions of others. New interests may include: volunteer work, mentoring, rekindling past relationships, initiating or attending reunions, personal therapy, open and thoughtful conversation, writing, keeping a journal, expressing gratitude, praising others.

Type Development and Problem Solving

You'll find that the more you develop your functions — Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling — the better you'll be at making good decisions. This is a significant skill, especially when it comes time to make important, far-reaching decisions such as selecting a career. Luckily, it is a skill you can consciously develop. When faced with a decision, first use both information-gathering functions (Sensing and Intuition), and then use both decision-making functions (Thinking and Feeling). Don't automatically start with your dominant function. It will be easier to use your dominant and auxiliary functions, but make a special effort to use your third and fourth functions as well. Each function makes a valid and important contribution to the problem-solving process, and overlooking any one of the four can result in a seriously flawed decision.

Type Development and Career Satisfaction

From the beginning, it's important to choose work that suits your dominant and auxiliary functions. This doesn't change with age. However, at some point you can also expect your third function to become more important. Sooner or later, you will want to exercise and express it in your work. Your fourth function, on the other hand, may never play a significant role in your professional life, except to the extent that you should avoid situations that require using it for too long.

Throughout your working life, you'll need to make constant career updates. These don't have to be dramatic changes (although for some personality types they probably will be). Expect to lose interest in certain professional activities you have mastered even as you become more interested in new challenges, approaches, or skills.

The stronger your third function becomes, the more viable career options you'll have at your disposal. Later in life, you may even gravitate toward work that would have been unsuitable for you ten or twenty years earlier.

If you choose career options that fit into your own natural type development, you'll find your work more satisfying on many levels because it will provide you with opportunities for professional growth and enjoyment. Professionally, this translates into greater competency and, ultimately, greater success.

Ten Steps to Creating a Personal Career Plan

It's not enough to select a job from a list of careers other people of your type have found satisfying. It's not even enough to know your type. Real success lies in taking your awareness of your type-related strengths and weaknesses and combining it with an honest appraisal of your personal interests and values. The goal is to find the right match — the career that will let you do what you do best and enjoy most, one that corresponds to your personal interests and is consistent with your basic personality functions and values. That combination will be unique to you. A job that's great for one person may not be quite right for another — even if they share the same type.

Step 1 - Identify your personality type, then list which elements of its description are most true of you and which feel off. This is useful both for confirming your type and for beginning to understand your specific version of it.

Step 2 - Name your three greatest work-related strengths, with examples. Name your three greatest weaknesses, also with examples. The examples are the important part - it's easy to abstract your strengths. It's harder, and more useful, to be specific.

Step 3 - Review the career satisfaction criteria for your type and rank them from most to least important. The top five become your decision filter for everything else.

Step 4 - Think about a job that was satisfying (past or present) and identify which of your top three criteria were present. What was it about that situation that actually worked?

Step 5 - List your strongest interests. The things you'd do for free. These belong in the picture alongside type preferences.

Step 6 - Identify your top five skills, with examples of how you've used them. Don't limit this to formal work - leisure activities and personal projects count.

Step 7 - Generate a list of possible careers. Use the popular occupations list for your type as a starting point, and add anything else that interests you. Note what appeals about each.

Step 8 - Evaluate each option against your skills, strengths, and top five criteria. Score them honestly.

Step 9 - Research the options that survive the evaluation. Conduct informational interviews with people who actually do the work. Ask what the job is really like - not the LinkedIn version, but the Wednesday afternoon at 3pm version. Find out about required qualifications, geography, market conditions. Test reality against your imagination.

Step 10 - Build a customised job search plan that plays to your type's strengths and compensates for its blind spots. If you're an INFP, write letters rather than cold-calling. If you're an ENTJ, network aggressively and ask for introductions. Know what you're likely to do badly and build a system to catch it before it costs you.

The Summary of The Summary

Core Argument

Most people end up in careers that don't fit them because they've never systematically examined what they actually need from work. Personality type, understood properly, is a reliable and practical tool for identifying which roles, environments, and structures will let a person thrive - and which will slowly wear them down.

Core Framework: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Built on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types. Four dimensions, each a spectrum:

• Extraversion / Introversion - where energy comes from and where thinking happens

• Sensing / Intuition - what information you naturally trust and pay attention to

• Thinking / Feeling - how you make decisions; what you lead with

• Judging / Perceiving - how you organise your life and relationship to structure and closure

Four preferences combine into one of sixteen types, grouped into four temperament families: Traditionalists (SJ), Experiencers (SP), Idealists (NF), Conceptualizers (NT).

The Function Hierarchy - each type has a dominant function (greatest strength), auxiliary function (supporting balance), third function, and fourth function (greatest vulnerability under stress). The dominant and auxiliary always balance information-gathering with decision-making.

Type Development - in the first half of life, people lead with dominant and auxiliary functions. In the second half, the third and fourth functions assert themselves - expanding range and capacity, often experienced as a significant shift in interests or priorities.

Key Learnings

• Personality type is not a fixed box - it's a map of natural preferences and energies

• The Extraversion / Introversion distinction is about where thinking happens, not social confidence

• Thinking and Feeling are both rational processes - they just prioritise different things

• Your fourth function is where your greatest stress and vulnerability lives

• Career satisfaction requires matching not just role content but working environment, pace, structure, and relationships to your type

• The way you job search should also match your type - method matters as much as target

• Career fit is not a destination - it requires ongoing recalibration as you develop

Key Takeaways

• Know your dominant function - it's where your greatest natural strength lives, and the work that uses it will feel energising rather than effortful

• Know your fourth function - it's where you'll unravel under pressure, and awareness is the first line of defence

• The career that fits you at thirty may not fit you at forty-five - and that's not failure, that's development

• Matching your job search method to your type is as important as matching the role itself

• Understanding type isn't about limiting yourself - it's about building an honest picture of what you actually need, so you can evaluate options against reality rather than aspiration

What This Means for Life Design

The book's underlying premise is a life design argument: that a working life can be designed rather than endured. That the combination of self-knowledge, honest evaluation, and deliberate career choices produces a fundamentally different life experience than drifting into whatever seemed sensible at the time.

The type development arc is particularly relevant here. Life design isn't static - it's iterative. What you need from life in your thirties is not what you'll need in your fifties. Designing a life that has room to evolve as you do - rather than one that locks you into the person you were at twenty-two - is the deeper project the book points toward.

What This Means for Career Design

Type awareness gives you a filter - a set of honest criteria for evaluating roles before you're inside them. The ten-step framework moves from self-knowledge to market research to practical planning, and the key move is translating type preferences into specific requirements: not "I like variety" but "I need to be working across at least three distinct problem types per week or I disengage."

The informational interview advice is worth taking seriously: ask what the job is really like on a Wednesday afternoon at 3pm, not the LinkedIn version. And know that willingness to move geographically dramatically expands the field - if geography is a hard constraint, set your expectations accordingly.

What This Means for Organisational Design

• Role design - roles that strip away too many of Hackman and Oldham's five motivating factors (variety, identity, significance, autonomy, feedback) will disengage people regardless of type. But which factors matter most varies significantly by type - an INTJ needs autonomy and intellectual complexity far more than social connection. An ENFP needs variety and interpersonal stimulation far more than structure.

• Team composition - the Sensing / Intuition dimension alone explains a disproportionate amount of team friction. Sensors focus on present realities; Intuitives focus on future possibilities. Both are necessary. Neither naturally understands why the other doesn't just see it. Designing teams with awareness of this tension - and building in deliberate translation - produces significantly better outcomes than hoping people will figure it out.

• Leadership development - the function hierarchy suggests that effective leaders need range, not just depth in one function. An organisation that only promotes Dominant Thinkers into leadership will systematically underweight the human impact of strategic decisions - until the people leave and they wonder why.

• Retention - the book's core argument maps directly onto why good people leave: not always because of bad leadership, but because the role, environment, and structure stopped fitting who they actually are. Intentional org design means building these factors into how roles are created and evolved - not leaving it to chance, urgency, or the nearest available person.