How the Myers Briggs Test Can Help You Find a Career

You might know exactly which field you’d most like to work in, but not exactly which sort of position. To be really successful in your job searching, it is important to know your strengths, but also to know exactly how those strengths could best be employed—to the benefit of your potential company and yourself. Here’s how to use myers briggs test to help you figure out exactly which direction to push yourself in for the best and most productive job search.

What is the Myers-Briggs?

The most widely popular test is the U.S. is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The test assesses different aspects of your personality through a series of multiple choice questions, with the aim of classifying you as introverted, extroverted, or some blend of both.

What the letters tell you

The Myers-Briggs test gives you one letter for each of four categories. Each can tell you a lot about yourself, but here’s an outline for what these letters can tell you about your ideal career:

1. Your world: Extroverted vs. Introverted (E or I). This can tell you a lot about the work environment or culture that would suit you best. Are you better at a desk in your own space and working at your own pace? Or in a big crush of people, chatting and constantly exchanging ideas
2. Your process: Sensing vs. Intuitive (S or I). This tells you how you take in information, whether that is through your physical senses, or whether you prefer to take in information, interpret it, then figure things out by more emotional means.
3. Your method: Thinking vs. Feeling (T or F). This tells you how you make decisions. If you’re a data-based hyper rational thinker, then you’re probably a T. And if you take all possible ends and different people’s needs and circumstances into account whenever you make decisions, then you’re more likely an F.
4. Your mode: Judging vs. Perceiving (J or P). Whether you think quickly, make decisions quickly, etc. Or whether you like to take your time and get the full picture before making your move.

How to use your score

You’ll get a four letter “score” with some combination from the above categories. Depending on your particular combination, you’ll be able to figure out which careers and positions will suit you best. For example:

Pragmatism

If you’re an ST, someone who likes to take in facts and make decisions based almost entirely on those facts, then you’ll want to focus on jobs that privilege that kind of logical thinking. ES could look for client-oriented positions in banking or insurance. IS could focus on behind the scenes administration or law enforcement. Same use of data, different work environment—with each requiring different kinds of interaction with clients and/or coworkers.

Caretaking

If you’re an SF (or even a PF), you might be best suited to be able to use your people-based decision-making for a purpose. ES could work in nutrition or cosmetology, talking to people all day and helping them to be their best. IS could do more one-on-one jobs like social work or veterinary work. Same people skills, fewer people to interact with.

Theory

If you’re both intuitive and data-oriented (NT), you’ll want to work with data where you take in the information, interpret it theoretically, then apply it. ES could make great managers, salespeople, or real estate agents. IS could do very well in software, engineering, and other technology jobs.

Empathy

You’re a people person. More oriented towards your intuition and your sense of what is going on than hard data or judgments (NF). ES will do great in health care or the service industries. IS could work in library science or design—working more with objects and spaces and ideas than directly with people, but using the same traits. Whatever you turn out to be, it’s always best to know thyself—thoroughly and honestly—in hopes of determining which careers would bring out the best in you.