I recently saw an “Infographic” that opened with the words: “Some of us get energized by interacting with other people while others among us are drained by such interactions. And it’s likely a lot of people are out there in jobs that are unsuitable for their natural inclinations toward extroversion or introversion.”
Related: 13 Interview Secrets For Introverts
I am a major supporter of assessment as part of anyone’s self-awareness and continuing development. In the context of career search, I believe that everyone should be aware of their strengths, their interests, and their personality. However, there are two major issues that have the potential to seriously interfere with the value of the information generated by the assessments.
The Validity Issues
The first issue is related to the validity of the information. The concept of validity is fairly basic on one level: is the assessment logically or factually sound; does it measure what it’s supposed to measure? On another level, validity is actually a complex statistical measurement that requires professional skills to determine. On still another level, validity is too often assessed by only the “face validity.” This can translate to nothing more than an individual saying that he or she “likes” or “agrees” with the results.
The second issue is a subset of the validity issue. For personality factors in particular, there have been a plethora of options available for decades. But in today’s world, it’s expanded to almost an infinite number of options. In addition to this overwhelming number of options for assessing some personality factors, some of them, like introversion versus extroversion, are frequently portrayed in movies, television, comic strips, and infographics.
On the professional level, these personality factors – some of these factors like introversion and extroversion are often referred to as part of “personal style” – can be measured by more costly and supervised assessments. Consider the following options:
On the internet, you can take a six-question “test,” for free that will tell you if you are an introvert or an extrovert.
You can also get a determination of your “Introversion versus Extroversion” scores by taking a formal assessment, like the classic Myers-Briggs (MBTI).
If you choose the formal assessment, it is likely (and should be) administered by a professional who had to qualify the purchase the assessment for you and is bound by professional training and standards. From a validity standard, which option is more likely to provide real insights on this important factor of personality.
The Misinterpretation Dilemma
In my opinion, there’s an equally if not slightly more important issue. Too many people have the mistaken belief that they are either an introvert or an extrovert. Even with professional feedback reports I’ve found it critical to explain this critical factor.
In addition, there’s a reality that many people can be primarily on style at work and an opposite style at work. There are numerous famous performers who are very extroverted on stage – and extremely introverted offstage. I am very good friends with an award-winning singer whom I guarantee would be scored as an extrovert by the thousands of fans who’ve seen him perform. I’ve traveled with him multiple times three-four day weekly tours. On the bus, at restaurants, during the “off-time,” he’s very much an introvert. I learned personally that my own mother, a very supportive, quiet woman at home was a very assertive, outgoing person in the work world as a property manager. My own personality, measured multiple times with multiple instruments, reveals an “introvert” preference – which would very much surprise 1000’s of students who completed my courses and training programs.
A key word there is “preference” and it requires the real important clarification here. I recently did an assessment for a young man I’ve known for over a decade, from the young son of a friend to a student in a training program I facilitated, to a colleague on projects with me, and to a successful real estate agent in his hometown. I can verify, along with his test results, that he acts and scores as an introvert – yet I’ve seen him play guitar on stage with his father’s award-winning group, and I’ve personally assigned him to work with an audience of over 200 workshop participants that required very outgoing – extroverted – behavior. While he has a “preference” for introversion, a preference on the extroversion-introversion scale, a +7 out of a possible +30 – correctly interpreted as only a “slight preference.” Understanding this was a key development for this individual’s career decision-making at the time we explored this.
I’ve recently begun experimenting with a variation in presenting and discussing results with individuals and teams. In addition to presenting the standard results, which too frequently results in a “I’m an INTJ” type categorization, I’ve created a “word cloud” based on the actual scores. It appears to be increasing the understanding of the results, particularly when comparing results with team members.
Conclusion
I place a high value on the concept of how personality factors impact career decision-making and career success. I support the general idea that there are introvert and extrovert careers – but it’s not just a simple dichotomy. It requires thoughtful consideration and professional applications of some very important personality concepts.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a Work It Daily-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Bigstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.