Does Personality Matters in Job Exploration?
Not a lot of people think about their own personality when they start job hunting. This might be something that is worthwhile to consider. You can choose the job you want, but it’s difficult to change your personality/temperament.
Your interest and skills plays an important role in deciding what occupation suits you best, because they are your resources. Well, personality is also your resources. They defined your strength and weaknesses.
This specific article will refer to the Big Five Personality Traits, which categorize personality into five traits:
- Openness.
- Conscientiousness.
- Extroversion.
- Agreeableness.
- Neuroticism.
Why exactly is personality important? One assumption is, many people judge their work output based on merits alone. While that is true to some degree, it’s also important to consider other factors that might come into play (measured by openness to experience) or level of sociability (measured by extroversion).
If you are low in openness to experience, should you be working in an advertising agency? Yes, but it might be harder for you to work as the creative team. If you are low in extroversion, should you be working in sales? Yes, but it might be harder for you to work as the front liners.
People who are low in creativity, can try more managerial roles (account executive in an advertising agency?). People low in extroversion can do more technical work (assistant in a sales company?). In any organizations, we need people who create things and also people who run the company.
We can’t just keep making things, how can we grow the good products we already have? We also can’t just keep doing the same things, how can we keep up with the industry? We need both to survive.
All in all, pay attention to your personality when you are job hunting. If you are high neuroticism, don’t force yourself to succeed in a high stress job. If you are not high in creativity, don’t force yourself to be creative (if you are open to new experiences, working in a startup seems like a good option.
You can check our vacancies on our career site ;)). There are lots of things for everyone! And obviously, this is not an end all be all. Other factors in your life can and will influence your interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
Take it is as your guideline, and don’t be too hard on yourself. If you are interested in the Big Five Personality Trait, you can click here.
Good luck, happy job hunting, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
