I’ll be very honest: when it comes to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, I can never remember what I am (or what it means). I’ve taken the test a bunch of times with the resolution to really use it… and then I find myself taking it over again a year later. Perhaps it has to do with the alphabet soup of letters (which is probable as I often can’t remember military acronyms either). Even with my selective memory when it comes to those details, I’ve found the Myers-Briggs to be absolutely fascinating when it comes to reflecting on my personality and how I interact with and perceive the world.
The Myers-Briggs is a personality inventory that uses Carl Jung’s personality types to create a profile that most closely fits you. The results of the inventory are delivered to you in the form of four letters. Each initial stands for a particular trait that you scored high on. These traits come from four dichotomies: introversion (I) or extroversion (E), sensing (S) or intuitive (N), thinking (T) or feeling (F), and perceiving (P) or judging (J). For example, you might find that you’re an INFJ—introversion, intuition, feeling, and judging. There are sixteen possible personality types. Your type is supposed to be immutable so that it fits you for your whole life. Of course, no one test is a predictor of your personality; instead, it should be used as one of the pieces of the puzzle that you use to understand yourself.
Even if you’re not particularly interested in your Myers-Briggs results for yourself, if you’re looking for a new job or career path, consider taking the inventory. Many companies now include personality tests in the hiring process or may ask you during an interview what your composite is as they work to find your fit within the organization. In fact, about 80% of Fortune 500 companies use the Myers-Briggs to study their possible employees. Interested to see how Myers-Briggs categorizes you? Take a free, 20-minute inventory here.
Especially if you’re looking for a new career or a college major, your Myers-Briggs results can help you to narrow the scope of paths. First, take the inventory and find your personality type. Read the description, as every description for each of the 16 types are different. There are many resources online to help you find career paths that are compatible with your personality:
- Personality and Careers from The Myers & Briggs Foundation
- The Best Jobs for Every Personality
- The Best Careers for Your Personality Type
- What Can I Do with My Personality Type?
- List of Personality Types and Matching Careers
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Jo is the author of Jo, My Gosh! a blog about her journey as a newlywed military wife. When she’s not working from home, she’s writing, reading, trying new recipes, watching sports or cross stitching. Catch her on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook and say hi!
